Vitamin C Boosts Epidermal Growth via DNA Demethylation
33 comments
·July 2, 2025ggm
majkinetor
Everybody is low on C in diet. It's thermolabile, and there is glucose competition for GLUT transporters.
IMO, everybody should take at least 2g daily in a couple of doses, particularly smokers.
ethan_smith
Topical vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) at concentrations of 10-20% with pH <3.5 can penetrate the stratum corneum, though stability and formulation significantly impact bioavailability.
burnt-resistor
Oh lord, not another "wellness hack". And here comes the people giving themselves kidney stones and spinal cord problems to be featured on Chubbyemu.
cultofmetatron
honestly that video was surprising on how safe zinc is. I mean he went so beyond anything close to a reasonable dose. bro was eating tubes of dental paste.
asveikau
This is a weird video to see after one of my son's doctors told me I should supplement him with zinc. Of course I'm following dosage recommendations.
burnt-resistor
If there's a real deficiency, it should be managed with blood tests.
Growing up and recently, I've been anemic (iron deficient) without any obvious medical cause. That requires supplementation with an unusual amount of iron.
Also, I'm vitamin A deficient at baseline and have to take large amounts, around 15k IU/day, to stay within the "normal" range. (50% above ordinary UL.)
radu_floricica
This just found a potential mechanism, right? Because we did know that, AFAIK. A doctor recommended me vitamin C for faster healing of minor lesions about a decade ago.
SlowTao
As a vaguely related aside, my skin is typically better when I have a decent vitamin c intake. Essentially all I do is have a orange or two every night. Nothing too extreme.
This is VERY anecdotal!
jandrewrogers
Oranges are not particularly high in ascorbic acid as such things go, so I would expect any effect to be pretty marginal. Other fruits and vegetables contain considerably more.
amelius
The effects can be significant, even if not due to vit C but something else in the oranges.
woleium
So possible treatment for age related thinning of the skin.
kanbankaren
Well, there are already multiple skin creams with Vitamin C. They have been available for a long time, but they are expensive for what it provides.
Just taking a 500mg x 2 Vitamin C supplements should provide enough for skin repair.
inkyoto
Let's not engage in quakery and resort to knowledge instead.
Oral and transdermal (topical) application of Vitamin C (and other molecules in general) follow completely different routes with different absorption rates and accompanying nuances.
Oral intake. Absorption rate is dosage dependent:
– At moderate doses (≤ 250 mg/day): 70–90 per cent of ascorbate is absorbed into the bloodstream. Bloodstream means just that – Vitamin C will be distributed throughout the entire body, which includes tissues, internal organs and skin. Active absorption takes place in the small intestine predominantly by SVCT1 and SVCT2 sodium-ascorbate co-transporters.
– At high doses (≥ 1g a day): passive diffusion takes over and also takes place in the small intestine although now via GLUT transporters that become saturated and absorption efficiency drops to 50 per cent or lower.
Transdermal (topical) application. Depends on the concentration and several factors, but a 20% concentration serum (not a cream) can achieve a > 80% absorption rate through the skin into receptor fluid after 24 hours. Half-life of Vitamin C applied topically is approximately 4 days.
Recap: less than < 0.1 % / 4 hours half-life for the oral route vs more than 80 % / 4 days half-life for the transdermal route.
majkinetor
Liposomal C will achieve higher concentrations in cells as it doesn't rely on GLUT/SVCT.
Otherwise, the absorption of high doses depends on stress level - when you are not healthy, your body will absorb A LOT more, as shown by vitamin C bowel tolerance method.
To be sure you have it where it counts, take all forms of C - liposomal, film, AA and topical
kanbankaren
Is the 80% absorbed Vitamin C through transdermal route cross the epidermis & dermis layers?
MangoToupe
Therapy is another option
anon373839
I know this was a joke, but I can't really understand the worldview that says people should accept physical decline in a passive way. The fact is, we actually have a lot of control over how quickly and how well we age. Just using sunscreen can prevent a lot of the age-related loss of skin structure. And interventions like topical retinoids or collagen induction (e.g. microneedling) can even restore some thickness and elasticity that have already been lost. This also goes for fitness, joint health, and a lot of other things. Caring for your body is actually well aligned with the goals of psychotherapy.
ch4s3
Red light, or something more chemical?
MangoToupe
Ah I should have said "psychotherapy" to get the joke across better
catchcatchcatch
[dead]
apt-apt-apt-apt
So true. I have been vitamin-C deficient the past 20 years and my skin has definitely degraded.
deadbabe
This is why you need to include a good vitamin C serum in your daily skincare routine.
mmmpetrichor
I get all my skincare advice from hackernews.
m463
"I always use an after-shave lotion with little or no alcohol because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm, followed by a final moisturizing "protective" lotion..."
Bateman stares into the mirror. The masque has dried, giving his face a strange distorted look as if it has been wrapped in plastic. He begins slowly peeling the gel masque off his face.
ipnon
“Looking good doesn’t affect your success” is one of those pernicious anti-advices like “elite university degrees don’t matter” and “family connections are worthless in our meritocratic society.”
JumpCrisscross
A, B, C, D, E and water.
A is a light retinol. B is niacinamide. C is C. D you should be making from sunlight (or getting from supplements). E is E. Water is moisturiser.
Pretty much all evidence-based skincare comes down to providing these vitamins (plus water) to your skin.
oneshtein
Which daily skincare you recommend to use?
catchcatchcatch
[dead]
In cell cultures. So nothing about topical, or digestive pathways. Just, expose cells to vitamin c rich medium.
How would topical application work, and what kind of homeostasis effect, from ingestion.
If you are low on vitamin c in your diet, sure. If not, you may not get much benefit from having more.