What is Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate? Uses In Skin Care and Cosmetics

Overview

Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP) is a derivative of vitamin C. It is one of the best-researched derivatives and has a multitude of benefits for the skin.

You can read more about regular ascorbic acid (AA) here - Ascorbic Acid - to learn about its mechanism of action. In short, it is a skin-natural antioxidant, collagen boosting, and anti-pigment ingredient that unfortunately has some major stability and skin penetration problems.

Ascorbic acid derivatives such as MAP were developed in an attempt to resolve these issues and develop a more potent and practical version of vitamin C for use in skincare products.

Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, like ascorbic acid, is water-soluble, but dramatically different in its range of stability. MAP is most stable at neutral and basic pH levels and is more resistant towards light and oxygen, whereas AA is only stable at a very acidic pH level.

This is a benefit to people with more sensitive skin who cannot tolerate highly concentrated and acidic AA serums. MAP also has a longer shelf life.

Older studies demonstrate that MAP, as a water-soluble, negatively charged molecule, has only limited absorption through the skin. New methods have been developed to increase its absorption, including special microemulsions, gels, and ultrasound.

MAP is a very promising ingredient in skincare. There are several studies in test-tubes and on animals that confirm its antioxidant and collagen-boosting properties, although the results from human trials are more relevant.

The application of a 2% MAP emulsion was found to improve skin hydration in the deeper layers of the skin, suggesting that MAP was effectively absorbed and converted into AA.

The biggest field of clinical research is dedicated to the effects of MAP on pigmentation issues. The following clinical studies all reported good results: A 10% MAP cream on age-related dark spots, a 3% MAP moisturizer for sun-induced spots in Japanese women, a 5% MAP cream in combination with pulsed light for Asian volunteers with melasma, and a 5% MAP cream combined with chemical peeling.

A specially formulated MAP cream reported even better results than a trichloroacetic acid peeling for the treatment of melasma. None of these studies reported any kind of side effects.

Science

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