New research by Dr Akihito Ishigami at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology reveals that vitamin C (VC) promotes skin renewal at the genetic level, reversing age-related thinning..

Using 3D “human epidermal equivalents”—lab-grown skin models—the team applied 0.1 mM and 1.0 mM VC, doses akin to those reaching human skin via blood. After seven days, the living epidermal layer grew thicker, and by day 14, the outer dead layer thinned significantly. These changes coincided with higher numbers of Ki-67 positive keratinocytes, a marker of active cell proliferation.

Mechanistically, vitamin C fuels TET enzymes to promote DNA demethylation—an epigenetic switch that “turns on” over 10,000 previously silenced genomic regions. Blocking TET activity halted these effects, confirming VC’s gene‑reactivating role.

Unlike its known antioxidant and collagen‑boosting effects, this discovery highlights vitamin C’s capacity to reprogram skin cells epigenetically—reactivating growth pathways that normally diminish with age. The authors suggest that topical VC formulations may offer a promising route to counter epidermal thinning, particularly in older adults.