While just about every vitamin out there will benefit your skin in some way, there are certain vitamins that are far more important than others when it comes to skin health. From vitamin A to vitamin E, these are the vitamins that you need to be using, both internally as well as externally, if you want your skin to take on a beautiful natural glow.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fantastic antioxidant that can significantly decrease your chances of developing skin cancer. It is also great for hydrating the skin, while its anti-inflammatory qualities can do everything from speed up wound healing to prevent acne breakouts, making this a great ingredient to add to your skin care regime. When it comes to your diet, fresh fruits and vegetables that are brightly colored tend to be highest in vitamin A, such as carrots, mangos and red peppers, but it can also be found in certain meat products too, including beef liver and tuna. Topically, vitamin A can be used in the form of retinol, which has multiple studies behind it proving that it is one of the most effective skin care ingredients out there.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C plays a key role in the production and maintenance of collagen, which is the protein that keeps your skin smooth and firm. It is also a powerful antioxidant, meaning that it can help to neutralize free radicals that would have otherwise caused significant damage to your skin at DNA level. As the body ages, vitamin C levels begin to drop, making it important for you to keep this topped up by consuming plenty of vitamin C-rich foods, such as oranges, strawberries, lemons and leafy greens.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is necessary for the creation of new skin cells, and can be created by the body naturally after spending just 15 minutes a day in the sun. Without the right amount of vitamin D in the body, your skin will not be able to properly produce new cells, which can lead to a dull and rough appearance. While the sun is the best way to naturally top up your vitamin D levels, spending too much time in the sun can of course be damaging to your skin in other ways, so do try to consume more vitamin D-rich foods as well, such as fatty fish, mushrooms and eggs.
Vitamin E
The way in which vitamin E works is quite incredible, in that it can actually absorb UV light, meaning that it can help to protect the skin from all of the damage that UV rays can cause. Vitamin E is also important when it comes to collagen production, and a deficiency of this vitamin can quickly lead to a drop in collagen, resulting in wrinkles and sagging skin. Vitamin E is an ingredient that you will find in many skin care products, from creams to serums, but can also be consumed through your diet, with foods such as almonds, spinach and avocado.
A number of studies suggest that supplementation with probiotics is also a beneficial way to keep your skin healthy.
When it comes to ensuring that you are consuming an adequate amount of the vitamins mentioned above, you would be best off making sure that your diet contains a wide range of fruits and vegetables of all different colors. Each color variation within the fresh foods that you eat signifies a different range of vitamins and nutrients, making it more important than ever to really try to eat a rainbow of fresh foods.
