Ask Dr. Schultz
Could AHA or Vitamin C serums be harmful?
Could AHA or Vitamin C Serums be harmful to the skin in terms of creating irritation or other problems if we use it in the wrong areas (delicate skin around the eye, for example)?
I love this question.
To use AHA’s near the eyes or on other sensitive areas, they need to be pH adjusted (made less acidic and more neutral) as well as reduced in strength or else they will frequently cause irritation.
Vitamin C products come in many different forms. Don’t forget that Vitamin C is an acid (it is Ascorbic acid) so anyone who uses a Vitamin C product that is straight Vitamin C is very likely to get irritation on sensitive skin. That’s why Tetrahexadecyl Ascorbate and Methylsilanol Ascorbate are my two favorite forms of Vitamin C. They are both esters rather than acids and therefore are much less irritating, cause less burning sensations, are more stable (don’t lose potency) and better absorbed than straight Vitamin C acid.
Be careful!