L-Ascorbic Acid And Retinol: A Skin Benefits Essay.

What is L-Ascorbic Acid and Retinol?

Question:

 Write a Clinical Report Based on their and other students Survey Findings and also required to Complete the Consumer Perception Questionnaire.

L- Ascorbic Acid is known commonly as Vitamin C. Many people know that this vitamin is critical to the immune system of human, but only a few of them understand that the vitamin C is an ingredient to skin that is healthy. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which can reverse the damage on the skin caused by the extreme exposure to the sun and can even tighten the skin by producing stimulates collagen which performs the function. L- Ascorbic acid helps in slowing the melanin production and this removes dark spots that are normally caused by pregnancy, changes in hormones, and aging. This acid also prevents the development of cancer of the skin because it is an anti-oxidant. When this acid is applied on a regular basis, there will be an improvement of the quality of the skin and the texture of the skin. (Benjamin Caballero, 2014, p. 140)

Retinol is known commonly as Vitamin A because it is a member of the family of Vitamin A. Retinol is used for treatment and prevention of deficiency caused by xerophthalmia. A standard dose is highly recommended while a large dose can cause adverse effects like dry skin and may be dangerous to the baby when applied by a pregnant woman. The sources of retinol include products of dairy and fish. Retinol helps in improvement of skin by smoothening wrinkles and removing the dark spots on the skin by making pores of the skin look small. However, it may cause irritation to some people and make them have a negative attitude towards using retinol. The skin converts retinol into retinoic acid which does the healing of the skin. (Burdock, 2010, p. 152)

In this report, we are going to use Retinol and L- Ascorbic acid by applying the two products on different sections of the same face and analyze the results.

We were given both L-Ascorbic Acid and Retinol for this experiment. We targeted a given population area and talked to them about the aim of giving them the products first before providing them out. It was necessary to speak to the participants first so as to make them comfortable and cooperative when being asked questions concerning how they feel about the product. Each person we approached, we explained to them the procedure of applying the product they will be using on their faces for the next six weeks. The following was the process that the people chosen followed:

• They used Retinol on the left of the face for both day and night.
• They applied L-Ascorbic acid on the right side of the face for both day and night.
• They ensured that the skin was cleaned well before application of these products
• No other product was to be used apart from the two give for the duration of six months.

We allowed the people that have been chosen to stop applying the products in case of any negative signs o the face that may have been caused by the products. During six weeks, we visited the group using these two products on a weekly basis to check on their progress and noted in the case of any changes that was observed. After the duration of six weeks, we checked on the group and noted down the final observation of each. We asked them questions we prepared in the questionnaire and recorded the results down. (Heneth A Walters, 2010, p. 182)

How do L-Ascorbic Acid and Retinol affect skin health?

We tabulated results for as shown in the table below:

For L-Ascorbic Acid

From the results shown above, we noted that product regarding texture and consistency; many found Retinol more comfortable than L-Ascorbic acid.  The percentage of people that found Retinol more comfortable was 27% more than those who found L-Ascorbic acid. Those participants that used L-Ascorbic acid realized a significant improvement in the pigmentation while none of them realized a significant improvement after using Retinol. A significant number of participants noticed a change in the lines on their faces after using Retinol while only a small number noticed a change on their face lines after using L-Ascorbic acid. 5% more number of the members realized changes in the texture of their skin after using Retinol than the number of participants who noticed such a change after using L-Ascorbic acid. (Hui, 2013, p. 171)

A significant number of people realized that L-Ascorbic acid had a stinging effect on the skin after applying it, while the number of participants who felt a stinging effect after using Retinol was an insignificant number. A great number of the members who used L-Ascorbic never had the side effects (erythema) while a good number of them experienced the side effects after using Retinol. Some of the side effects that were experienced by the participants after using L-Ascorbic acid were: Increased Acne lesions, increases in Skin dryness, congestion, blocked pores, and yellowing of fingers. The participants said the following about Retinol: Not-sufficient hydration, reduced acne lesions, strange texture smell, significant congestion, enjoyed the product, improved lines, too oil, too sticky, and stopped due to an un-noted reaction. (Peter M Prendergast, 2011, p. 189)

From the effects and experiences of both Retinol and L-Ascorbic acid, we realized that a significant number of people who used Retinol found it advantageous and will consider using it because of the positive results they noticed on the side of the face they applied Retinol. The adverse side effects of Retinol are few due to the difference in skins of everyone, but only a few of them felt the effects. Although a greater number of participants felt that their skin’s pigmentation has changed significantly after using L-Ascorbic acid, we realized that the consequences of this acid is very significant to make members and the majority of them will not use the acid due o the negative experience they had when they applied it. (Lycka, 2012, p. 174)

Conclusion

From the research we carried out in the given population, we noticed that the effects of L-Ascorbic are numerous and only a few people saw the change on their skin after six weeks of application. Many participants experienced the change in their skin after using Retinol, and we realized that the side effects of Retinol are few and only happened to a few number of participants. The group members anonymously agreed that Retinol is the best antioxidant to use in case of broken skin, lines on the face, little pigmentation, and smooth skin. In the survey, we also noticed that it everyone has a different type of skin and not every skin will respond an antioxidant even if it is the best oxidant

References

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