best vitamins for skin

Meet the 8 Best Vitamins for Skin

Providing the body with vitamins is more or less clear – having a balanced diet, taking supplements will help you achieve that. However, how do you get enough vitamins for healthy skin? And more importantly, what are the best vitamins for skin?

Today, we will shed some light on that and present to you the 8 best vitamins for skin.

Why does your skin need vitamins?

The family of vitamins and especially, vitamins for skin is gradually expanding. I think we wouldn’t be exaggerating if we said that these compounds are a must for both beauty and skin’s overall health. Most of them noticeably greatly affect the condition of the skin.

We need to “feed” these vitamins to our skin, because if we don’t, their deficiency will lead to skin damage. It is a lot easier to tell if your skin doesn’t have enough of a certain vitamin. How do we know that? Well, you will definitely see that on the way your skin reacts.

You can consume these vitamins with your food or you can benefit from them with certain skincare products. 

So, what vitamins do you need for healthy, radiant skin? 

We are only going to list the best vitamins for healthy skin because without them the skin is under threat of dullness, dryness, and premature aging.

1. Vitamin A (retinol)

sliced avocado fruit and green vegetable on white chopping board
Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

Vitamin A accelerates cell renewal, promotes tissue regeneration, provides skin and hair elasticity. With its deficiency, the skin becomes dry, rough, and the protective properties of the lipid barrier gradually decrease. It is a natural antioxidant that helps fight free radicals that are the number one reason for skin aging. 

Vitamin A in skincare known as retinol can be conditionally called “the ultimate vitamin for the face“. It is widely used in anti-aging treatments. Retinol derivatives have proven themselves to work well in the treatment of acne as well. 

More about Retinol: 5 Greatest Benefits Of Retinol On Skin

The following foods are rich in Vitamin A:

  • Eggs;
  • Red peppers;
  • Kale, spinach, broccoli;
  • Sweet potatoes; 
  • Beef liver;
  • Salmon, cod;
  • Goat cheese 

2. Vitamin B 

If vitamin A is the ultimate vitamin for the skin, vitamin B derivatives are darn close to being the best vitamins for skin. There are eight variations of vitamin B. Vitamin B2, B5, B7, and B12 are the most useful guys for your skin. 

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) participates in the growth and renewal of tissues in the body. When the body lacks B2, the following conditions appear:

  • cracks appear on the lips, and cold sores form in their corners;
  • the skin becomes dull;
  • peeling occurs around the lips and around the nostrils;
  • dandruff appears;
  • dermatitis symptoms come about

Vitamin B2 is great for those who have dry or acne-prone skin.

Vitamin B3, widely knowns as Niacinamide, has proven to be a superhero Vitamin B that treats many skin conditions. It is very popular for treating acne, controlling oil production, and calming down inflamed, red skin. We have a blog post all about Vitamin B3, so you can incorporate it into your skincare routine asap!

3. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

Struggling with redness, dry and dull skin? Also known as pantothenic acid, Vitamin B5 is an effective agent to solve your problem. Pantothenic acid stimulates regeneration processes, reduces inflammation, and deals with dry skin. 

According to some studies, it also has wound-healing properties and can act as a moisturizer.

Used in anti-aging skincare and acne treatments, vitamin B5 is among best vitamins for skin that tends to be on the dry side.

4. Vitamin B7 (biotin)

You might have heard about this one under a different name: biotin. 

Although many people use B7 for healthy nails and hair, biotin also works for skin elasticity and radiance. When your body lacks vitamin B7, it manifests itself in hair loss, skin inflammation, and excessive peeling.

Biotin also has a number of body functions, such as boosting metabolism, forming fatty acids for the body. 

What foods are rich in Vitamin B7? There are only a small amount of foods like liver, cauliflower, carrots, whole wheat bread, eggs, nuts that can provide the daily dose you need. 

5. Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

Cobalamin, meaning, Vitamin B12 helps to provide oxygen to all tissues, including the skin. A fresh, glowy face complexion directly depends on this. Vitamin B12 helps restore skin’s radiance, even out dark spots, and overall the skin tone. In a sense, you can consider it another ultimate “facial vitamin“. 

You can get Vitamin B12 from legumes, red meat, fish, and grains. 

Vitamin B products in skincare 

In general, biotin (B7), panthenol (B5), niacinamide (B3) are the most common vitamins for skin that you can find in skincare products.

Biotin helps with hair growth, healthy nails, and skin inflammation.

Panthenol is touted for its moisturizing properties, while niacinamide is a real godsent against hyperpigmentation, blotchiness, and the appearance of fine lines. 

6. Vitamin C (or the king of vitamins for skin)

Vitamin C for healthy skin
Photo by unsplash.com/@vyanaturals

Seems like Vitamin C has taken over the list of vitamins for healthy skin list once again! You are not wrong, it totally has! Perhaps the most popular vitamin in the world – and deservedly so.

Also referred to as ascorbic acid, Vitamin C is involved in thousands of activities in the body. When it comes to skin, this vitamin C is of particular interest as an antioxidant and stimulator of collagen production in the skin. Besides, Vitamin C is a whitening/brightening agent that is widely used in skincare. 

Foods rich in vitamin C are:

  • Citrus fruits, like tangerines, oranges and grapefruits;
  • Strawberries;
  • Broccoli;
  • Kiwi;
  • Green and red peppers 

Vitamin C is the best antioxidant to apply topically since it is great for healing the skin after sun exposure. Layering a Vitamin C serum before your sunscreen will only enhance your skin!

When choosing a product look for L-ascorbic acid to get the best out of vitamin C. 

New to Vitamin C serums? Check this out: 4 Side Effects of Vitamin C serums, Benefits and More

7. Vitamin D

portugal, sardines, seafood-3454831.jpg
Photo by: wordpress/free images

The sunshine vitamin, as we call it, is perhaps among the most “wanted” vitamins for skin. That’s because it is the vitamin with the highest deficiency in people. In general, vitamin D is responsible for a healthy cell life cycle, strengthening the immune system, as well as its protection against infections and inflammation.

In addition, because of its antimicrobial properties, vitamin D can alleviate the symptoms of acne. 

Your daily vitamin D intake and skin condition are interestingly related: with a poor immune function (meaning lack of vitamin D), you risk weakening your skin barrier. Therefore, this can trigger different infections. Naturally, skin conditions like acne, eczema, rosacea get even worse when your body doesn’t get enough vitamin D.

You might think that people who live in sunny climates will be exposed to the Sun more and get enough vitamin D. However, that’s not the case. Research shows that sunny climates are by far not a guarantee for providing a “comfort zone”.  

Therefore, having a sufficient amount in your system by taking supplements and eating a vitamin D-rich diet is the right way to go. 

Vitamin D rich foods are: 

  • Egg yolks;
  • Liver;
  • Oily fish – salmon, sardines, herring, tuna 
  • Red meat;
  • Mushrooms 

8. Vitamin E

Vitamin E for healthy skin
Photo by littlesipsoftea.com

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that you can find in anti-aging products as it smoothes out the wrinkles, and hydrates the skin. It is commonly used for the treatment of burns, surgical scars, and wounds.

It has been proven that when paired with vitamin C, vitamin E can be effective against hyperpigmentation of the skin. They are the yin and yang of skincare, vitamins for skin that complement each other 🙂

Due to its hydrating effect, many products for dry skin will contain vitamin E. Using it on dry, chapped lips will promote new cell growth. 

Foods that are high in vitamin E are: 

  • Blackberries, avocados;
  • Spinach; 
  • Whole grains;
  • Olive oil;
  • Sunflower oil;
  • Nuts (Almonds, walnuts) 

Honorable mentions – other vitamins for healthy skin

While the skincare world is full of amazing vitamins for skin, some take the spotlight, some don’t. But that doesn’t mean that certain vitamins that aren’t very popular do no good for your skin. 

Vitamins like Vitamin K, Coenzyme CoQ10, flavonoids can all work wonders on your skin. Vitamin K is popular for its ability to reduce stretch marks, scars, and dark circles. You can find vitamin K in green vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, kale. 

One of the powerhouse antioxidants flavonoids have anti-inflammatory benefits and can be usually found in green tea, berries, and red wine. 

CoQ10 is naturally existent in our bodies, just like collagen. As we age, it starts to decrease. Hence, it is important that you incorporate CoQ10 into your skincare routine.

It will reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while improving your complexion. You can reap the benefits of CoQ10 with the help of fruits like broccoli, soybeans, peanuts, and cauliflower. 

The final word 

In conclusion, taking vitamins for healthy skin is important. It is also true that the best vitamins for skin will only work if you stick to a routine.

With the right guidance, you can definitely see desirable results. Just make sure to control your vitamin intake and consult with your doctor first hand if needed. 

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