Vitamins & Antioxidants in topical skincare
A practitioner's guide to the evidence base, mechanisms of action and clinical application of key vitamins and antioxidants in topical skincare — from penetration fundamentals through to combining actives across a full routine.
5 units
~8 min each
14 checkpoints
Level: Beauty therapist to registered nurse
TGA compliant
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Unit 1
Why Topicals Matter & Penetration
Why topical therapy has three clinical roles, how ingredients actually cross the stratum corneum, and what determines whether a well-chosen active ever reaches its target.
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Unit 2
Vitamin A — The Retinoids
The retinoid conversion ladder from tretinoin to bakuchiol, TGA scheduling, and safe initiation across skin types — including the absolute contraindication in pregnancy.
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Unit 3
Vitamin B3 & B5
Niacinamide's five simultaneous mechanisms, the outdated vitamin C flushing myth, and panthenol's role in post-procedure barrier recovery.
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Unit 4
Vitamin C & E
Why vitamin C's instability drove a family of derivatives, how ferulic acid photostabilises a C + E serum, and the electron-recycling synergy between vitamin C and E.
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Unit 5
Beyond Vitamins & Combining
Ferulic acid, resveratrol, bakuchiol and CoQ10 beyond the core vitamins, plus a working framework for which active combinations need separating and which do not.
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Each unit follows the same rhythm: a short piece of clinical content, a checkpoint that asks you to commit to an answer, then the reasoning behind it. Checkpoints are not scored and cannot be retried — committing to a position before seeing the answer is the point of the exercise. Your progress is stored on this device only.