Afternoon beauty fix: Why Vitamin C can help hide bad teenage skincare habits
It’s been a while now, but when I was a teenager I used to force my pimples to pop and now I’m left with considerable scarring around my mouth area. Is it too late to correct the damage I’ve done? You’ll be happy to hear that “scarring” is a misleading term. Popping pimples is a damaging activity because it inflames and infuriates your cells—dark spots are the repercussions. They’re not “scars” though—they’re pigmentation clusters that can be treated and minimized with dermabrasion, phototherapy, or by applying a high concentration of Vitamin C, nature’s powerful exfoliant.
Lots of Vitamin C–rich creams and serums look yellow-ish and can be found in brown bottles, simply because their benefits break down in the sunlight and coloured bottles prevent that from happening. Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot solution ($54, kiehls.ca), on the other hand, comes in a clear bottle because its formulation of Vitamin C, white birch, and peony extracts are photostabilized and will never lose their effectiveness in the sunlight or otherwise. Its ingredients are 100 per cent active and offered in the form of a serum that is gentle enough to apply daily—meaning that with consistent use, your teenage secret will be hidden.
In need of an afternoon beauty pick-me-up? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.