L-Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is a known neutral bioactive agent that is recognized for carrying a diverse range of actions in various biological systems. For example, vitamin C increases enzyme activity which acts as an inducer to collagen pathways, and scavenges free radicals, making it a strong antioxidant during oxidant stress. However, vitamin C is more vulnerable to heat and oxidative conditions than other vitamins, and easily decomposes in cosmetics. To solve this problem, numerous stable derivatives of vitamin C have been developed.

Among these derivatives are L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate sodium and magnesium salt, which are hydrophilic derivatives, and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, which is a lipophilic derivative. These compounds are already available as additives in commercial cosmetics. However, these derivatives have lower skin permeability and metabolism rates than vitamin C.

To address this, we developed a novel amphiphilic ascorbic derivative, Funcos C-IS, which exhibits significant thermal stability. Funcos C-IS offers improved skin permeability superior to vitamin C, and is susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis by phosphatase to produce VC. These findings indicate that Funcos C-IS may offer an effective pro-Vitamin C effect in Skin Care. Moving forward, we anticipate that Funcos C-IS with its characteristic properties will be utilized not only in skin-care but in other cosmetic fields as well.