Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant, brightens the skin tone and reduces signs of aging. In its pure form, Vitamin C is unstable in water. Ascorbyl Glucoside is a water-soluble derivative of Vitamin C. It is much more stable in water but it is less potent than direct L-Ascorbic Acid. Being more compatible with water allows for a very pleasant serum texture. It is considered a gold standard of Vitamin C derivatives due to its high stability and comfortable use, but it's impossible to achieve extremely high L-Ascorbic Acid potency with this solution. Aside from the general benefits of pure Vitamin C, Ascorbyl Glucoside has been shown to offer specific skin brightening benefits.

Vitamin C derivatives

First, it's really stable and easy to formulate, so the problems that come with pure vitamin C are solved here.

Second, in vitro (meaning made in the lab, not on real humans) studies show that ascorbyl glucoside can penetrate the skin. This is kind of important for an anti-aging ingredient to do the job, so this is good news, though in-vivo (made on real humans) studies are still needed.

Third, in-vitro studies show that after ascorbyl glucoside is absorbed into the skin it is converted to pure vitamin C (though the rate of conversion is still a question mark). It also shows all the three anti-aging benefits (antioxidant protection + collagen boosting + fading hyperpigmentation) that pure vitamin C does.

Skin Care Benefits

Ascorbyl glucoside is a derivative of ascorbic acid (AA), also known as vitamin C, can be obtained through diet from plants such as citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables. While ascorbyl glucoside shares many similarities to its precursor form, AA, its structure is less volatile and more favorable to use in skincare formulations. For this reason, the use of ascorbyl glucoside in skincare is often incorporated into topical products to provide vitamin C-like benefits, which include enhanced skin radiance and increased antioxidant protection.

The use of ascorbyl glucoside for skin radiance allows for a natural, healthy glow. This may be partially due to, ascorbyl glucoside’s potent antioxidant effects. By providing antioxidant protection, ascorbyl glucoside is able to neutralize free-radicals present in the environment, thus helping to maintain the skin’s overall quality and appearance.