What's Inside Lightspeed Hydra Glow C Serum

Hero Active:  10% BV-OSC Vitamin C (INCI: Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate).

Most Vitamin C products utilize the water-soluble form of Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) because of its low cost and availability. While L-Ascorbic Acid is a much more affordable raw material to formulate with, there are many drawbacks to using it. 

L-Ascorbic Acid is highly unstable and oxidizes (turns brown or beige) when combined with water – often before you even finish the product. Once L-Ascorbic Acid oxidizes, it turns into Dehydroascorbic Acid (which converts to 2,3-diketogulonic acid, which then turns into Erythrulose), and can actually cause further oxidative stress and damage to the skin. Erythrulose is actually one of the main ingredients in self tanners, so if you use an old or oxidized Vitamin C, chances are that you will notice your face getting a little darker, which is the opposite of what you want your Vitamin C serum to do.

Another drawback with L-Ascorbic Acid is that because it is water-soluble, it cannot make it past the lipid rich skin barrier to the deeper layers of the dermis where collagen production actually occurs. Think of it this way…. Water will just run right off of oil. You actually need another oil-based substance to break though the existing protective oil barrier of the skin.

This is why we formulated with BV-OSC Vitamin C (Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate / THD Ascorbate).

BV-OSC Vitamin C is lipid soluble, and therefore is able to successfully penetrate the epidermis all the way to the layer underneath called the dermis. It’s in the dermis that collagen is produced. Because BV-OSC actually penetrates all the way to the dermis, you don’t need as much of it to achieve maximum benefits of lightening dark spots and boosting collagen, all without the downside of over-sensitivity from high levels of L-Ascorbic Acid.

BV-OSC Vitamin C is regulated as a quasi-drug for skin lightening at 3% in formulation in Japan and South Korea where skin lightening is the most popular skincare category. At Free Agent, we dialed it up to 10% in our Lightspeed formula to accelerate the lightening and skin smoothing results!

Backed by clinical research, BV-OSC Vitamin C has been proven to reduce dark spots and increase levels of type 1 collagen. With 25% better absorption than regular L-Ascorbic Acid, BV-OSC has shown the highest level of efficacy in cell viability for its antioxidant properties, and has been proven to help stimulate collagen synthesis, reduce the appearance of UV related damage and dark spots, and assists in preventing blue light damage to collagen and elastin. BV-OSC has even been known to treat Psoriasis, Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis in clinical settings. 

Advanced Delivery System: Ethoxydiglycol 

We selected this ingredient specifically for its clinically tested ability to accelerate the absorption of the BV-OSC Vitamin C, leaving your skin feeling nourished and moisturized without a greasy feel.  

Deeper penetration + faster absorption = powerful results with non-greasy feel.

Non-Comedogenic Moisture + Anti-Aging Actives

Tyler Hollmig, M.D., director of Laser and Aesthetic Dermatology at Stanford Health Care explains; “skin oils are critical to maintaining the protective skin barrier and minimizing water loss, which is essential for healthy, hydrated skin. Hydration is really a function of water balance, so oils help hold water in and prevent the environment from stripping water out.”

Using harsh skin-care products (like some acne products) can either dry out your skin or even cause the skin to produce more oil in response to dryness. “People with oily skin tend to think that a moisturizer will make the problem worse,” says Joel Schlessinger, M.D., board-certified dermatologist. "Neglecting to hydrate your skin and maintain the protective lipid barrier is a key component in excess sebum production that ultimately leads to more breakouts and inflammation." Basically, your body produces more sebum and oil to try to correct the imbalance. 

We selected these two emollients for their strong anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties, as well as their ability to reinforce the skin barrier thus improving overall hydration balance.

SQUALANE

Squalane is a powerhouse moisturizer that mimics the skins natural barrier to help lock in hydration and visibly reduce the look of fine lines while improving skin elasticity. Your body naturally makes a fatty lipid called Squalene (with an “e”), however, the production of this lipid declines with age. Squalane – which is more stable and skin friendly, is much beloved by cosmetic chemists and dermatologists alike...

Made from sustainable sugarcane, our Squalane is a lightweight, non-comedogenic oil that has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to reduce redness and irritation associated with common skin conditions such as: cystic acne, eczema, or psoriasis. It is also a great option for people with acneic skin, as it helps control the skins natural oil production.

SUNFLOWER SEEED OIL UNSAPONIFIABLES

Unsaponifiables are the small part of the oil that resists saponification (the chemical reaction that happens during soap making). In the case of sunflower oil, it's about 1.5-2% of the overall oil and consists of skin nourishing lipids like ceramides and cholesterol, along with fatty acids, barrier building linoleic acid, tocopherol (vitamin E) and sterols that all aid in improving dryness and overall texture of the skin. 

Ceramides are the largest polar lipid class of the epidermis and play a major role in the regulation of the epidermal barrier, particularly in dry skins and in atopic dermatitis where ceramide concentr­ations are reduced. The linoleic acid present in sunflower oil works to further reinforce the skin barrier, while the Vitamin E in sunflower seed oil provides antioxidant advantages that allow it to neutralize free radicals while softening skin.

Clinical studies show that 2% active Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables increases skin moisturization by 48.6% after 1 hour, and 34.2% after 24 hours. Applied twice daily for 4 weeks, participants saw improvement in skin dryness, roughness, and desquamation (skin peeling) parameters.

Sunflower Seed Oil Unsaponifiables have a naturally calming effect on the skin which makes it a viable option for people with skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis. 

We worked for over a year to develop the best Vitamin C Serum for people with all skin types, whether you are pregnant, have sensitive or reactive skin, acneic skin, problematic skin, or even suffer from various skin conditions. Lightspeed Hydra Glow C Serum will help provide long lasting moisture to replenish and restore the skin barrier, while helping to brighten and reduce the look of dark spots and fine lines.

Reference:

https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/skin-care/moisturizer

http://kingdomofyork.com/skinsnob/BV-OSC.pdf

https://labmuffin.com/vitamin-c-can-stain-skin-avoid/

https://www.healthline.com/health/squalane#risks

https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/helianthus-annuus-seed-oil-unsaponifiables