Most men have at least a basic understanding of what you need to do to keep your skin healthy. Wash your face to remove dirt and other substances, moisturize afterward to keep your skin looking fresh, and apply sunscreen to protect your skin from sun damage.
Cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen are all skincare staples. These classic methods for looking radiant and fresh are even better when they consist of natural ingredients. But what other organic options exist for attaining and maintaining healthy skin? We know how to treat our skin topically, but how about orally?
Vitamins are an effective and easy way to keep your skin in good condition. Vitamins are essential nutrients. They are important for growth, development, boosting your immune system, and helping with healing. All of these beneficial properties apply to the health of your overall body but are also applicable to your skin.
Your skin needs the right nutrients to perform its job of protecting you and keeping you looking fresh. This is where vitamins come into play.
Encouraging the production of collagen, promoting the development of new skin cells, healing blemishes and fine lines, and improving the appearance of pores are all possible outcomes from the correct use of the right vitamins.
Vitamins can actually be incorporated into your routine orally or topically. You have the option of selecting either method, and you have your fair share of vitamins to choose from. To help you select which vitamins to begin incorporating in your day-to-day life, here are some of the top vitamins for healthy skin.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that is capable of supporting the skin’s health. The two types of vitamin A are retinoids and carotenoids.
Retinoids are preformed vitamin A that are integrally involved in cell growth and differentiation. Retinol vitamin A can prevent skin from drying out by stimulating the production of new cells. It is also effective at stimulating collagen production, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
Carotenoids are provitamin A that have a potent antioxidant effect and can prevent tissue damage due to oxidation. Carotenoids are high in antioxidants and can prevent cell damage, premature skin aging, and other skin conditions.
Both the retinoid and carotenoid are converted to retinol by the liver, either stored or transported to cells throughout the body.
An additional benefit of vitamin A is its ability to help prevent sun damage by interrupting the process that breaks down collagen. Though the antioxidant vitamin may offer you some protection against ultraviolet light, it is important to recognize that it will never do as well of a job as sunscreen.
Having enough vitamin A is essential for avoiding skin damage.
The skin is capable of absorbing vitamin A topically and can be applied to the skin as a retinoid to treat acne and fine lines. Your vitamin A intake can also be increased by adding certain foods to your diet, including carotene-rich vegetables.
Foods rich in vitamin A include:
- Sweet potato
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Beef liver
- Milk
- Fish
Vitamin B
The B vitamin complex is responsible for several key body functions, including energy and brain function, making vitamin B essential for you and your skin’s health.
Vitamin B is beneficial for helping with cell renewal. Our skin is constantly regenerating, and vitamin B is essential for cell growth and development. Therefore, the healthier your skin, the faster that it will be able to renew.
This can work wonders for your skin in several different ways. It can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin tone, balance natural oils, and help to combat skin sensitivities that include dryness and acne.
Vitamin B Complex
There are several different B vitamins to choose from, all with different strengths when it comes to serving your skin. For example, vitamin B1 is great for acne-prone skin for its ability to treat redness and irritation.
Vitamin B5 is a good option for anyone dealing with dryness because it keeps skin feeling hydrated and calms the appearance of redness and swelling.
Vitamin B7, also known as biotin, helps support cell signaling to create the proteins and fats that act as the building blocks of our skin. Vitamin B12 can support dull or mature skin by boosting the look of radiance and diminishing dark spots and uneven skin tone.
Perhaps the best B vitamin for your skin, and the one most commonly found in skincare products, n is vitamin B3, also called niacinamide or niacin. Niacinamide is best known for its ability to build proteins in the skin and retain moisture.
Using niacinamide can increase protein synthesis, such as keratin, which assists in keeping your skin firm and supple. It can also help the skin to grow a ceramide barrier.
Ceramides link with other molecules to promote cellular function. When joined together as a barrier, they prevent permeability. This ceramide barrier is able to retain moisture, minimize redness, and avoid skin irritation.
There is also danger in not having enough vitamin B. A vitamin B deficiency may present itself on your skin as rashes, dry lips, cracks by the mouth, scaly skin.
The most convenient method for increasing your vitamin B intake is taking a B complex supplement that encompasses all of the B vitamins and their benefits. However, there are also topical options.
Vitamin C
One of the most versatile vitamins to incorporate into your skin care routine is vitamin C. Vitamin C can be used for anti-aging. The goal of fighting premature aging is to combat any signs that have already appeared on our faces and prevent more from developing. Vitamin C is capable of fulfilling both of these needs.
For example, Vitamin C can be used to assist with repairing damaged tissue in the skin. This vitamin can help fight off free radicals, which are unstable molecules that damage skin cells, and accelerate elastin and collagen production. Free radicals can come from sun exposure, airborne pollutants, or natural processes within the body. Additionally, it helps the protein collagen to hold its twisted web shape.
These repairs will help with reducing wrinkles and fine lines and can provide you with brighter, more supple skin. Additionally, vitamin C can be used to target dark circles. When used below the eyes, it can thicken the naturally thin skin and help to conceal any discoloration.
Vitamin C is also capable of interacting with copper ions inhibiting the enzyme responsible for converting the essential amino acid tyrosine into melanin when in the body.
Body’s Natural Melanin
Melanin is the natural pigments in our hair and skin that give them their color. The more melanin someone has in their skin, the darker it will appear. By preventing the production of melanin from increasing, vitamin C can support depigmentation, which can help with combatting age spots.
The halted formation of melanin can soothe the redness that accompanies acne and dry skin and prevent the presence of pink or red patches that typically come with the erythema.
You can repair the uneven skin texture that accompanies these conditions by increasing your vitamin C intake and making the skin firm and supple. This can contribute to repairing and defending against sun damage.
There is also danger in Vitamin C deficiency. Without enough of the essential nutrient, your skin may easily bruise, become dry, and develop keratosis pilaris, which is a condition that causes rough patches and bumps. After all, vitamin C is vital for wound healing.
There are various ways to increase your vitamin C intake. You can do so topically with a cream, gel, or serum, or you can do so orally with dry vitamins or by consuming foods rich in Vitamin C like citrus fruits and leafy greens.
Foods rich in Vitamin C include:
- Peppers
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Potatoes
- Brussel sprouts
Conclusion
Adding vitamins to your daily routine can be as easy as A, B, C.
Vitamins A, B, and C, whether applied topically or orally, are all capable of improving your skin’s health and appearance. They are an easy and effective way to improve and maintain the quality of your skin. Providing your body with the nutrients it needs to function correctly is of the utmost importance.
If vitamins are not the right fit for you, we also recommend trying essential minerals. Various studies have shown that essential minerals like zinc, selenium, and copper can reap positive dermatological effects.
Essential minerals are easily accepted by the skin and work with its natural functions. They can strengthen, support, and stimulate the skin, thus successfully treating various skin conditions and disorders and slowing down the aging process.
The body does not produce minerals on its own and requires an external source like our diet to increase mineral intake.
Vitamins A, B, and C are great places to start when first implementing organic nutrients as a means of caring for your skin. Still, there are vitamins — and minerals — to choose from that can just as well support your skin’s health, like vitamin D, vitamin E, or omega-3s (the fatty acids found in salmon and tuna). What matters most is that you consume the appropriate amount of micronutrients to uphold your skin’s structure and glow.
We recommend consulting with a professional dermatologist or dietician for more questions concerning micronutrients and which supplements to take, products to apply, or foods to eat in your daily skincare routine.
Sources:
Vitamin A, carotenoids, and retinoids | PubMed
