Skin Vitamins

Vitamins play a big role in bringing about healthy skin and in the prevention of acne. While a deficiency of vitamins is not a major problem for most individuals, you will require more than the bare minimum RDA to deal with acne. A healthy diet is an essential step to healthy and glowing skin. However, diet may not always be sufficient. You may also need to topically apply vitamins for the skin to show good results.

Types of Vitamins

Vitamins mainly come into two categories: fat soluble and water soluble vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins (vitamins K, E, D and A) dissolve into the fat and the remaining is stored in the liver. You are not required to consume these vitamins daily as they can be stored in the tissues of fat for quite some time. In fact, if you consume too much, they can also turn toxic. Water soluble vitamins like vitamin B-complex and vitamin C are not stored in the body and hence, need to be replaced daily. Moreover, if you consume these in excess, you may not cause too much harm to yourself (because you will expel whatever is not absorbed by the body through urination).

Vitamins and Skin

The right combination of minerals and vitamins is essential along with other things to combat aging of the skin. For vitamins to be most effective on your skin, you need to take them orally or apply them topically to the skin. Do not get deceived by the vitamin products that say they can treat anything. Some vitamins tend to compete for absorbance, while others will be effective only when taken in large amounts.

Pollution, sun rays and cosmetics can damage your skin, if you do not take proper precautions. Usually, a multivitamin gives sufficient amount of the vitamins you need and do not get from your diet. However, if you still have problems with dry skin or wrinkles, you could consult your doctor about taking higher doses of the necessary supplements. Some of the vitamins for smooth skin include beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), biotin, and niacin.

Hormonal Acne

Hormonal acne is a skin condition, which mainly affects women when an excess of oil is stimulated from the sebaceous glands by testosterone. This causes the pores to get clogged and bacteria to grow. Vitamins play an important part in combating hormonal acne. Some of the important vitamins and minerals for hormonal acne include selenium, chromium, zinc, vitamin K, E, D, C, A and B-complex.

Itchy Skin

An itchy skin can be very frustrating and annoying. However, there are many natural ways to combat it like including certain vitamins in your diet. You can find these vitamins in various foods. Some of the vitamins for itchy skin are vitamins E, A and C. Mineral such as zinc and biotin are also effective.

Clear Skin

Certain vitamins are necessary for skin clarity and health. Although a multivitamin supplement is good, it will be better for you to add other nutrients to give you a balanced diet. Foods like lean meats, dark green vegetables, nuts and fresh fruits are good sources of vitamins for the nutrition of the skin. Some of the best vitamins to take for clear skin include vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K and bioflavonoids.

Glowing Skin

Taking vitamins for a glowing skin is also effective. Vitamins C and E can significantly improve the health of the skin from the damaging exposure of the sun. Vitamin A is also essential for glowing skin, and the deficiency of it can leave the skin flaky and dry. It was also found that topical melatonin along with vitamin C and E protects the skin from erythema that is ultraviolet induced.

References

Dreher, Gabard, Schwindt, Maibach, Topical melatonin in combination with vitamins E and C protects skin from ultraviolet-induced erythema: a human study in vivo, British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 139, Issue 2, August 1998.