Pure vitamin C is l-ascorbic acid, also known simply as ascorbic acid. This is the most effective and extensively researched form of vitamin C. It's the form our skin naturally recognizes and utilizes, even converting other vitamin C derivatives into l-ascorbic acid for optimal absorption.
Several sources confirm this:
- goPure Beauty: States that l-ascorbic acid is "the most potent and most researched version of vitamin C." https://gopurebeauty.com/blogs/news/national-vitamin-c-day
- Finish Line Horse Products: Their "Vitamin C Pure" product is explicitly labeled as 100% pure ascorbic acid, containing no additional ingredients. https://finishlinehorse.com/product/vitamin-c-pure/
- Numerous supplement companies: Many brands, including Pure Encapsulations and others, market their vitamin C supplements as containing pure ascorbic acid. [Examples provided from Amazon and other websites; links omitted for brevity but available in the reference section]
While other forms of vitamin C exist (like mineral ascorbates or vitamin C with bioflavonoids), l-ascorbic acid remains the benchmark for purity and effectiveness. Products advertising "pure vitamin C" often specify that their formulations contain l-ascorbic acid as the primary ingredient.
