Vitamin C
An essential vitamin and a required cofactor for the enzymes that stabilise newly built collagen.
The cofactor role is settled biochemistry; there is little evidence that extra vitamin C improves skin in people who already have enough.
On the label: Ascorbic Acid. Also known as Vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid.
What it does for you
Makes sure the step that stabilises collagen is not the thing holding you back. It is insurance on the pathway rather than an active benefit in its own right.
Why we use it
Collagen synthesis cannot complete properly without vitamin C, so we include it at a meaningful dose rather than a token one. We are honest that this matters most if your intake is low to begin with.
Mechanism
Vitamin C is required by prolyl and lysyl hydroxylase, the enzymes that modify collagen so its triple helix holds together. Without enough of it the structure is unstable, which is the biochemistry behind scurvy.
Use level
150 mg per daily stick in VitalBuild Daily Collagen Powder. The RDA is 75 to 90 mg and blood levels saturate around 100 to 200 mg/day.
Commonly confused with
Oral vitamin C and topical vitamin C are not interchangeable. Topical serums are aiming at a local antioxidant effect in skin; this is about the enzyme step in collagen synthesis.
What the studies say
Significant improvement in hydration and elasticity versus control. Notably, concomitant intake of low-dose vitamin C did NOT enhance the effect.
- Human in vivo
- n = 32
- 12 weeks
Four arms: no treatment; 3 g collagen peptide; 3 g plus 500 mg vitamin C; vitamin C alone
Effects of collagen tripeptide supplement on skin properties: a prospective, randomized, controlled study Choi SY, Ko EJ, Lee YH, et al.. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2014. DOI 10.3109/14764172.2013.854119
Small sample. The vitamin C finding is directly relevant to any claim that pairing vitamin C with collagen improves outcomes.