Understanding Vitamin C Stability and pH
Vitamin C is one of the most powerful skincare actives — but only when properly stabilized.
L-Ascorbic Acid, the most potent form of Vitamin C, is notoriously unstable. Exposure to light, air, heat, and even water can cause rapid oxidation, turning your expensive serum brown and ineffective.
The pH window for L-Ascorbic Acid stability is narrow: between 2.5 and 3.5. Above pH 3.5, the molecule destabilizes rapidly. Below pH 2.5, it becomes irritating to the skin.
At Beauty & Pharma, we carefully formulate our Vitamin C products within this optimal pH range. We also employ anhydrous or low-water formulation strategies to extend shelf stability.
Alternative Vitamin C derivatives like Ascorbyl Glucoside and Ethyl Ascorbic Acid offer greater stability at higher pH ranges, making them suitable for different formulation architectures.
Our approach matches the right derivative to the right product format: L-Ascorbic Acid for serums, stabilized derivatives for emulsions and creams.