Vitamins: Skincare and Skin Health
Our skincare and skin health is affected and impacted by many elements. Sun exposure, water intake, genetics, diet and skincare all affect our skin, as does maintaining a healthy balance of vitamins and minerals – the vital nutrients your body needs to function properly.
In today’s journal, I provide a dermatologist’s view on everything you need to know about vitamins and skin: from the best vitamins for the skin, vitamins to look out for in skincare, vitamin supplements (and whether they work), along with my top recommendations for skin-superheroes vitamin C and vitamin B12.
Vitamins in Skincare
The best vitamins for the skin – and therefore, the most crucial vitamins in skincare – as are follows:
Vitamin A: Vitamin A is an essential nutrient to maintain our health. When it comes to skincare, retinoids are a type of vitamin A, and topical application of various retinoids can help treat acne, improve fine lines and wrinkles, as well as reduce hyperpigmentation, signs of UV damage and inflammation. The most commonly used topical retinoid is retinol, but retinaldehyde, retinoic acid and retinyl palmitate are also regularly seen within skincare.
Vitamin B3: Vital to DNA repair and skin homeostasis (essential to maintaining health skin barrier function), vitamin B3 is also known as niacinamide. Vitamin B3 can help even skin tone, reduce pore size and stimulate collagen synthesis, improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Rich in antioxidants, vitamin B3 also helps repair UV and pollution-induced damage.
Vitamin B12: Widely considered the best vitamin for energy, vitamin B12 is also beneficial for skin health, most often used in oral supplements. Within skincare, a synthetic form of vitamin B12 (called cyanocobalamin) has been shown to treat inflammation, defend the skin from environmental aggressors and support healthy function of the skin’s microbiome. It is also possible to administer vitamin B12 directly into the muscle via injections – more on that later!
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is the most abundant antioxidant within our skin, and has many benefits when applied topically in skincare: brightening, stimulating collagen and elastin production, aiding in wound healing, evening tone, reducing fine lines and wrinkles and protecting against environmental aggressors. L-ascorbic acid is the purest and most potent form of vitamin C used in skincare, other forms include ascorbyl glucoside, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palmitate and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E is well-known for its potent antioxidant properties, with moisturising and anti-inflammatory effects. Vitamin E works on a cellular level to neutralise skin damaging free radicals, promoting a healthier skin metabolism, and is present in many topical face and body moisturisers.
Whilst applying these vitamins topically is effective, it’s also important to eat a varied and healthy diet to ensure ingestion of these essential nutrients.
Do Multivitamins And Skin-Hair-Nails Supplements Work?
When it comes to skincare and skin health multivitamins, the answer is yes and no.
The average, healthy person is likely to absorb adequate levels of the daily required vitamins from their diet, therefore, multivitamins are unlikely to have a significant effect. Plus, since many vitamins are water soluble (and concentrations are often low), they tend to pass through your system at fairly high speed.
That said, for people who have dietary limitations (i.e. vegans), require treatment for conditions such as iron-deficiency anaemia, are at risk of osteoporosis, are pregnant or have darker skin, oral vitamins can offer clear benefits – though these are unlikely to include any benefits to the skin.
When it comes to vitamins marketing themselves as specifically targeting hair, skin and nails, there is a lack of current evidence that these are effective for healthy adults.
The active ingredient in these supplements is often biotin – otherwise known as vitamin B7 – which supports the formation of fatty acids (essential to skin health) and proteins (fundamental to hair and nail health). Whilst a varied diet including biotin-rich foods like eggs, milk, and bananas can deliver recommended levels of this nutrient, there isn’t solid evidence that supplements do the same – except in cases of biotin deficiency, which is extremely rare. I would recommend consulting with your doctor or dermatologist before embarking on a biotin-based supplement.
Vitamin C: Does It Live Up To The Hype?
When it comes to skin, vitamin C is a superhero. As I cover above – the benefits are numerous: when applied topically in skincare it brightens, stimulates collagen and elastin production, aids in wound healing, evens skin tone, reduces fine lines and wrinkles and protects against environmental aggressors.
When considering incorporating vitamin C into your skincare routine, a serum tends to be the best delivery method, as it has the ability to penetrate deeper into the dermis and deliver the most significant effects – I like Sarah Chapman London C1 Vitamin C Power Serum. With this said, If you have sensitive skin, it might be best to opt for a vitamin C rich moisturiser before embarking on a serum: Beauty Pie Superdose Vitamin C Oxygen-Boosting Moisturiser is a good place to start.
In either case, I would recommend beginning with a low concentration (10% or lower) and – if tolerated well – gradually increasing to 15% or 20%.
Finally: to get the most from this vitamin-multitasker, make sure you are incorporating it into your daily diet. Citrus fruits, berries, broccoli and peppers are all strong sources.
Intramuscular Vitamin B12 Injections
Vitamin B12 is vital to healthy skin – treating inflammation, defending the skin from environmental aggressors and supporting the healthy function of the skin’s microbiome, specifically preventing dryness and contributing to wound healing.
As well as topical and oral applications, it is also possible to administer an intramuscular vitamin B12 injection, and bypassing the digestive system means the absorption of this powerhouse occurs more quickly. In addition to its benefits to the skin, vitamin B12 boosts your energy levels and supports your immune system.
