​In this week's blog, I am featuring the wonderful antioxidant Vitamin C and its effect on the skin. The reason this topic came to mind is because I use a topical formulation of Vitamin C as one of my steps during my skincare routine.  It makes my skin look brighter, smoother, and overall more revitalized.  
First, I will give a history lesson on VITAMIN C, which is also known as ASCORBIC ACID. We now know that individuals lacking in this vitamin were known to have the condition called Scurvy. Scurvy was a horrendous disease that caused slow wound healing, bleeding gums, tooth loss, pneumonia and eventually death. 
Scurvy is written about in the very ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman literature as well as in the Renaissance era.   The British and European explorers were ravaged by scurvy.  Scurvy was a major cause of death among much of Europe during the great potato famine.  And many died of scurvy here in the US during the Civil War, the exploration of the North Pole, and the California gold rush.
Captain James Cook was one of the first to demonstrate that sailors who spent months at sea could avoid scurvy by maintaining a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Sailors were saved from Scurvy by eating fresh limes.  Hence, the nickname "Limey" was born and it is "pirate lingo" we use to this day!   Personal Editorial:  One of my best friends from high school says:  "I need a lime with my Corona to prevent scurvy!"  I chuckle every time she says it!
In about 1928, a scientist by the name of Albert Szent-Gyorgyi discovered what we now call Vitamin C. He isolated hexuronic acid from cabbage, oranges, and paprika. Hexuronic acid was subsequently termed Vitamin C and it was the Vitamin responsible for preventing scurvy.
Linus Pauling PhD in Physical Chemistry (1901-1994) is known as the Vitamin C Guru. He is the most famous modern day proponent of high dose vitamin C treatment for colds and other diseases. 
As a physician, I really appreciate the history that lead to the discovery of Vitamin C in the early 1900's.  Since then, Vitamin C has been studied excessively in the medical literature, including its role in our skin's health, which I will focus on now.
Vitamin C has several effects on the skin, and can be formulated into creams and serums.  Here are the following benefits of Vitamin C on the skin: 

• Improved Skin elasticity:  One of the benefits of vitamin C  is improved skin elasticity with regular use. This is achieved through the stimulation of collagen fibers within the skin, which act as the skin’s support network. Stronger, more plentiful protein fibers create a tighter look in the face and diminish the appearance of wrinkles.  Vitamin C works on the skin as a co-factor for our bodies' ability to make the protein collagen. Collagen is the strong connective tissue that essentially holds us together. Collagen, underneath our skin surface, is responsible for holding our skin in place on our face as well as on the rest of the body.  That is why as we age, collagen stores become depleted, and the skin starts to sag.  Vitamin C topically can help prevent sagging skin.

• Reduced Hyperpigmentation:  Vitamin C is also believed to reduce the appearance of dark spots on the skin caused by sun damage by encouraging skin healing, thereby reducing pigment clusters.
• Reduced Inflammation:  Another benefit of vitamin C is the ability to reduce inflammation in the treated area. This can have several benefits, including inflammatory relief in the short term like in sunburns, as well as anti aging effects in the long term.  Vitamin C does so by hindering the production of arachidonic acid, which causes inflammation.  This acid has been found to play a role in the formation of certain skin conditions like psoriasis.
• Antioxidant Effect:  Vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant to address other skin damage, beyond dark spots and inflammation.  Vitamin C penetrates deeply, and is effective at stimulating healthy skin.

In summary, the verdict is out there that Vitamin C is great for the skin.  I recommend eating a diet rich in Vitamin C, as well as taking oral supplements of Vitamin C and using clinically proven Vitamin C containing creams and serums.  If you have any questions or comments on Vitamin C for your skin, please leave a message below.

Here's to Good Health & Much Happiness,
Dr. Younger You :)

Click now to shop DrYoungerYou.myrandf.com      If you want an excellent topical Vitamin C product, purchase Step 3 of The Reverse Regimen on my website.  It is called the Dual Active Brightening complex.  It is the Vitamin C containing product that I use.  It is sold with a tube of Retinol, because Vitamin C and Retinol work best in combination for anti-aging. This product is clinically proven and third party dermatology tested, and carries a 60 day money back guarantee.  

Many of you as my followers may not know this, but I have a COMMUNITY Facebook page called Jar Challengers. www.facebook.com/DrYoungerYou/ It is a free weight loss support group.  I started it in January 2015 to give myself and others motivation for healthier eating habits, encouragement for a routine exercise program, and mostly for accountability of a weekly weigh in from the comfort of one's home by weighing in every Thursday on line with me Dr Younger You, also known as the Jar Challenger.  There is no obligation to tell your weight.  I usually just tell if I gain, lose or stay the same,  I keep it simple and fun. There are only a few regular "vocal" followers, but mostly silent followers--and I invite you to follow along if you would like,  I use a big mason jar and a little mason jar as a visual aid to move colored stones to represent one pound. I started out with 20 stones (equivalent to the 20 pounds I want to lose) in Bigger Jar me, and now have 10 stones in each jar.  Don't we all want to lose that extra 10 pounds? 
My basic suggestions focus on staying away from high carbohydrate foods as follows: 
NO BREAD
NO PASTA
NO POTATO
NO RICE
My husband stopped making the high carbohydrate side dishes at mealtime and instead has replaced it with a green vegetable like asparagus, green beans, broccoli, zucchini, and salads.  I do eat fish, seafood, a little chicken but I have not eaten red meat for 37 years. My weight loss efforts have been labile, up and down with no sustainable weight loss.
until recently in the last 3 months I feel I am onto something--and it is a lifestyle, not a diet.
In July 2018, I learned about a book called the Obesity Code, by Dr. Jason Fung.  I highly recommend it. In his book, Dr. Fung explains the hormonal contribution to weight loss, namely high insulin and cortisol levels are the primary cause for weight gain.  He teaches to eat high healthy fat and low carb foods on days you eat, alternated with hours/days of intermittent/extended fasting.  He teaches you how to fast and I can't believe how easy it is.  You can eat chicken or vegetable broth on your fasting days.  Today's weigh in is my lowest recorded weight in 3.75 years I have been recording my weights.
So this blog is supposed to give skin care advice, right?
This brings me to tell you that intermittent fasting can help with weight loss, but it can also help you look younger, live longer and even protect against diseases like dementia.   Recent studies emphatically demonstrate the health benefits of intermittent fasting and how it can impede your skin’s aging process. How you may ask?
The answer is by the process of "Autophagy."  Autophagy is a cellular process that basically cleans waste material and by products within your cells.  This process is stimulated during periods of fasting and the breaking down of this cellular “junk” into it’s constitute parts. These include fatty acids, amino acids and sugars; just the resources the body requires when it cannot acquire them through eating. Fasting therefore forces the body to search for these resources within your cells when they are not readily available, i.e in the fasting state,  thus performing this cellular cleansing process at a faster rate than normal.
Studies have suggested that promoting autophagy can increase longevity, but the health benefits also apply to your skin. Studies have demonstrated that one of the key mechanisms in aging, not only of your skin, but in all anatomical systems is the inadequate clearance of material that results from oxidative stress. Periods of fasting not only clear junk material from your cells but it has also been shown to reduce oxidative stress by increasing insulin sensitivity.
Fasting has also been shown to increase your body’s production of Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Studies have shown that HGH has skin rejuvenation properties.
So, there you have it!  

Here's to Much Happiness and Good Health, 
Your Friend, Dr, Younger You:)

PS  Please visit my skin product to get the # 1 Skin care products in all of North America
Shop Click DrYoungerYou.myrandf.com
Interested in joining my Team?  Use this link DrYoungerYou.myrandf.biz
Thank You in Advance!

This is my business blog.  I blog every Thursday. My original intent when I began this journey over 3 years ago was to help people with their common skin care conditions as well as grow my Team in the USA, Canada and Australia. And it remains my main intent.  But then life happens. 
Should a business blogger share personal stories, or should it be business as usual?   i don't think there is a right or wrong answer, but I know what was right for me. Losing a young person that is part of your life is a very difficult and  intensely sad to experience. This past week and a half, I couldn't help but be "closed for business" though my website DrYoungerYou.myrandf.com is never closed.
As my followers, please forgive me for being human, but it was the only thing I could think of and by sharing the personal loss of an extremely important person in my families' life, you all helped me grieve.  For that, I thank you.  As Hayden would often say (in getting into and out of shenanigans):  "It'll be all right."
Please click the link below to see a beautiful video tribute created by Rhonda (one of my Mom friends) for Hayden, with the song by Rascal Flatts called "Forever" that I dedicated to Hayden in last week's blog. The tribute is up to almost 12,000 views and 174 shares.

 www.facebook.com/rhonda.r.desimone/videos/2137792412899611/

Here is to Good Health and Much Happiness,
Your Friend, Dr.Younger You:)

This is dedicated to Hayden. Rest in Peace. We are Thankful for our destiny of having Hayden touch our lives.  His time in our lives was too short, but his impact in our time together was abundant beyond measure and will last our lifetimes. 

All Our Love,
Ma (Dr. Y2) and Pa Brenner, Austin, Allison & David