What are the most important vitamins for healthy skin? There are lots of them. Any nutritional deficiency, no matter how minor, will eventually show up as an unwanted skin condition. Taking a good multi-nutritional supplement is probably the first step. But, the latest research shows that some nutrients make a big difference in the skin’s health and appearance when they are applied directly. Here’s a look at what you should take and what you should “rub on”.
If you suffer from acne, chances are that you have low blood levels of the antioxidants vitamin A and E. Research has shown that most newly diagnosed cases have those types of deficiency.
If you suffer from eczema, psoriasis or other inflammatory condition, there is a good chance that you are not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids. The same is true if you are suffering from excessive dryness. Omega-3 fatty acids help to balance and counteract inflammation. They are also used to create the skin’s natural moisturizers.
Fish oil is the best known source of omega-3s. Research has shown that three months of supplementation improves the skin’s firmness by about 10%. So, vitamins for healthy skin can have an anti-aging effect, too.
Antioxidants have long been suggested for maintaining the skin’s health and appearance. Vitamin E creams have been around for many years. Vitamin A creams are recommended for acne and wrinkles. The latest studies have concerned creams containing the antioxidant coenzyme Q10.
One of the reasons that you should take vitamins for healthy skin has to do with the detrimental effect that the sun has on the skin’s cells. We are all exposed to the sun on a regular basis and we need it, in order for the body to synthesize vitamin D, another important antioxidant.
We also need it for other reasons. People that live in areas where there is little natural sunlight tend to suffer from depression and other emotional disorders.
The problem is that sun exposure increases the number and activity of molecules known as free radicals. The reason that antioxidants are so important to our health is because of free radicals.
They are naturally present in all of the cells of the body, but when we are young and well nourished, there are enough naturally occurring antioxidants to neutralize them. The cells of our body produce some. We get others from the foods that we eat.
Today, it is more important to take vitamins for healthy skin than it was 50 years ago, because fruits and vegetables contain fewer antioxidants than they did at one time. It is important to use a nourishing cream on a regular basis, because the epidermis, the outermost of the skin’s layers, is the last part of the body to get necessary nutrients.
Studies have shown that creams containing coenzyme Q10 can repair sun damage and neutralize the free radicals that caused it. The creams were even shown to reverse wrinkling. Taking vitamins for healthy skin may do some good, along with a good nourishing cream will work well against wrinkles.
