This Natural Skin Care Ingredient Is Ideal For Firmer Skin — Are you Using it?
An excellent source of both vitamin C and E, the natural ingredient is a powerhouse for aging skin.
Aliver
mbg Beauty Director
mbg Beauty Director
Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
Image by bymuratdeniz / iStock June 15, 2023 Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may Vitamin C and E are magical together. On their own, fabulous antioxidants for the skin in their own right. But when found in the same formula? That’s when you start to see results. The pair works together to improve skin elasticity, firmness, ease the appearance of wrinkles, and brighten dark spots. They do so by powering up your collagen production.
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Why you skin needs both vitamin C and E for collagen production
"Certain antioxidants are synergistic," says board-certified dermatologist Julia T. Hunter, M.D., founder of Wholistic Dermatology in Beverly Hills, tells about the ingredients. "They strengthen one another, regenerate one another, and last longer in the body, so they're more available in the skin." And vitamins C and E are famously synergistic.
Vitamin C is such a famous antioxidant as it is a vital part of the collagen synthesis process1. Our bodies don’t make vitamin C naturally, so we have to get it externally—like via topical products. (This is why vitamin C creams and serums are so wildly popular.) But if you’re using vitamin C, you should know that it’s famously unstable—which is where vitamin E comes in.
Vitamin E balances out vitamin C, which means it’s better able to do its job in the collagen production process. One study even found that vitamin E increases vitamin C's effectiveness2 eightfold; on the other hand, vitamin C regenerates vitamin E after the latter scavenges free radicals, further reducing oxidative stress3 to cell membranes.
Mango seed butter is an excellent source of natural vitamin C and E
If you’re looking for a natural ingredient that can supply you both, mango seed butter is actually an excellent source of both vitamin C and E.
"Mango seed butter is rich in mangiferin, vitamins E and C, all of which have antioxidant properties," board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., FAAD, tells mbg about the ingredient nutrient profile.
Mango seed butter is also excellent for hydration as it’s rich in essential fatty acids, which give the rich product its emollient and occlusive properties. It’s most famously used in thick, comforting body creams and moisturizers for this reason.
So if you’re looking for an all-star hydrator that can help firm skin and support collagen production, mindbodygreen’s body cream is made with mango seed butter, as well as organic aloe vera, shea butter, squalane, cocoa butter, and an extra dose of vitamin E. Together this blend helps support skin hydration, fight free radical damage, and help improve the texture and tone.
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The takeaway
Vitamin C and E are often formulated together for a reason: They make each other stronger and more effective than they might otherwise be on their own. Mango seed butter is a rich source of both, as well as fatty acids and other antioxidants.
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