What Is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate?
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) is a derivative of vitamin C which is an essential nutrient found in foods like citrus fruits, guavas, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. It's important for a healthy immune system, functions as an antioxidant, and is powerfully nutritive when applied topically.
There are several forms of vitamin C that all work similarly, with L-ascorbic acid being the first one to be synthesized in a lab. You might know this version as the most common — and most aggravating. It's finicky and unstable, prone to degrading quickly and irritating skin when the pH isn't just right.
There's also magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, and ascorbyl palmitate — talk about a mouthful! These variants each have unique characteristics and are more suited to certain tasks, like functioning as a food additive or serving as a very mild addition to some cosmetics.
Thankfully, of the other types of vitamin C, there is one that packs a punch without actually pummeling your skin or being too weak. Called sodium ascorbyl phosphate, this version is light without sacrificing potency and highly stable.
Although less powerful than its unpredictable sibling, L-ascorbic acid, SAP’s stability allows it to remain viable in cosmetics, making it more effective in the long run. Once it hits your skin, it changes into ascorbic acid to deliver its bounty of benefits without being nearly as irritating.
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