The Best Vitamins for Skin, According to the Skincare Experts
Your skin happens to be the first thing people notice about you, and it’s easy to see why. After all, it happens to be the largest organ in the human body. If you’ve spoken to a dermatologist or a doctor about your skin before, there’s a chance you’ve been recommended sunscreen.
This helps limit the harm from sun exposure and reduce sun damage. However, a little bit of sunlight each day can be very beneficial to the skin. Sunlight notably helps the skin produce vitamin D, a highly important vitamin in the body.
Ensuring your skin is taken care of, and has all the vitamins it needs, will require some active work. So, let’s look at which vitamins can improve your skin’s health and overall health.
A Brief History of Vitamins
In the early 20th century, Polish biochemist Casimir Funk was the first human to determine what vitamins were. The scientist had delved into deep research about the beriberi disease, and he soon found an important secret: sufferers of the disease suffered from thiamine.
This thiamine became the paradigm shift in Casimir Funk’s work as he soon discovered that thiamine was an essential nutrient to humans. The name was coined from ‘vitamines’ from vital amines, they discovered that doses of these vital amines cured diseases.
Over the years, we’ve recognized the medical and nutritional value of these essential vitamins. We ensure our children eat healthy, to ingest more vitamins through healthier food. When we’re feeling down, we take enough vitamin supplements to aid our recovery.
Vitamins, however, aren’t just something to drink and forget about. These vital amines can improve our health, lives, and even our skin.
The Best Vitamin for Skin Care
Vitamins are cardinal to our general health, even helping us fight diseases. But how do they specifically improve your skin and reduce skin aging? Let’s take a look at several important skin vitamins:
Vitamin E
This particularly vital vitamin is the most powerful antioxidant, which means it fights against infection and free radicals that might be produced by the toxins in our environment. Vitamin E strongly supports your immune system and skin health, making it one of the most important vitamins for keeping skin healthy.
Vitamin E may also be beneficial when it comes to protecting your skin from harmful UV light. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, E is capable of protecting your skin when paired with vitamin C.
Vitamin E could also be effective in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in older people. Asides from this, the moisturizing antioxidant can reduce the risk of blood clotting and reduce symptoms of fatty liver disease.
Where Vitamin E is found
It’s often easy to get E naturally, especially because it is available in numerous foods, including:
- commercially processed foods, such as cereal, juice, and margarine
- seafood
- green vegetables
- nuts and seeds
- vegetable oils
It is fairly easy to incorporate Vitamin E into your diet and skincare routine. However, it is also available in the form of supplements, especially for older people, as vitamin E reduces with age. It also comes in topical creams, which can be rubbed directly on the skin.
If using supplements, you must discuss them with health professionals first. Vitamin E supplements can interfere with some medication, including reducing the effectiveness of chemotherapy. If you have underlying health conditions, it is best to raise the issue of vitamin E supplements with health professionals first.
Read More: Read This Before Taking Supplements!
Topical for Vitamin E
This vitamin is readily available in cream form or oil form, both of which can be applied to the skin directly. E is also found in cosmetic products, including the following:
- anti-aging creams
- eye serums
- sunscreens
- makeup
Vitamin E is easily absorbed by the skin, and this has helped in the battle against skin disorders and skin illness. According to Nutrition and Cancer, topical vitamin E reduces chronic skin damage in animals. Very dry areas on your skin will benefit properly from vitamin E, as it is an excellent moisturizer.
Vitamin E Deficiencies
It is very unlikely that a generally healthy person would be affected by this deficiency as it is usually linked to diseases that affect fat absorption.
Deficiency in the vitamin can lead to muscle damage, as well as loss of body movement and vision problems. It can also lead to weakened muscles and a weak immune system.
Vitamin C and Skin Cells
It is little surprise that this vitamin is popular and seen as one of the best skincare vitamins that are available to us. C shares an important role in keeping skin healthy and providing you with smooth and glowing skin while reducing skin aging.
Although you already get vitamin C in your diet, thanks to its abundance in natural fruits and foods, you can’t be sure that it is getting to your skin cells. The best way to use C to improve your skin health is by applying it directly to your skin.
Benefits of Vitamin C
There are quite a few benefits to using C, especially because it helps slow aging and prevent sun damage. Just like E, C is an antioxidant, which means it fights toxins that come in contact with your skin. Here are some benefits to applying the vitamin topically:
Vitamin C can improve wrinkles and the overall texture of the face while providing healthy skin. It can also reduce hyperpigmentation and other dark spots on the skin by blocking the production of the pigment. Clinical trials showed that C made improvements on the skins of most participants.
Topical vitamin C can help fight against acne by reducing the excess oily substance produced on the skin. Vitamin C also aids in collagen production, which is an important ingredient when it comes to skin health.
Where Vitamin C is Found
Many food sources have an abundance of vitamin C. Fruits and vegetables are some of the best foods to get the vitamin into your diet easily. Some fruits and veggies that have vitamin C are:
- Citrus fruits(oranges, kiwi, lemon, grapefruit)
- Bell peppers
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower)
- White potatoes
Note: Children should not use topical vitamin C
Many of the studies on the vitamin have focused on adult users rather than on kids. Therefore it isn’t recommended for kids. Your child must see a doctor who may recommend it specifically to help aid the treatment of serious acne or oil-prone skin conditions.
However, consider it best to refrain from using C on your child unless your doctor has asked you to.
How to Apply Topical for Vitamin C
Before actively applying the topical, it is necessary to test whether you are allergic or have reactions from using the vitamin. Dab a few drops of vitamin C serum on your arm or foot after cleansing the area, and then give it about 24 hours.
If no reactions are felt in that time, you can use it on your face. However, getting hives or allergies mean you need to visit your physician immediately and discontinue the use of Vitamin C serums.
While working on your skincare routine, it is important to cleanse the skin area before applying a few drops of the vitamin. Remember to apply moisturizer and sunscreen afterward, just like other vitamins.
Note that C may take some time to start showing signs of improvement, and you may need to use it for up to three months consistently to notice changes.
C Vitamin Deficiencies
While it has become a rarity in developed countries, vitamin C deficiency remains a problem in developing nations. A high risk of deficiency can occur when eating a restricted diet without enough fruits or vegetables.
The main disease that occurs during vitamin c deficiency is scurvy, which has the following problems:
- Skin spots caused by bleeding and bruising from broken blood vessels
- Swelling or bleeding of gums and eventual loss of teeth
- Hair loss
- Delayed healing of skin wounds
Vitamin A and Skin Health
Widely considered one of the best vitamins for skin health, vitamin A has become a key ingredient in topical skin creams and oils. This importance comes from its ability to strengthen the skin and fight acne.
Retinoic acid is a derivative of vitamin A actively used for hyperpigmentation. However, it requires a prescription as there can be side effects like redness and sensitivity.
Where Vitamin A is found
Many are vitamin-rich foods, but some are more than others. These are some of the best sources of vitamin A available and probably part of your diet:
- Liver
- Dairy milk
- Spinach
- Sweet potato
- Carrots
- Peppers
How to Apply Topical for Vitamin A
Due to how powerful this vitamin is, people are often urged to start with smaller concentrations, especially on their faces. Retinol can make the skin sensitive to UV damage, so it’s important to use it minimally and have your skin medically reviewed.
The skin benefits might be undeniable, but it is very easy to get irritated by the powerful vitamin. The key is to wait for your skin to build a tolerance to vitamin A before using it daily. This is due to skin sensitivity.
A brighter complexion and lesser wrinkles are likely to show, but the results can take up to a month. However, it is important not to rush Vitamin A due to potentially high irritation levels.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is obtained from the sun as its main source. However, it isn’t wise to sit under the sun’s UV rays just to get some vitamin D. Rather than venturing into the sun without sunscreen or protection, discuss vitamin D dietary supplements with your doctor.
There is no topical need for vitamin D, as it is best taken as an oral supplement. It is an oral vitamin. A discussion with your doctor about what dosage of Vitamin D supplements will still be necessary.
Vitamin B
Interestingly, this important B vitamin refers to a group of eight vitamins: B11, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12:
- B1 (thiamine) is great for healing dry or irritated skin. It also improves the appearance of premature wrinkles.
- B2 (riboflavin) improves skin tone and balances the oil on the skin. It also helps with acne and particularly dry skin.
- B3 (niacinamide) plays its part by aiding your skin’s protection against toxins and environmental factors. It also improves the look of the skin, reducing skin aging.
- B5 (pantothenic acid) keeps the skin hydrated and reduces itchiness, skin inflammation, and redness.
- B7 (biotin) revitalizes dry skin, helping to reduce the aging process and making the skin look younger.
- B9 (folic acid) helps to purify the skin. This can be very helpful when dealing with serious acne.
- B12 (cobalamin) reduces dark spots and gives an even skin tone. Also, it can boost the way skin looks, giving it a younger feel.
All these eight B-vitamins are given together in dietary supplements called B-Complex. A very balanced diet is required to incorporate all the vitamins into your food successfully. With raisins offering B6, fish offering B12, and oats offering B2, having more options at dinner can come in very handy.
How to Apply Topical for B-complex Vitamins
Because the differing Bs can come in different topical options, it is important to consult your doctor on which would be best for you. Mixtures can irritate, so it is necessary to speak to a professional before working different mixtures on your healthy skin.
Vitamin F
These fatty acids have been very helpful in improving the health of the heart while being able to reduce some types of inflammation. However, Vitamin F isn’t a vitamin. F simply denotes “fatty acids,” which help provide a healthy skin barrier.
These healthy fats are also useful for improving acne issues, according to studies that reported improvement for people with mild acne.
How to Apply Topical for Vitamin F
These fatty acids are often added to moisturizers and serums, and they’re quite easy to find. Take a look at your moisturizer and look for linoleic acid or linolenic acid on the list of ingredients. If it’s there, then you have Vitamin F in your moisturizer.
These fatty acids are mild and can be used as often as day and night.
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Conclusion
Which vitamin is the best? There’s no best vitamin, as each one has specific areas of the skin to work on. Before mixing all of them or any of them, you must seek your doctor’s advice.
It will cause drastic side effects if any mixture you created sets your healthy skin off on an inflammation spree.
Start with products delicately and always give your skin time to adjust to new products.
