Best Vitamins For Skin

There are a handful of vitamins that have been proven to be essential for skin health. For the purposes of this article, we will cover the best vitamins for the skin. These vitamins include vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Taking care of your skin is not only visually beneficial, it plays a key role in your overall health as well. After all, your skin is your body’s largest organ!

Ensuring that your body gets the vitamins it needs to maintain healthy skin will keep your skin looking youthful. The right amount of vitamins C, D, E, and K could translate to a significant reduction in wrinkles, redness, dark spots, excessive dryness, and rough patches. However, in order to garner these results, one must first understand the impact these vitamins have on the skin. 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C can be found at monumentally high levels in the epidermis, as well as the dermis. Vitamin C has antioxidant properties, which aids in thwarting cancer. This vitamin’s role in the production of collagen, an essential bodily protein, will help keep your skin healthy. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. The fiber-like structure of this protein is used to make connective tissue and provides structure to the body’s bones, skin, tendons, and ligaments. For this reason, vitamin C is one of the primary ingredients found in most anti-aging skin care products on the market.

Not only does vitamin C contain antioxidant properties and support the production of collagen, but taking this vitamin as a supplement orally can enhance the effectiveness of sunscreen when applied to the skin. Vitamin C accomplishes this by decreasing overall cell damage, thus supporting the healing processes of bodily wounds and sunburn. Vitamin C can also help to fend off the signs of aging due to its vital role in the human body’s collagen synthesis process. Taking adequate amounts of vitamin C can additionally help repair and prevent dry skin and its causes.  

Vitamin D

The prevalence of vitamin D has been a mainstay in nutrition for centuries. Most people may remember being encouraged as children to drink lots of orange juice and get lots of sunlight—for a boost of vitamin D. Hence the vitamin’s nickname: “the sunshine vitamin.” Vitamin D is most often made through normal bodily processes after absorbing sufficient amounts of sunlight. In this process, cholesterol is converted into vitamin D. The vitamin is then taken through the liver and kidneys and transported throughout the body to aid in the creation of healthy cells. This includes the skin, where vitamin D plays an important, but not commonly known, role in skin tone. Vitamin D is also known to help in the treatment of psoriasis.

Vitamin D is also produced in a natural, man-made version known as calcitriol. Calcitriol is often used as a topical cream proven to be effective in treating those with psoriasis. Studies have shown that applying calcitriol can reduce the amount of skin inflammation and irritation in people with psoriasis while producing a very limited amount of side effects. 

Many people can increase their vitamin D intake through the use of multivitamins, supplements, topical cream, eating vitamin D-rich foods like fish and juice, or getting at least 10 minutes of sun exposure per day.  

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help prevent and combat cancer, similar to the functions of vitamin C. However, vitamin E’s main function in skin care is to protect against sun damage, making it one of the best vitamins for skin. Vitamin E absorbs the harmful UV rays from the sun when directly applied to the skin as either a topical cream or moisturizer. Ultimately, vitamin E can help reduce and prevent dark spots and wrinkles through photoprotection (the body’s ability to minimize damage from UV rays).

The human body typically produces vitamin E through an oily substance emitted through the skin's pores, known as sebum. Sebum helps keep the skin conditioned properly and prevents dryness given the right balance of sebum. It has been found that vitamin E can help counteract a lack of sebum in those with, particularly dry skin. Vitamin E can also help in the treatment of skin inflammation in some cases. 

Vitamin E is commonly found in many nuts and seeds. However, most adults require at least 15 mg of vitamin E per day. Therefore, the best way to introduce enough vitamin E to your diet is via some form of supplement or topical cream. 

Vitamin K

Vitamin K comes in two forms: K1 and K2. Vitamin K1 is often found in dark leafy greens, whereas vitamin K2 is most commonly found in meat products. Overall, vitamin K is essential in supporting the body’s natural process of blood clotting. The basic functions of both forms of vitamin K have been found to improve certain skin conditions such as dark spots, scars, stretch marks, and spider veins. 

It should be noted that although vitamin K is not as prevalent in skincare routines as vitamins C, D, and E, it still retains many features that are critical to bone health, dental health, heart health, and mental health. It has also been found that vitamin K2 aids in cancer treatment, by reducing the potential for tumors that accumulate through genetics. 

Most doctors will recommend vitamin K in the form of supplements to provide the aforementioned benefits. However, as it relates to skincare, doctors will often recommend the vitamin in the form of a topical cream. 

Which Vitamin Is the Best for My Skin?

All of the vitamins mentioned in this article are key players in maintaining and ensuring healthy skin and a desirable complexion. The best vitamins for skin, in short, are all four! Be sure to take sufficient doses of each vitamin either orally or topically, and watch as the results start to appear! You may be surprised by how fast-acting these vitamins are when introduced to your diet in sufficient quantities!

Want to Learn More?

Purety Family Medical Clinic is a family-owned and family-operated clinic that specializes in offering holistic, integrative, and functional medicine in Santa Barbara, CA. Contact us today for questions regarding these vitamins, or for inquiries regarding the supplements that will be right for you!