Can Ingesting Vitamins Help Your Skin?
But vitamins have not always been vitamins. Then a Polish biochemist named Casimir Funk (yes, the best name ever, we know) came along. He was studying beriberi disease, and realized all the sufferers were deficient in what’s now called vitamin B1 or thiamine.
Casmir coined the term himself: After realizing these nutrients were essential to human function, he chose the name “vital amines,” with vital coming from the root word “vita” meaning “life” in Latin. But more than a century later, trying to figure out what each vitamin actually does — and which ones are best for you — can still feel a bit like wading through a bowl of alphabet soup. If you’re deciding which ones to ingest, we suggest consulting a doctor or nutritionist.
Vitamin-enriched skin-care products can protect against free-radical damage, treat fine lines and wrinkles, and lessen hyperpigmentation. Basically, there’s a vitamin out there for every one of your skin concerns — you just have to know which one provides which benefit.
Healthy Fats
This is how your skin gets its “glow.”.
Too little fat in your diet can make your skin wrinkled and dry. Omega-3 fatty acids are a kind of polyunsaturated fat, which your body can’t make but needs to build cell walls. They also block a chemical that lets skin cancer grow and spread, and they may lower inflammation.
Protein Your body turns the proteins you eat into building blocks called amino acids and reuses them to make other proteins, including the collagen and keratin that form the structure of skin. Amino acids also help slough off old skin. Some amino acids are antioxidants that protect skin cells against UV rays and from “free radicals” made when your body breaks down certain foods or is around cigarette smoke.
Vitamin A
It seems to prevent sun damage by interrupting the process that breaks down collagen. Since it’s an antioxidant, it may give your skin some protection against sunburn (although not as much as wearing sunscreen).
B-Complex Vitamins
Research into the role of vitamin B-complex supplements is promising, though inconclusive.
Vitamin B-3 , or niacinamide, may help some signs of skin aging. Some studies suggest that it may help reduce the appearance of age spots and other forms of skin discoloration. Some women report improvements in their skin and hair when taking prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid.
Researchers found that a cream containing folic acid and creatine supported collagen gene expression and collagen fiber density. Vitamin B-5, or pantothenic acid, may help with both acne and skin aging. Some dietary sources of B-complex vitamins include meat, eggs, seafood, nuts, and seeds.