Supreme C

With the weather showing (some) signs of brightening up, hopefully the relentless winter will soon be behind us and those of us popping our vitamin C pills, for what seems like months on end to keep colds at bay, can take a break. This doesn't mean that we should stop using this powerful antioxidant vitamin on our faces - especially during our Middle Years and beyond and Vitamin C is certainly having its moment cropping up in all variants of new products, from Clinique Fresh Pressed Daily Booster with Pure Vitamin C and LixirSkin Vitamin C Paste to Kiehl’s Powerful Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate and Supreme-C Serum Treatment by the hip Scandinavian brand Nuori.

Why Vitamin C?

This extract from my latest book GLOW: Your Complete Four-Week Plan for Healthy Radiant Skin with 60 Skin-Nourishing Recipes outlines the facts:

Vitamin C, or L-ascorbic acid in its purest form, is a powerful antioxidant and skin brightener. it is water soluble and protects skin from environmental aggressors and free radical damage. It acts by penetrating deep into the skin to stimulate fresh collagen production, while also helping to smooth, brighten and revitalise the complexion – hence the use of these key words in vitamin-C-enriched products! Used daily at an appropriate concentration, it can help clear pores and reduce pigmentation.

Like all antioxidants, it is vulnerable to damage, so choose light, water-based formulations that penetrate fast, packaged in opaque, airtight containers. Alternatively, vitamin-C powders tend to be more stable and can be used straight on the skin or mixed into other products. If the colour of the formula darkens or the smell changes, it has likely oxidised and should be binned.

Why NUORI?

Nuori 2x10 day Vit C Serum

I am absolutely loving NUORI's Supreme-C Serum Treatment which you activate yourself, by simply mixing the potent Vitamin C powder (in the product cap) with the liquid serum in the bottle to get full benefit of the active vitamin C. The 20-day treatment is split between to bottles, each to be used morning and evening, delivering potent doses of vitamin C (at a concentration of 7.5%) to brighten and refresh the skin.

NUORI is the brainchild of Jasmi Bonnen, who questioned how a product could be as effective at thirty months as it is a three - especially when some of the more commonly used active ingredients (like certain vitamins) become unstable with time in cosmetic formulations. Vitamin C is one of the most effective antioxidants for the skin but extremely unstable once it has been mixed into any water-soluble formula (hence one bottle designed for 10 days only). Nuori says that studies have shown that within just four months after blending, the concentration of vitamin C is down to 70%, so do the maths to figure out how little will actually be left in a product with a shelf life of 30 months, often longer. "This is why we are using the innovative packaging that allows you to mix the product at home, making it as fresh and potent as possible," Bonnen clarifies. Opaque bottles and packaging help protect active ingredients from oxidisation – hence the protective black/white glass lining the beauty shelves.

Shelf Life & Purity

NUORI formulations remain potent and stable for nine months after blending. As well as an expiry date, their products have a batch number stamped on the front of the outer packaging that guarantees optimum freshness and efficacy. Their products are 100% natural and free from parabens, mineral oils, sulfates and other potential skin irritants as they don't need to use any synthetic preservatives, stabilizers, fillers, fragrances, or colorants. And, most importantly for me, they work! The Supreme C feels soft and silky as it glides over my skin leaving it brighter and fresher - every time. After one 20-day course I'm hooked!

NUORI is available in Ireland from Fetch Beauty