Skin vitamins promote beautiful skin

A range of vitamins and minerals are essential for skin to have a firm yet supple texture and a healthy colour.

These are collectively known as skin vitamins, and a balanced diet provides them in sufficient quantities. They give the skin a healthy look and make it glow.

What are skin vitamins?

Certain substances are essential to ensure healthy skin that is smooth, supple, and free from wrinkles.

Skin vitamins include:

• B vitamins
• Vitamin A
• Biotin
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Astaxanthin
• OPC grape seed extract
• Amino acids such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline
• Trace elements such as zinc, copper, and iron
• Silicon, also known as silica
• MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
• Hyaluronic acid
• Type I and Type II collagen
• Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)
• Green tea extract

The effects of skin vitamins

The substances classified as skin vitamins exhibit varying effects.

• Biotin is considered the ultimate beauty vitamin and plays a multifaceted role in skin metabolism.
• Vitamin A and vitamin C promote cell growth and build collagen fibres.
• B vitamins influence pigment and collagen formation, and also regulate moisture balance.
• Vitamin E improves the skin's ability to retain moisture.
• Iron prevents pale and brittle skin by providing it with sufficient oxygen.
• Silicon strengthens the skin's structure by promoting elastic collagen fibres.
• Borage oil provides the skin with essential gamma-linolenic acid, reduces inflammation and dryness, and slows premature ageing.
• Trace elements like zinc, copper, and iron play many roles in the skin's metabolism.
• Astaxanthin protects the skin from the inside out thanks to its cell-protecting effect against free radicals.
• Type I and Type II collagen, along with hyaluronic acid, provide the skin with more moisture and strengthen collagen.
• MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) provides the skin with the beauty mineral sulphur. This makes the skin more elastic and firmer by promoting the formation of collagen and elastin in the connective tissue.
• Green tea extract helps keep skin clear and reduces the appearance of acne.
• Amino acids like glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline make up the majority of skin collagen and have a unique restorative effect on the skin.

Skin vitamins are recommended for

• pale skin
• thin skin
• premature skin ageing
• excessive wrinkling
• Age spots
• sagging skin areas
• skin irritation
• dry and/or flaky skin
• a tendency to skin conditions

Which foods contain vitamins for the skin?

• Vitamin A is found in vegetables, apricots, honeydew melons, and calf's liver.
• Meat, fish, poultry, whole grains, milk and dairy products, pulses, yeast, and green vegetables are important for providing B vitamins.
• Biotin is mainly found in nuts, soya, brown rice, bran, egg yolk, tomatoes, yeast, and liver.
• Fruit, potatoes, vegetables, and soya beans are the main sources of vitamin C. Vitamin E is found in whole grains, nuts, sunflower oil, and soya oil.
• Lean meat, offal, fish, and cheese are rich in zinc.
• Plant-based oils and various types of fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
• The main sources of copper include shellfish, fish, offal, whole grains, and nuts.
• Meat and pulses are important sources of iron.
• Brown rice, cereal products, and onions are good sources of silicon.

How does a deficiency of skin vitamins manifest itself?

• premature skin ageing
• excessive wrinkling
• sagging skin
• pale and grey-looking skin
• thin skin structure
• Age spots
• skin prone to flaking
• dry, chapped skin
• Skin irritation around the mouth and the corners of the eyes
• Predisposition to skin conditions

Skin vitamins – intake and use

Your diet should meet your skin's vitamin requirements. However, an unbalanced or unhealthy diet can easily lead to deficiencies in individual substances.

Since the substances grouped under hair vitamins form a functional unit and only fulfil their role in hair metabolism when all of them are available in sufficient quantities, it is advisable to take hair nutrients in capsule form if a hair metabolism disorder is suspected.

Who benefits most from additional skin vitamins?

• for athletes, as they generally have an increased need for vital nutrients
• for people exposed to harmful environmental influences
• Older people need additional skin vitamins due to poorer absorption of vital nutrients from food
• Abnormal skin changes can indicate a deficiency in skin vitamins
• People who spend long periods of the day working in air-conditioned rooms have an increased need for skin vitamins
• Men and women going through the menopause should provide their bodies with skin vitamins in addition to what they get from their diet.
• Skin vitamins help people of all ages delay the skin ageing process

What experts say about skin vitamins

Experts say that taking additional skin vitamins has a positive effect on the condition of the skin.

Do skin vitamins have any side effects or interactions?

When skin vitamins are taken as dietary supplements at the recommended dosage, there are generally no side effects.