Vitamins are essential for the skin – as it fixes and protects your skin from the damages UV rays and processed food brings you – giving a healthier, lighter, youthful glow to your skin. In other words, this is the ultimate break away from all the dark spots, redness, wrinkles, rough patches, and excessive dryness in your skin.
These can either be from the food you eat or in supplemental forms. Thanks to researchers, these are made available in the pharmacy shop. But how do you identify these vitamins? Here’s a list for you to read on.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant (cancer-fighting) commonly found in citrus fruits and vegetables, for which, a few examples are orange, broccoli, and leafy greens. It helps protect your skin against sun damage, fight skin aging, and repair and prevent dry skin. Deficiency in this particular vitamin is rare, as it’s found in almost everywhere – it’s a plus if you’re also taking in vitamin C supplements.
It is also available in supplemental forms, and the recommended average intake per day is 500 to 1,000 mg.
Vitamin E
Likewise with vitamin C, vitamin E also plays a great role in fighting against sun damage. It is an antioxidant that reduces photo damage, wrinkles, and dark spots. It is mostly found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables – examples are corn, almonds, sunflower seeds and broccoli.
Vitamin E is naturally produced by the body, it is the oily substance called sebum emitted through the skin’s pores. Thus, if you have a dry skin, you might be lacking from vitamin E. The recommended average intake of vitamin E per day depends on the person’s age, as stated here, however, it would be safe to note that recent research warns people to only take at least 400 mg a day or less, as overdose of vitamin E can be harmful to the human body.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a group of fat-soluble retinoids including retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters, and like the previously stated vitamins, it is also an antioxidant. It is particularly necessary for the maintenance and repair of your skin tissues, aside from its known positive effects in one’s vision and bone structure. Common sources of vitamin A are eggs, sweet potatoes, liver, and dairy products.
The recommended intake for this nutrient per day for men is 0.7 mg, and 0.6 mg for women. Those that are healthy enough do not need take vitamin A supplements. An overdose of vitamin A, however, may lead to serious conditions. See here.
Vitamin B Complex
Niacin (also Vitamin B3), a water-soluble B vitamin, is commonly found in foods such as green peas, peanuts, tuna, chicken breast, and mushroom. It has gained global attention from skin experts as it worked miracles in retaining skin moisture, leaving your skin look younger and plumper. It can largely be found in skin care products nowadays; as it also works as a lightening agent to an uneven skin tone and has been proven to prevent skin aging.
Deficiency in vitamin B can be immediately detected, as it can cause cracked lips, wrinkles, dryness, acne, rashes, and an uneven skin tone.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K plays an important role in aiding the process of blood clot, reducing the risk of excessive bleeding. It may not significantly do much as other vitamins within your body, but studies show that vitamin K works well in reducing dark circles under your eyes, bruises, dark spots, stretch marks, and scars. Sources are most likely vegetables, meats, cheeses, and other dairy products.
The recommended intake for this nutrient ranges from 90 to 120 ug per day.
As these vitamins are often naturally acquired from the food you eat, it’s best to have a balanced diet – and a bit of proper exercise – to achieve that natural, healthy, younger looking skin you’ve always wanted!
About the Author:
Esther Diaz
A 22-year-old graduate of graphic design, DIY enthusiast, make-up lover and has a love-hate relationship with desserts. I dream to be soon one of the known bloggers.
