I’m sure you’ve seen lots of advertisements for products containing vitamin C. It’s a very popular ingredient in skin care products — especially in antiaging skin care products. Vitamin C is prized because of its ability to neutralize free radicals which are key in the aging process. No matter how many times you hear it though, there’s nothing like seeing it in action. Take a look at this video to get a dramatic demonstration at how crucial vitamin C is in slowing down the aging process –

Problem is, you’re skin cannot absorb vitamin C. It can absorb L-ascorbic acid. If the vitamin C in your skin care products isn’t in the form of L-ascorbic acid, it’s of no use to your skin.

Vitamin C is naturally found in skin tissue. When the skin’s supply of vitamin C is depleted — through sun exposure, smoking, or pollution — the skin’s ability to repair free radical damage is compromised. The end result for your face is sun damage, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation.

Other than L-ascorbic acid there are only two other antioxidants that the skin can absorb — selenium and vitamin E. Products containing the vitamin C derivatives Ascorbic Acid, ascorbyl palmitate, or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate will not be absorbed topically.

While your face may not know what to do with vitamin C, your body definitely knows how to put it to good use. In fact, a diet rich in antioxidants will do a lot more to keep you looking younger than smearing it on your skin will. As a person ages, the body takes longer to create new cells and repair damaged cells. Antioxidants slow down the deterioration and damage of cells in the body.

A low level of antioxidants in your body can cause oxidative stress and may hasten cell death. Many diseases and illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, and even vision loss are believed to be directly related to the level of oxidative stress in a person’s body.

The best way to get more antioxidants into your diet is to head to the produce aisle of your local market. Dark green leafy vegetables are always a good choice when it comes to natural antioxidants. If you specifically want vitamin C, then citrus is the way to go.

If you’d rather go the supplement route, there are a lot of good ones out there. The benefit of using supplements is that you can get larger doses of antioxidants without larger portions of food — less calories. All One Fruit Antioxidant Formula is a good blend of blend of vitamins, minerals and amino acids with phytochemicals from the pigments of cherries, blueberries, cranberries, and apples. My favorite way to use it is in a smoothie, but it mixes just as well in juice.

However you get your antioxidants, make sure it’s in a form your body can actually make use of.

Resource: Positively Ageless: A 28-Day Plan for a Younger, Slimmer, Sexier You