Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C Serum

Do I have regrets in life? Maybe a few. But I definitely don’t regret the gray hair and wrinkles that accompany a life well-lived for more than a half century. That said, I sure don’t want to look a day older than I actually am!!! Will this serum make you look like an 18 year old? Yes!!! if you are 18 years old. 😁 But if you are 58 years old, it will help your skin survive — and even thrive — for the next decades.

Healthy skin requires a two-pronged approach — the internal, and the external. Drinking lots of water, only a little caffeine and/or alcohol, limiting sugar and starches, and being generous with good fats — like avocado, salmon, nuts, and eggs — feeds your skin internally. External “feeding” requires that you hydrate AND moisturize, thus this post.

I have become so disenchanted with commercial products:

• the cost is ridiculous
• ingredients are questionable-to-proven-harmful
• they don’t seem to make much of a longterm difference
• besides, I have a theory: all those products that “plump” the skin actually age us in the long run

How can that be?

Well, in my non-scientific mind, when I blow up a balloon, let the air out, then blow it up again repeatedly, 🎈 what happens to it? The balloon begins to lose elasticity and becomes a wrinkly and saggy blob. I don’t want to look like a wrinkly and saggy blob! 😳

Vitamin C is good for our bodies, but it is also good for our skin. I’m not going to try to explain the benefits — do your own research — but suffice it to say, the body’s largest organ (skin!) craves Vitamin C.

Hyaluronic Acid is trending everywhere, even though it’s been used in skincare for several decades. It provides hydration, but is not a substitute for moisturizer!

I read somewhere that hydration equals water, and moisture equals oil. If your skin is dehydrated, it is lacking water. If your skin is dry, it is lacking oil. Hyaluronic acid serum addresses the hydration issue. It is like a long drink of water for your skin. Adding vitamin C to the serum ramps up its effectiveness. Lotion — or oil — moisturizes and locks in the hydration.

The hyaluronic acid products I’ve found — and regretfully purchased — cost about $20 per ounce. This is ludicrous! For less than $20, I purchase hyaluronic acid powder that makes about 50 ounces of serum. Adding a cosmetic grade vitamin C powder — beginning with just a small amount and building as skin acclimates — gives the serum extra efficacy, without breaking the bank. This allows me to use the serum all over my body! Why would we treat only our faces and necks when ALL skin is the body’s first line of defense?

One note about making preservative-free products at home: You need to make small batches. And make it frequently. Once Vitamin C oxidizes, it no longer is beneficial. I typically make a batch of serum twice a month. When generously used all over my body in the morning, and each evening on my face/neck/chest, this recipe makes just about the right amount.

To start with a clean and exfoliated face, here’s a great make-at-home recipe for facial scrub. If you are looking for a natural — healthy for skin and environment — moisturizer, here is a body butter recipe I make regularly. My go-to face and neck moisturizer is this retinol rosehipseed oil blend, which absorbs quickly and creates a wonderful base for makeup. It is also rich enough to replace pricey night creams.

We are all busy, but spreading a Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid over damp skin after showering, then rubbing on lotion or oil, adds only 3 minutes to the morning routine. Can’t find an extra 3 minutes? Cut back on how much time you spend reading the news or perusing pintrest in the morning. It truly is that beneficial!

You can get a knee replacement, dentures, and dye your hair, but you only get ONE chance with skin. Take good care of it, and it will take care of you!

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