The topic of Matsumi Ladies Clinic Mita English blog in November is about the benefits of vitamin C for the skin.

In the first and the second part, I created this theme suitable for easy reading.

 

The last part article is focused on the role of vitamin C in the skin health.

I will explain this part from a medical perspective.

 

The primary function of the skin is to act as a barrier against the environmental materials.

 

The skin is composed of three layers:
(1)：the hypodermis (fat layer),
(2)：the dermis, which contains proteins, like collagen and elastin,
(3)：and the epidermis, where four types of cells,
①:keratinocytes(skin cells),
②:melanocytes(pigment-producing cells),
③:Langerhans cells (immune cells) and
④:Merkel cells,
exist.

 

The role of vitamin C in the skin health is promotion of collagen synthesis, which make skin strong and flexible and its antioxidant activity as a protective factor against UV irradiation.

 

Skin keratinocytes are reported to have the capacity to accumulate high concentrations of vitamin C.

In fact, vitamin C supplementation to animals has shown improved collagen synthesis.

The administration of vitamin C stimulates gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in cultured keratinocytes and promotes the differentiation of the epithelial cells.

Some clinical studies reported that signs of aging in human skin, such as collagen deposition and wrinkle depth can be ameliorated through the provision of vitamin C.

 

Vitamin C also makes a great assist in wound healing.