Get Your Vitamins Right!
Taking care of your skin should be an essential part of your health regimen. It is, after all, your body’s largest organ.
You must heard that you have to limit your exposure to the sun’s harmful rays and wear protective sunscreen when you’re exposed to sunlight to protect your skin health. But in actuality, the sun isn’t all bad. A 10–15 minutes of daily exposure helps manufacture vitamin D throughout the skin. Vitamin D is one of the best vitamins for your skin, along with vitamins C, E, and K.
Making sure you get enough vitamins can keep your skin looking healthy and youthful. This could translate to a reduction in:
- dark spots
- redness
- wrinkles
- rough patches
- excessive dryness
Essential skin vitamins are available in supplemental form, but they are also found in skin care products. Learn more about these four essential vitamins and how they can help you achieve optimum skin health.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is most often made when sunlight is absorbed by your skin. Cholesterol converts to vitamin D when this happens. Vitamin D is then taken up by your liver and kidneys and transported throughout the body to help create healthy cells. This includes the skin, where vitamin D plays an important role in skin tone. It may even help treat psoriasis.
You can increase your vitamin D intake by:
- getting 10 minutes of sun exposure a day (check with your doctor first, especially if you have a history of skin cancer)
- eating fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals, orange juice, and yogurt
- eating food that have vitamin D naturally, such as salmon, tuna, and cod
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is found at high levels in the epidermis (outer layer of skin) as well as the dermis (inner layer of skin). Its cancer-fighting (antioxidant) properties, and its role in collagen production help keep your skin healthy. This is why vitamin C is one of the key ingredients found in many antiaging skin care products.
If you want to enhance your Vitamin C intake you can:
- eat for more citrus foods, such as oranges
- eat other plant-based sources of vitamin C, such as strawberries, broccoli, and spinach
- drink orange juice
- take supplements, as recommended by a doctor
- look for antiaging skin treatments with vitamin C for treating dryness, redness, wrinkles, and age spots
Vitamin E
Like vitamin C, vitamin E is an antioxidant. Its main function in skin care is to protect against sun damage. Vitamin E absorbs the harmful UV light from the sun when applied to the skin. Photoprotection refers to the body’s ability to minimize the damage caused by UV rays. This can help prevent dark spots and wrinkles.
You can increase intake by:
- eating more nuts and seeds, such as almonds, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds
- taking a multivitamin or separate vitamin E supplement
- using topical products that contain both vitamin E and vitamin C (this can be more effective in photoprotection than those that contain only one of the two)
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is essential in aiding the body’s process of blood clotting, which helps the body heal wounds, bruises, and areas affected by surgery. The basic functions of vitamin K are also thought to help certain skin conditions, such as:
- stretch marks
- spider veins
- scars
- dark spots
- stubborn circles under your eyes
You can increase intake by eating:
- kale
- spinach
- lettuce
- cabbage
- green beans
These vitamins sure to be the essentials for your skin, taking a multivitamin supplement can help you to cover most of the vitamins for your body!
