If you’re up on your skincare game (or even if you’re a fan of Eight Saints) you know that vitamin C and vitamin E are both rockstar skincare ingredients. On their own, these powerful vitamins have antioxidant properties and loads of anti-aging benefits.

But did you know that you can take the benefits of vitamin C and vitamin E to a whole new level if you use them together? It’s true.

Here’s why vitamin C and vitamin E are the peanut butter and jelly of the skincare world, and how the combination can be a skin-saving game changer.

First: What Does Each Vitamin Do?

Before we dive into the benefits of this killer combo, let’s discuss the benefits and uses of each vitamin.

Vitamin C

This MVP is a potent antioxidant that reduces signs of aging, repairs damaged skin, accelerates collagen synthesis, and corrects hyperpigmentation.

You'll find it in Eight Saints products as Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP). This is the most stable form of vitamin C - it will never oxidize or decrease in effectiveness with time. It easily penetrates the skin, unlike ascorbic acid (a popular version that many brands use) which is not easily absorbed.

Above all, this form of vitamin C is a powerful acne fighter and anti-aging powerhouse.

Big-Picture Benefits:

As part of your skincare regimen, vitamin C will help:

Fight and prevent acne:

One study found that just a 1% concentration of SAP had a strong antimicrobial effect against acne for a full 8 hours! It also found that lotion with 5% SAP was ranked as “excellent or good” by 76.9% of users - much higher than the average prescribed acne treatment!

The researchers concluded that “SAP can be used in a non-antibiotic and effective treatment or co-treatment of acne with no side effects, which makes it particularly attractive for cosmetic purposes.”

Reduce common signs of aging, such as hyperpigmentation:

Because of its ability to neutralize free radicals, vitamin C can reduce oxidative stress and slow down the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.

It also stabilizes the skin’s collagen and elastin - and it is even shown to stimulate collagen production! - both of which are necessary for plumped, radiant, youthful skin.

Repair oxidative photo-damage:

By fighting free radicals and photo-damage, vitamin C effectively brightens skin tone by reducing any dark spots or hyperpigmentation.

Decrease redness and prevent sunburn:

By protecting against UV damage, vitamin C assists in preventing sunburn. It enhances the photo-protective properties of sunscreen, thus make your sunscreen stronger.

Enjoy the benefits for yourself. Try these products made with vitamin C: Down to Earth, Cloud Whip, Pep Rally

Vitamin E

Vitamin E (or tocopherol) is a natural component of healthy skin. While it’s often overshadowed by trendy newcomer ingredients, this powerful (yet gentle!) antioxidant is great for all-around skincare. It can effectively defend the skin by neutralizing free radicals caused by pollution and other environmental stressors. This strengthens, tightens, and firms skin over time - oh, and it adds moisture too!

Big-Picture Benefits:

Shield Against Free Radicals:

First thing’s first - Vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant, which means it can protect against free radical damage and defends the skin against pollution and other environmental aggressors.

On top of that, it has been shown to decrease UV-induced photodamage, thereby decreasing the risk of skin cancers and stabilizing the skin barrier.

But there’s something more - it can also protect the skin from sun damage by absorbing UV light, working as a kind of shield for the skin. Unfortunately, it’s rapidly depleted by UVB, which is why lots of products combine it with other antioxidants (particularly vitamin C). This helps stabilize the vitamin E and help it remain effective against UV damage.

Accelerate Healing:

Vitamin E is shown to accelerate wound healing by both dropping the time it takes for wounds to heal and by increasing the breaking strength of wounds.

Moisturize:

Vitamin E can keep lipids fresh in the skin, thereby helping to protect your skin’s natural protective barrier. This can prevent moisture from leaving and provide lasting hydration for the skin.

Anti-Inflammatory:

By protecting against free radical damage, Vitamin E soothes the skin and calms its natural inflammatory process. This, in turn, can slow inflammation-induced signs of aging.

Why the Combo?

Now, you may have already noticed some common threads here (like anti-aging benefits and protection against free radical damage).

Double the Antioxidants and Sun Protection

Each vitamin combats different types of UV damage, which means that the combination - especially if you add some real SPF to the mix - will give you super comprehensive sun protection.

Additionally, using both will give you double the antioxidant protection to fight free radical damage In fact, one study found that applying the combination every day can reduce effects of sun damage - aka dark spots and wrinkles - on your skin by up to 4 times!

Now, let’s address one of the most common concerns here - isn’t there such a thing as too much of a good thing? And can’t loading up on double the goodies actually cause skin irritation?

The short answer? No! (yay). Neither product is recommended for particularly sensitive or reactive skin (and vitamin E is not great for oily skin either) but the reality is that we’re not dealing with acids or anything harmful. Instead, we’re talking about regenerative, restorative ingredients - so you shouldn’t worry about the combination causing any real problems.

Products to Pair Up:

If you’re following a comprehensive Eight Saints routine, you’re already using these two vitamins (woo hoo!). But just in case you’re not sure what to use (or if you want to double-check that you’re making the most of this powerful duo), you can find:

• Vitamin C in:
  • Down to Earth, a gentle clay-based cleanser that’s perfect for normal, oily, and combination skin
  • Cloud Whip, an everyday vitamin C face cream that will brighten skin, fade discoloration, and repair acne scars.
  • Pep Rally, a concentrated gel serum that brightens skin tone, minimizes pores, and protects against free radical damage.
• Vitamin E in:
•  Daydreamer, a daily moisturizer that’s got hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, and other light and effective moisturizing ingredients.
• High Society, a multipurpose serum that will visibly smooth, tone, and protect the skin’s natural barrier. 
• Zen out of Ten, a bamboo exfoliator that delivers powerful antioxidants and accelerates cell turnover.