Alpha-H Vitamin C Paste

The best beauty ingredients for your skin seem to change like the wind – one month it’s charcoal, the next Centella Asiatica, the next retinol.

They all have their worth, but it is safe to say that Vitamin C is one that should always stay near to, or at the top of your list. It stimulates collagen production, fights pigmentation issues and protects against photoageing.

But, it’s all about how much you get, in what form, and how concentrated it is. It can be difficult to deliver it straight into the skin in a stable manner.

Alpha-H’s new Vitamin C Paste contains 10% L-Ascorbic Acid – pure Vitamin C in this form is delivered straight to your skin, because it is not a derivative of Vitamin C, so the skin doesn’t need to convert it first.

By applying Vitamin C topically it will be super-effective, as it won’t be rapidly degenerated by things like UV light and pollutants. Vitamin C should always be used in tandem with an SPF for total protection, but the antioxidants in it will also boost the skin’s defences against UV rays.

This paste also contains natural emollient Shea Butter, which helps to buffer the acidity of the Vitamin C and also enhances the skin’s barrier function to ensure your skin is better able to take on the active ingredient.

Use this new paste as a primer, apply it to face, neck and decolletage morning and/or evening. If you do use it in the day, ALWAYS apply a sunscreen afterwards.

This paste is fantastic for more mature skins, those of us in the Generation X bracket – 40-55 – who are beginning to lose collagen and elastin.

It’s a luxury addition to your skincare routine at £40 for 30ml, but it is worth it, and you don’t need a lot.

Alpha-H Vitamin C Paste, £40, available now at alpha-h.com and marksandspencer.com