Written by John Duttenhaver, MD, Sapelo medical consultant

Vitamins are crucial to our health. Without a sufficient supply, our bodies can’t work properly. In the early centuries of ocean exploration, sailors frequently developed scurvy, a vitamin C deficiency disease, because they didn’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables on long journeys. Eating an adequate supply of vitamin-C-rich foods like citrus, bell peppers, strawberries and green vegetables is essential to maintaining a healthy vitamin C level.

Healthy skin depends on vitamin C because it acts as a cofactor (a helper molecule) in the conversion of procollagen (the forerunner to collagen) into collagen. The body uses one molecule of vitamin C for every molecule of collagen. Therefore, your skin requires a constant supply of vitamin C to maintain a healthy and resilient structure. The challenge is that vitamin C is water-soluble, so our body tissue cannot store it for long—another reason to constantly replenish it.

At Sapelo Skin Care, we found an even better solution. Ascorbyl palmitate is a lipid-soluble form of vitamin C that is stable for months. It is a natural ester derived from a reaction between vitamin C and palmitic acid. We add ascorbyl palmitate to our Rejuvenating Cream, along with two bioactive peptides that signal the skin cells to manufacture more collagen I and collagen III. Apply it twice daily and your skin will always have a constant supply of vitamin C.