It’s a fact that the sun is the main cause of aging and skin discoloration. As much as it provides us with the beneficial vitamin D, it also is our skin’s worst enemy. So, protecting our skin against the damaging effects of the sun is imperative if you want to retain that youthful glow and age well.

I discovered this combination a year ago but I only started using the products this year. The philosophy behind this combination and layering is that they boost each other’s efficacy creating a somewhat tri-defense weapon. The routine is very simple. You layer the products right after you cleanse in the morning and after you applied your toner or essence.

The Tri-defense skincare routine:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C contains antioxidants and contributes to our skin’s collagen synthesis making this an important factor in skin health. Moreover, studies have shown that Vitamin C limits the damage induced by ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. Vitamin C is not a “sunscreen” because it does not absorb light in the UVA or UVB spectrum. Rather, the antioxidant activity of vitamin C protects against UV-induced damage caused by free radicals.

Furthermore, similar studies also showed that topical application of vitamin is more effective on photoprotection than oral supplements because the approach is more direct.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to create proteins and they are naturally found in our skin. As we are taught in elementary science, amino acids and proteins are the building blocks of life. In topical applications of amino acids on the skin, different studies have shown that amino acids can increase collagen content of the skin.

Several amino acids used in the present study, such as EAA, BCAA, Gln, Glu, and Arg, have been reported to stimulate protein synthesis in several tissues in in vivo and in vitro studies.

Moreover, amino acids help promote skin immunity, maintain skin hydration, and resilience as it protects the skin from free-radicals that the sun and the environment may cause.

Sunscreen

We should all know this by now how extremely important wearing sunscreen is. As the last step of our morning routine, sunscreen provides us the protection we need from the sun’s photo damaging effects. The filters present in a sunscreen can either block directly the UV rays as mineral sunscreens or absorb it and transform the UV into heat as in chemical sunscreens. No matter how effective the products that you use prior, but without spf it will be useless. So, as you finish layering the first two, complete the routine with a sunscreen.

We actually publish an article detailing the benefits of sunscreens. You may want to check them out in this section.

With this simple routine, you are guaranteed that your skin is protected throughout the day and remember that such a routine only works if you are consistent and religious in it. Skincare is not magic. Consistency and commitment are key as in anything in life. Have a great day! And may this article help you get the skin protection that you needed…

*Sources:

Vitamin C: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-C

Amino Acid: Anthony et al. 2000; Bellon et al. 1987, 1995; Kimball and Jefferson 2004; Krause et al. 2002a; Oehler and Roth 2003; Proud 2004; Stechmiller et al. 2005; Stoll et al. 1992; Tipton et al. 1999; Xu et al. 2001). (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3351609