Vitamins are an indispensable source of health, beauty and youthfulness of the skin. The nutrients coming from food are not enough to maintain its optimal vitamin and mineral balance. A systematic approach will help enrich the dermis with a sufficient amount of vitamins: a balanced diet, taking modern multivitamin complexes and fortified cosmetics. We will tell you what nutrients are needed for the skin of the face and what effect they have.
Why are vitamins good for the skin of the face and body?
Many vitamins have a direct impact on the quality and condition of the skin of the face and body: their deficiency or overabundance can be expressed by dryness, peeling, irritation, redness, decreased tone and loss of radiance and freshness of the epidermis.
To maintain the beauty and health of the skin, dermatologists recommend replenishing its vitamin and mineral balance both from the inside and outside, using appropriate cosmetics with active formulas. Scientists have proved that the external use of vitamin complexes in sufficient volume provides the skin of the face and body with all the necessary substances. Vitamins are necessary for the skin at any age.
Modern cosmetic formulas are based on advanced research that allows the use of technologies for crushing, combining and preserving active ingredients to achieve the best result. Vitamins for the skin in the basis of cosmetics for home care solve several main tasks:
- Nourish and enrich cells with trace elements, improve the appearance of the skin.
- Moisturize and soften the epidermis, strengthen the hydrolipidic mantle.
- They help to increase the synthesis of natural collagen and elastin.
- Reduce the visible signs of premature aging and prevent the appearance of new ones (the appearance of wrinkles, pigmentation, decrease in skin elasticity).
- They have an antioxidant and detoxifying effect, help skin cells fight the destructive effects of free radicals.
- Strengthen the epidermis and protect its barrier functions.
- They help to fight imperfections and traces of acne (black dots, pimples).
- Regulate the production of sebum, reduce the greasy shine of the face.
What vitamins are needed for the beauty, youth and health of the skin
A separate vitamin or a complex of several of them in the basis of cosmetic formulas is designed to solve various problems of different skin types at any age. There are more than 10 vitamins that will help maintain the tone and health of the skin. Here is a rating of the best vitamins for the skin of the face and body, which are most often found in cosmetics.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A derivatives (retinoids) are one of the most popular antioxidant vitamins found in cosmetology. Retinol is responsible for cell renewal, accelerates their regeneration processes, and is widely used in the care of oily, problematic, and mature skin. Vitamin A effectively evens out the tone and relief of the skin, restores its softness, radiance and elasticity. Retinol is photosensitive, has a pronounced exfoliating effect, so in parallel with it, dermatologists recommend using sunscreens or a day cream with SPF. Vitamin A deficiency can provoke a decrease in protective hydrolipidic properties, elasticity and firmness, cause dryness, peeling, compaction and loss of radiance of the skin.
B vitamins
The complex of B vitamins consists of 11 different substances, the most common in cosmetology of which are: vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacinamide), B5 (panthenol), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid), B10 (H1, paraaminobenzoic acid), Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin). All the listed B vitamins have different, but equally irreplaceable effects on the skin: from cell division and respiration, to protecting and strengthening the barrier functions of the skin and reducing the negative effects of UV rays, are responsible for lipid and protein metabolism.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is another essential antioxidant for beautiful skin. Vitamin C stimulates collagen synthesis, protects the skin from premature aging, evens out the tone (fights wrinkles, age spots and post-acne marks) and facial relief, moisturizes, narrows pores, reduces greasy shine, has an anti-inflammatory effect. Vitamin C is photosensitive to ultraviolet light, so always use creams with SPF with it. Vitamin C deficiency can manifest itself in the form of rashes on the background of oily problem skin, dryness, peeling.
Vitamin D
Calciferol or vitamin D, known as solar vitamin, is necessary to strengthen cell membranes, reduces the process of lipid oxidation. Up to 90% of vitamin D is synthesized in the skin under the influence of UV rays, so it is rarely included in cosmetics. If there is a lack of it, the face acquires a tired, dull color, dark circles under the eyes appear, dryness, peeling of the skin.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E or tocopherol is another antioxidant, without which the skin becomes dull, its turgor and hydration decrease. Tocopherol resists free radicals, protects the skin from premature aging, promotes the synthesis of collagen and elastin, responsible for tightening the skin, restores its elasticity, nourishes, moisturizes, smoothes, accelerates the healing of damage, strengthens the hydrolipidic mantle. A lot of vitamin E is found in oils and plant extracts. It is often used in the treatment of skin problems such as dermatitis, seborrhea, eczema.
Vitamin F
The popular name of vitamin F is linoleic acid or Omega–6 – an essential vitamin for dry and sensitive skin with a tendency to imperfections. Quickly relieves dryness, peeling, soothes and softens irritated skin, restores elasticity to tissues. Vitamin F is indispensable in the composition of care formulas in the cold season, as it helps the skin to resist temperature changes, strengthening its protective properties.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K promotes the speedy healing of bruises, mechanical damage to the skin (abrasions, wounds, burns). Thanks to the improvement of microcirculation, it is able to minimize the severity of rosacea (vascular mesh), eliminates bruises under the eyes, and also smoothes scars and stagnant spots (post-acne marks), scars.
Vitamin N
It is known as thioctic and alpha-lipoic acid and is a powerful antioxidant that prevents oxidative stress of the skin, has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect and protective properties. Vitamin N is often found in anti-aging formulas, prevents glycation, restores firmness and elasticity to the skin, protects vitamins E and C from the destructive effects of free radicals. Reduces the risk of irritation, suitable for dry sensitive skin.
Vitamin P
Along with vitamin C, Vitamin P or rutin also has a powerful antioxidant effect, has a pronounced protective effect, improves skin condition. Vitamin P strengthens blood vessels, prevents the occurrence of rosacea, minimizes redness, and is suitable for skin care with rosacea. It is important to remember that vitamin P hypovitaminosis can cause acne exacerbation, and the deficiency of the substance affects the condition of the vascular wall: there is a characteristic blueness of tissues, vascular asterisks.
Vitamin PP
Nicotinic acid or vitamin PP stimulates the regeneration of skin cells, improves microcirculation of the skin, relieves flabbiness, relieves inflammation well and prevents transepidermal moisture loss, improves skin tone and texture, reduces the first signs of age-related changes: wrinkles and pigmentation. It is also suitable for the care of oily problem skin, controlling the activity of sebaceous glands and sebum synthesis.
Beta-carotene
Another antioxidant vitamin responsible for moisturizing and softening the skin is beta-carotene, which can also be found in hair masks. At the heart of skin creams, the component helps to strengthen and protect the epidermis from the negative effects of ultraviolet light and photoaging, it is found in the composition of sanskrins. Beta-carotene is a source of vitamin A.
What vitamins are needed for various skin problems
If there is a certain skin problem, use a remedy based on certain nutritional complexes designed to correct various skin imperfections. Let’s analyze under what imperfections it is recommended to use formulas with the correct set of components. Top of the best vitamins for the skin with its different needs:
- From wrinkles (for younger skin)
Retinol (vitamin A), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin D, vitamin E, niacinamide (vitamin B3), vitamin F, vitamin N, vitamins P, PP, beta-carotene. - Anti-dryness (to moisturize the skin)
Vitamin A, vitamins B1, B6, B7, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin F, beta-carotene. - From flabbiness (for elasticity and firmness of the skin)
Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamins B1, B2, B9, vitamin F, vitamin PP. - For regeneration and healing
Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamins B2, B5, B7, vitamin PP. - From pimples and black dots
Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B12.
When a vitamin deficiency may occur
Vitamin deficiency, or vitamin deficiency, can occur at any age, but children, pregnant women and the elderly are most susceptible to it. Often, the skin reacts to a lack or overabundance of nutrients with increased dryness, peeling, irritation, which can appear on any parts of the body: legs, arms, back, chest and head.
The shortage of certain substances has a seasonal character, for example, in the cold season (autumn and winter), the risk of vitamin deficiency increases due to a decrease in the consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits enriched with vitamins and minerals. Accordingly, in summer and spring their consumption increases and the body makes up for vitamin deficiency. Adhering to strict diets and food restrictions, the skin also suffers from vitamin deficiency, which affects its appearance.
How can I make up for the lack of vitamins
With food, vitamins enter the human body in insufficient quantities to fully support the organs. Therefore, in order for the skin to remain healthy, fresh, hydrated and young for longer, a comprehensive approach is needed: a balanced diet, the consumption of biologically active additives to the daily diet, a beauty routine enriched with vitamins.
- Cosmetics with vitamins
The most highly concentrated formulas are creams and serums for the face. The compositions of these products can combine several vitamins at once or have a mono-vitamin base. The composition should be chosen based on the type, condition and needs of the skin.
- Cosmetic procedures
Aesthetic procedures based on injections, for example, biorevitalization, mesotherapy, imply the delivery of a vitamin complex with hyaluronic acid to the deep dermal layers. Alternative non-invasive methods of skin fortification are electroporation and non-injection mesotherapy.
- Vitamin and mineral complexes
Dietary supplements enrich the body with nutrients, in particular, they help to nourish the skin with vitamins from the inside and make up for the shortage of useful components coming from food.
- Food
The easiest way to fortify the body is a balanced diet. Enrich your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, berries, nuts, cereals – these products are high in nutritional components and have a positive effect on the skin.