Vitamins for Skin – Choosing the Right Ones

Vitamins for Skin Too Important to Ignore

Vitamins for skin are often overlooked in many people’s skin care regimens. It’s true that taking the right vitamins, minerals and supplements, along with a proper diet and exercise routine, will help improve your health.

And it’s true that healthy people have a better chance of having healthier, more attractive skin.

But knowing which vitamins are especially effective for promoting healthy skin will help you make decisions on how to best target any skin condition or skin disorder you may have.

It is important to understand that when we refer to vitamins for skin, we are talking not just about vitamins that you ingest aurally in the forms of tablets, capsules or soft gels.

We are also referring to these vitamins as they appear in the foods you eat and the skin care products, cosmetics, lotions, creams, and oils that you may apply to your skin.

The best vitamins for your skin are packed with powerful antioxidants that repair damaged skin and protect it against illnesses as serious as skin cancer. Those widely shown to help improve the skin’s health and appearance are Vitamins C, E, A, K, and B Complex.

The Best Vitamins for Your Skin

Vitamin C

This vitamin is especially potent in fighting the harmful effects of being exposed to the sun too  much. Smoke, polluted air, and the ultraviolet rays of the sun produce free radicals that take an enormous toll on human skin, causing it to break down the skin’s structure by destroying the collagen and elastin fibers that keep the skin supple. The result of this damage is premature aging of the skin, manifested in dryness, wrinkling, sagging, and hyper pigmentation.   

Fruits and vegetables are generally good sources of Vitamin C and should be a part of your daily diet. It would also be a good idea to supplement with an additional 500 to 1000 milligrams a day to ensure you get enough.

Some topical lotions, creams or serums containing both Vitamin C and Vitamin E have helped some persons repair the damage to skin caused by sun exposure. The Academy of American Dermatology (AAD) points out that Vitamin C and Vitamin E combined in a lotion form a potent shield in protecting the skin against sun damage.

Be sure that the Vitamin C contained in any of these topical formulations is L-ascorbic, the only form that actually penetrates the skin to deliver true repair.

Vitamin E

Like Vitamin C, Vitamin E’s antioxidant power also combats skin damage caused by sun exposure. In fact, taking 400 IU (international units) of E each day cuts the risk of developing pre-cancerous and cancerous cells. Do not take more that 400 IU per day. Recent research has raised the issue of potential harm being caused by large doses of Vitamin E.     

According to scientific studies, when both Vitamin E and Vitamin A are taken internally, the incidence of one of the more common forms of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, is reduced by 70%. But interestingly, when Vitamin A is applied externally to the skin (as in certain sunscreens), it creates a cancer risk when that treated skin is exposed to the sun.   

A study by the AAD has determined that Vitamin E has a rejuvenating effect on the skin, causing it to look and feel smoother by reducing wrinkles and fine lines. 

Vitamin A

Vitamin A can be a very powerful ally to your skin. It plays a critical role in maintaining and repairing skin tissue.

You have to be extremely careful with how you use it, however. As stated above, Vitamin A exposed to the sun when used in a sunscreen can be a cancer risk.

Too much Vitamin A in the body can lead to a host of side effects including fatigue, mood swings, irritability, nausea, fever, vomiting, stomach discomfort, anorexia, and even liver damage. But too little Vitamin A in your body can compromise the health of your skin, producing excessive dryness and flaking. If you are going to take a Vitamin A supplement, do not exceed the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 5000 IU.

Again we go back to eating fruits and vegetables. The human body does best with raw foods, which are free of harmful and artificial ingredients. Fruits and vegetables are raw foods that are high in fiber, and thus easily digested. They are also packed with antioxidants, which protect against and fight the free radicals that harm your body and skin.

Prominent among these skin-friendly antioxidants in fruits and vegetables are Vitamin C, as stated earlier, and Vitamin A. Remember, if your levels of Vitamin A are below normal, your complexion can turn dry and flaky. Topical Vitamin A, in the form of a cream, has shown some positive results in diminishing wrinkles and fine lines. These creams have also helped control acne and provide relief to psoriasis sufferers in some instances.      

Retin A is the prescription form for this Vitamin A topical treatment. It has been used in some case to treat acne, but may be too strong for that. The best results appear to occur when used in the treatment of skin damaged by sun exposure.

Retinols are the over-the-counter anti-aging solutions that do not require a prescription. These are used primarily to reduce wrinkling. Caution should be observed when using these if you are going to be in the sun as they can make your skin especially sensitive to the sun rays. Be sure to use proper sun protection when using retinols. Be sure that the sunscreen you use has no Vitamin A listed on the product label.

Vitamin A and sun exposure do not go hand in hand. Recent studies and news stories have alerted us to this potentially lethal combination. Many sunscreens contain forms of Vitamin A. When skin covered in these sunscreens is exposed to the sun, the Vitamin A becomes carcinogenic!

Who would have thought that Vitamin A, which internally is essential for the health of your skin tissue, could lead to skin cancer if applied externally and becomes exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Be sure to read your product label, and stay away from sunscreens that contain Vitamin A!

This revelation had a huge impact on the brand name companies. Chances are most of the sunscreen products containing Vitamin A have been discontinued and removed from store shelves, but to be on the safe side, read the label. And check any sunscreens bottles or tubes lying around the house as well. 

You may be familiar with a derivative of Vitamin A called Accutane, which has been used by people to eliminate acne. This is a powerful medicine that can have serious negative effects in the long term. If you have been using Accutane, we recommend you speak to your doctor about the negative impact this can have on yor health in the long term and strongly consider discontinue taking it.

If you are an acne sufferer, you might want to consider an all natural essential oils alternative, such as Heal Acne.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is critically important to proper and complete skin care, but few people know much about it.  Vitamin K may be less heralded because its effects are not as apparent on the surface of your skin, but below the surface (the dermis).

Vitamin K may not have as dramatic an impact on making your skin look better on the outside as some other nutrients. It does its work on the inside, healing the dermis, the deeper layer of your skin. This nutrient helps your blood to clot, thus its potent and deep healing properties.

This unique blood-clotting property, or capability, allows Vitamin K, when used topically, to reduce dark circles under eyes, as well as spider veins and bruises. Skin creams or serums containing Vitamin K in combination with Vitamin C and/or Vitamin A, enhance Vitamin K’s ability to repair these blood-related skin conditions.

Vitamin K need not be supplemented as it is sufficiently available through most people’s diets. Drinking spring water contains provides plenty of Vitamin K for the majority of people. And too much Vitamin K, obtained through supplements, for example, could lead to excessive blood thickening. The RDA is about 60 mcg. 

The use of Vitamin K in a skin cream or serum, especially when combined with Vitamins A and C, might be of interest to persons who wish to reduce or eliminate dark under eye circles and spider veins, however. You can also buy Vitamin K softgels and apply to the affected area of the skin.

Vitamin B Complex Vitamins

Vitamin B, or B Complex vitamins, are also essential for the health of your body and skin. The B Complex vitamins are Biotin, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12. Each plays a complementary role and all should be taken together as a complex, not separately.

Biotin, delegates the other B vitamins and helps keep skin healthy. B1 (Thiamine) helps you blood circulation perform optimally and gives your skin that healthy radiant glow we all like to see. Women using birth control pills are more likely to be deficient in Vitamin B1

B2 (Riboflavin) works to maintain a healthy balance in the skin. Deficiency here can lead to dry lips and cracked skin in the corners of the mouth.

B3 (Niacin) oxygenates the skin but if taken alone can cause a red blushing or flushing of the skin.

B5 (Pantothenic Acid) relieves stress. Not enough Vitamin B5 can lead to the itchiness and irritated skin characteristic of dermatitis.

B6 (Pyridoxine) keeps skin from getting puffy by regulating the balance of potassium and sodium in the body.

B12 (Cyanocobalamin) manages cell formation and the life span of cells. Vitamin B12 ensures  healthy coloring in the skin.

Again these skin-friendly B vitamins should be taken together as a complex. A good diet, and a good multi-vitamin suitable for your age and gender, should provide the right amount of B complex for most individuals.

Vitamin D Is One of the Very Best Vitamins for Skin

In addition to the Vitamins we have discussed, you should also be aware of the role Vitamin D, or Vitamin D deficiency, plays in the condition of your skin. Vitamin D is a potent antioxidant and anti-carcinogen. See our article Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms and Your Skin for more information.

And don’t forget the critical role the minerals selenium, copper, and zinc play in protecting and enhancing the health and look of your skin. Read more about these minerals and why they are important for your skin at Healthy Skin with the Right Minerals.

You’ll find a wealth of information and helpful guidelines for achieving more beautiful, youthful, and healthy skin on our web site.

We encourage you to browse and read the many practical tips and guidelines we have posted on basic good skin care fundamentals, as well as our discussions and reviews of various skin care products that target specific areas of concern, in addition to our discussion of vitamins for skin.