By now, most of you probably know about the amazing skin-protecting qualities of vitamin C. You may also already know that C is absolutely vital for the healthy production of collagen, which gives your skin that plump, youthful glow.

But wait - there’s more!

New research has discovered that vitamin C not only protects the skin and rebuilds collagen, but also has additional benefits. It has age-reversing effects that work at the genetic level as well. Read on to learn more!

What the Study Says

An exciting new report was published in April 2025, providing further evidence of the healing and skin-renewing properties of vitamin C. The study was conducted by the Division of Biology and Medical Sciences at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology in Tokyo, Japan. It was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology in the spring of this year. (1)

The investigation discovered that:

• Vitamin C isn’t just an immune system booster, antioxidant protector, and collagen synthesizer. It actually helps to turn on the switch genetically, which can “fundamentally reverse the aging process in skin cells.”
• C does this in part by providing fuel (in the form of extra elections) to enzyme proteins whose job it is to “turn on” the renewal of genes.
• The key factor in how C can help your skin is that it has the ability to specifically activate genes that play a role in skin cell renewal.
• It does this by reversing DNA methylation processes, which can silence genes, especially as we age. Vitamin C helps them emerge from suppression and become active once more.

Vitamin C Can Affect Over 10,000 DNA Points!

The researchers actually discovered more than 10,000 points within DNA that can potentially become less “methylated” (more about that in the next section!) after treatment with vitamin C serum.

In the in vitro study, the end result was that after just seven days, the inner skin layer became thicker, and this thickness continued to increase in week two. Overall, the researchers noticed that the inner layer of skin was thicker while the outermost layer was slightly thinner. This observation was a good thing in that it told the researchers that vitamin C was helping skin cells to divide and grow at a healthy (i.e., “active”, not “suppressed”) rate.

The Tokyo team also announced a 75-fold increase in the activity of 12 specific genes involved in cell growth. In addition, vitamin C appears to have an effect on both the structure and the function of the epidermis through this activation. They specifically noticed that C helps control the growth of epidermal cells and that natural skin thickening is caused by C's ability to encourage the extra proliferation of “keratinocyte” cells. These cells are found in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin.

This new research definitely sheds light on the powerful role vitamin C plays in helping to reinforce thinning skin. This is especially helpful for older adults. Approximately 90% of all older adults have some form of skin disorder, and most often this involves skin thinning in some way. (2) “[Vitamin C] is not merely an antioxidant. [I]t plays a critical role in regulating genes involved in skin regeneration,” said lead study author Akihito Ishigami in a recent interview about the findings. “Our research highlights its importance as a functional factor for skin health.” (3)

DNA Methylation and Aging

I don’t want to get too technical here, but to really understand the significance of this study, it helps to know the basics about a little-known mechanism in the body called “methylation.” This is important because how C helped to boost cell “activity” in the study (and how it will do the same for your skin!) has everything to do with its ability to reverse the suppression process that methylation can induce, especially as we age.

Methylation is a pretty complex biochemical process that involves the swapping of “methyl groups” at the DNA level. That may seem like a pretty minute and insignificant thing to focus on, until you realize just how important this swapping really is for just about every function in your body! (4)

You can think of methylation in terms of how spark plugs work in your car. Some “plugs” kickstart certain reactions, while other plugs are connected to other functions. Within your body, including in your skin, methylation occurs constantly every day and plays a role in numerous functions, such as cognition, immune system function, detoxification, and gene expression. Methylation is what causes hormones, for example, to change into different substances for specific functions in the body.

In the skin, methylation plays a pivotal role in maintaining “skin homeostasis.” This involves the balanced functioning of all mechanisms that contribute to healthy skin, including pH levels, nutrient levels, collagen synthesis, sebum production, moisture retention, nutrient utilization, and many other factors.

On the flip side, a “hallmark” of aging skin is DNA methylation imbalance that is imbalanced - either “hypo” (underfunctioning) or “hyper” (overexpressing). Off-balance DNA methylation can lead to all the characteristics of aging skin, including wrinkling, sagging, fine lines, and thinning skin. (5) Dysfunctional DNA methylation in some way is often a factor for many kinds of skin disorders across the board as well. (6)

Vitamin C in CHARLÍS Products

Vitamin C is a true superhero for your skin. Found in nature and obtained only via eating healthy, whole foods as well as quality serums and skincare routines, it is the perfect skin ally to help strengthen the skin’s protective barrier, ensure healthy collagen production, improve overall skin health, and - as this new research has discovered - encourage newfound growth for age-defying skin renewal at the very level of our DNA.

For this reason and many others, we at CHARLÍS decided from the very beginning to include super C-rich ingredients in every product, both in the CHARLÍS Face products and the CHARLÍS Skin products.

All of our 100% ToxinFree formulas contain the goodness of vitamin C in some form. Most contain the foundational ingredient of citrus - spicy bergamot, pungent grapefruit, sweet orange, or exquisite tangerine extracts. The powerful benefits of vitamin C can also be found in aloe vera, which is in the CHARLÍS Restorative Anti-Aging Overnight Serum. In addition, the CHARLÍS Nourishing Anti-Aging Toner contains an exciting new “state-of-the-art” form of lipid-based C called Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate. This is one of the most absorbable types of vitamin C available today.

Vitamin C - super antioxidant, collagen synthesizer, major nutrient for your whole body, and age reverser at the level of our very genes. With C at our side, you can step into youthfulness for your skin no matter what your age!

References:

1. Vitamin C Promotes Epidermal Proliferation by Promoting DNA Demethylation of Proliferation-Related Genes in Human Epidermal Equivalents
2. Aging changes in skin
3. Vitamin C May Reactivate Genes for Skin Renewal, Prevent Thinning Skin
4. DNA Methylation and Its Basic Function
5. Epigenetic Regulation of Skin Cells in Natural Aging and Premature Aging Diseases
6. Role of DNA Methylation in the Pathogenesis of Skin Disorders: Mechanisms, Inhibitors of Methylation-Related Enzyme, and Molecular Docking Studies