Face cream turns brown, can you still use it or not? & bull; hello healthy

One of the most popular skin care products, especially women, is a face cream. These creams usually function to moisturize, nourish, and rejuvenate facial skin. If you have used face creams a lot, especially those rich in vitamin C, you may have experienced creams turning a little brown.

Face creams, also known as vitamin C serum, are prone to discoloration, from white to slightly yellow to brown. You may be worried, maybe that means the face cream you bought is fake or has expired? To find out the answer, read on for the following information.

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Why can face cream turn brown?

Face creams whose main content is vitamin C are prone to oxidation if exposed to air, light and heat. Just as fruits change color when they are peeled for too long, so can your face cream or vitamin C serum. This happens because exposure to air, light, or heat can cause an oxidation process in the cream. This oxidation process occurs because the acid content in vitamin C cream is very difficult to stabilize.

A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in 2003 revealed that the oxidation process causes discoloration of creams. This is due to changes in pH or acidity levels as well as changes in the properties of the molecules in vitamin C. As a result of these changes, the vitamin C content in your face cream decreases its properties.

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Can I still use the tanned face cream?

If the face cream turns brown, it has less potency and strength. The lighter the face cream color, the higher the vitamin C content. While the darker the color, the less it contains. So, if the color is dark brown, you should not continue using the cream.

If you have already used a face cream that has turned yellow or brown, there is no need to worry. Face cream or vitamin C serum that has changed color will not damage your facial skin. Many believe that the oxidation process in vitamin C face creams risks releasing free radicals in skin cells. This belief departs from the theory that vitamin C will scavenge free radicals so that they are not absorbed by cells in the skin. So, if the effect of vitamin C in face creams has been reduced, the free radicals that were absorbed by vitamin C can be released and spread in skin cells.

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In fact, even on a face cream or vitamin C serum that is very brown in color, you can still feel the effect of vitamin C even though it is only about 50% of its original properties. So, vitamin C can still capture free radicals from pollution, food, and toxic substances that you encounter everyday. However, it is true that the number of free radicals captured is not as many as face creams that are new and white in color. When the vitamin C molecules die in the skin cells, no free radicals are released and spread. Free radicals that have been previously absorbed will also die along with the vitamin C. There are no studies that prove there is a risk or danger of using a cream or serum vitamin C that has turned brown in addition to reduced properties.

Tips for choosing and storing vitamin C serum

To prevent the oxidation process of your favorite vitamin C cream or serum, pay attention to the following important tips.

Choose a face cream or vitamin C serum in small packages so that you don't store it for too long and are exposed to air and light
Keep creams and serums away from direct sunlight
After applying your face cream, close the package tightly so that it is not contaminated with air or light. While applying to the face, you should also cover the face cream, do not leave it open
Store your face cream or vitamin C serum in a cool place

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