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Why Ascorbic Acid is Found in Skin Care Products
Look at the ingredient list in many skin care products and ascorbic acid is likely to be included. What causes so many manufacturers to reach for ascorbic acid when creating their products? Personal care raw materials supplier Bell Chem has several facts to share about ascorbic acid.
Many people interchange the words “ascorbic acid” and “vitamin C”; in fact, vitamin C comes in many forms, but ascorbic acid is its purest form. For anyone worried about using ascorbic acid, rest assured. More dermatological research has been conducted on this chemical than on any other. The following attributes have been credited with using ascorbic acid.
Oxidative stress reduction
Free radicals are often the culprit in many of skin’s anomalies, such as damage to nucleic acids, proteins, and cellular membranes. Ascorbic acid’s excess of electrons in its outer shell quickly adhere to free radicals, keeping them at bay. Free radicals stimulate a chain reaction of events leading to breakdowns of collagen, which keeps skin soft and supple, and elastin, which increases the elasticity of skin’s appearance. When free radicals are inert, these changes are less likely to occur because the connective tissues remain intact.
Photoprotection
The addition of ascorbic acid to sunscreen enhances its ability to protect against UV rays. The same free radicals as mentioned previously are activated by UVA rays, which affect the underlying dermis by mutating collagen, elastin, and proteoglycans; and UVB rays, which primarily affect the epidermis where mutations can lead to sunburn and skin cancer.
Alone, sunscreens block approximately 55% of free radicals associated with UV exposure. With ascorbic acid as an ingredient, the propensity to block harmful UV rays reduces erythema by 52% and sunburn cell formation by approximately 50%.
Removal of skin discoloration
Ascorbic acid inhibits melanin formation, which is responsible for freckles and other patches of skin discoloration.
Bell Chem is a personal care raw materials supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including ascorbic acid. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Common Food Preservatives and What They Do
When most people think of food preservation, their minds immediately focus on chemicals. While chemicals are a huge contributor to preserving the foods we would like to savor for more than two days, physical methods of preserving, such as refrigeration and canning, are also essential.
Today, most manufacturers rely on both types of preservation to keep foods as fresh as possible for the longest amount of time. Food ingredient distributor Bell Chem’s strong inventory of preservatives will ensure your company has the proper tools to keep consumer foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and other products on the shelves of local stores for as long as possible.
Food preservation is far from a new process. Ancient preservation techniques, such as rubbing salt into slabs of meat or drying fruits and vegetables, are still in use today. Modern methods of preservation include many of the pure ingredients from Bell Chem’s immense inventory, which are broadly categorized as either antioxidant or antimicrobial. Antioxidants are preservatives that prevent oxidation, which causes browning in fruit or odd flavors in packaged foods. Common antioxidants include the following:
Ascorbic acid: Bell Chem’s ascorbic acid reduces oxidation in cheeses and snack chips.
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, the powdered form of BHA): Commonly added to personal care products, butter and oils, beer, nuts, and snack foods.
Chelating agents: Disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and citric acid bind to metal ions and prevent oxidation.
Sulfites: Added to wines and dried fruits, sulfites maintain the natural color of products.
Vitamin E and rosemary oil: Natural antioxidants found in cereals and oils.
Antimicrobial preservatives prevent the growth and proliferation of bacteria, mold, and yeast. Here are some examples of antimicrobial preservatives:
Benzoic acid and benzoates: Jams, jellies and juices, carbonated beverages, and fermented foods benefit from the addition of Bell Chem’s benzoic acid.
Lactic acid: Found primarily in dairy products, lactic acid keeps these products fresher longer.
Nitrites and nitrates: Bell Chem’s sodium nitrite is ideal for preservation of many varieties of meat.
Propionic acid and sodium propionate: As an ingredient, propionic acid repels bacterial growth in bakery items.
Sorbic acid and sorbates: Much like propionic acid, sorbic acid is often a preservative in baked goods. It can also be found in wine and cheese.
Bell Chem is a food ingredient distributor based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, dozens of high-quality preservatives. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Ascorbic Acid Uses Outside the Food Industry
Ascorbic acid is a singular component of vitamin C. In fact, it surrounds the other components that create the entire vitamin C complex. Science has been able to synthesize this portion of vitamin C and use its properties in many non-food industries. Water treatment chemical supplier, Bell Chem, has complied a sample of how ascorbic acid is utilized industrially.
Ascorbic acid acts as a preservative and reductant during photographic development.
Swimming pool companies use ascorbic acid to remove dissolved metal stains, namely iron, from the sides of pools. Because it is an acid, it has the ability to lower the pH of pool water and stabilize the other chemicals.
Iodine is another metal that ascorbic acid negates, so it is routinely added to water purification systems to remove the taste, smell, and color of iodine in sterilized water.
Microscopists working with fluorescent microscopy find ascorbic acid’s antioxidant ability increases the fluorescent signaling and reduces dye photobleaching in slide preparation.
Ascorbic acid catalyzes the assembly of molecular chains in plastic manufacturing.
Recent pharmaceutical trials of topical ascorbic acid have proved it reduces the appearance of fine lines and age spots significantly. A double-blind trial had a remarkable 73.7% success rate with participants who applied an ascorbic acid solution to one side of their face and a placebo on the opposite side. Both clinicians and patients noted the improvement.
Take a second look at ascorbic acid – it’s not just for food preservation any more. Water treatment chemical supplier Bell Chem’s knowledgeable representatives would be glad to answer your questions regarding ascorbic acid, or any of their other chemicals. Call today at (407) 339-2355 (BELL) or browse our website.
Ascorbic Acid USP: A Widely-Used USP Ingredient
Ascorbic Acid USP, also known as Vitamin C, is a white or pale yellow crystalline powder used prominently in the food and beverage industry. In food, beverages, and dietary supplements, ascorbic acid USP is used as a source of Vitamin C and antioxidants. This chemical occurs naturally in some foods and is added to others. For example, ascorbic acid USP is included in nutrient/vitamin-enhanced drinks and powder vitamin supplements. Vitamin C is a naturally occurring antioxidant that proves essential to skin health because it helps prevent dry skin, wrinkles, and sun damage. Ascorbate is found in all layers of skin, but is more concentrated in the epidermis than the dermis. When exposed to UV light, ascorbate in the skin is reduced significantly. For this reason, the cosmetic industry utilizes the topical application of vitamin C to improve the overall appearance of skin.
A few additional uses for ascorbic acid USP include:
Used to slow the browning in processed fruits and vegetables.
Used as an immune booster.
Used to increase the clarity of wine and beer.
Used to improve the quality of wheat-flour and dough when baking bread.
Used as a curing agent in meat processing to inhibit nitrosamine formation.
As a top chemical supply company in Orlando, Bell Chem offers fast delivery of any of our hundreds of chemical products including ascorbic acid USP. With an abundance of world-class seaports within a few short hours, our Florida chemical supply company is positioned as the “go to” supplier on a national, as well as international level. Give us a call today at 407-339-BELL (2355) to place an order!
Ascorbic Acid USP
Ascorbic acid USP (vitamin C) is a water-soluble vitamin. It occurs as a white or light yellow crystal or powder, but once it is exposed to light it gradually darkens in color. Ascorbic acid USP has an acidic taste. In a dry state, ascorbic acid USP is stable. However, in aqueous solutions ascorbic acid becomes very unstable and begins to oxidize immediately. This oxidation gradually fabricates a color change as well as a reduction in activity. Once these changes have occurred, the chemical becomes dehydroascorbic acid.
In humans, a deficiency of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) can cause scurvy. In humans, ascorbic acid is needed for collagen formulation and tissue repair. The chemical name, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus. The symptoms of ascorbic acid deficiency include depression and exhaustion, followed by the formation of spots on the skin, soft gums, and bleeding from the mucous membranes. However, if ascorbic acid is administered into the body, the symptoms of scurvy are reversed.
In the cosmetics industry, ascorbic acid is well known for its skin protection benefits as well as its anti-aging effects. It is a powerful antioxidant and skin whitening active ingredient. Ascorbic acid is best stabilized in an anhydrous lipid or silicone base.
As a top quality chemical supplier in Orlando, we look forward to the opportunity to provide your business with quality products and unrivaled customer service. We have a full-time document coordinator as well as quality inspectors to ensure the accuracy and quality of our orders. Give us a call at 407-339-BELL (2355).