We are living in the best time ever for skin care. Vitamins, natural ingredients and new technologies have made it possible to do more for our skin than ever before! From anti-aging supplements to acne treatments, there’s never been a better time to take control of your skin. If you’re looking for glowing skin without any nasty chemicals or artificial additives, vitamins are the best way forward. In this blog post I’ll be talking about what vitamins are best, how they work on your skin and why you should use them regularly!

Vitamins and minerals are essential compounds which contribute to the proper functioning of our body. Because skin structure associates tissues from various origins (epithelial, connective, vascular, muscular and nervous) the health of your body affects your skin health as well.

Vitamins and minerals work in different ways. While vitamins work from the inside out, minerals focus on the skin’s surface.

Vitamin deficiencies are associated with various skin conditions such as pellagra (vitamin B3 deficit) or hyperpigmentation which is associated with B₁₂ deficiency. Also, good level of vitamins a, c and e may improve our wound healing capacity.

A topical supplement of vitamins, represents a concentrated source of nutrients for our skin which provide a complementary physiological effect to that of the usual diet. The data shows that a balanced diet associated with using vitamin in cosmetics and/or oral supplementation at nutritional dose, can definitely improves skin health and beauty. (You can read more about this here)

The oxidative damage, is a complex process of reactions within the skin, where «free radicals» which are unstable molecules, interact with skin cells creating a negative impact in cellular components like proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. These reactions can happen due to exposure to UV radiation, ozone and smoking, causing permanent DNA damage.

Minerals main function in the skin, is to protect it from absorbing UVB and UVA lights, limiting its penetration into skin layers, providing an antioxidant effect which prevents the oxidative damage. That is why, mineral sunscreens have gain a great acceptance above chemical ones.

There you have it! Both minerals and vitamins contribute to skin health by reducing skin damage, photo aging and encouraging collagen production, keeping skin pores free from toxins.

There are several different types of vitamins and that you can incorporate in your skin care routine to achieve your skin health goals:

Vitamin c serums are the most common presentation for topical vitamin supplement in skin care products.

It is usually recommended at mornings after cleaning face, and before moisturizer. However, you can use it at nights as well, as long as you don’t combine it with usually night products containing retinol.

This vitamin is usually recommended for people above 30 years which is the age when antioxidants should be added to the skin care routine. However, it will depend on previous exposure of the skin to triggering environmental factors like sun or pollution that can contribute to photo aging and can require the use of this skin vitamin earlier, however, it should not be used in kids.

Natural skincare science have make great advancements in vitamin c ingredients. Nowadays, you can find different forms of the vitamin in which you can find the following:

• L-Ascorbic Acid. This is the most common, natural and cheapest form of vitamin c used. Although is brilliant in de-pigmentation, it is very unstable to formulate with, and can become a strong irritant if rusted. That is why you see this ingredient in combination with ferulic acid, which brings stability to the product. If you buy your serum from a recognized brand, this will be great for your routine!
• Phosphate and Palmitate derivatives. These are compounds added to ascorbic acid to prevent degradation. These ingredients are less sensitive to light and more stable, reducing the risk of irritation.
• Ascorbyl palmitate is one of the more stable ingredients of our loved Vc, due to its stability. It’s also oil dispersible unlike ascorbic acid that is commonly used in water only products.

In this article you can find more information regarding the different forms or vitamin c as a cosmetic ingredient.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant as well. It is used in skincare in products containing oils to prevent oxidation, but also, to encourage skin cells regeneration.

Vitamin A is the champion in skin cell turnover thanks to its regeneration ability. It’s recommended for skin conditions like acne due to its sebum regulating function, but also in the treatment of scars and decrease of age signs.

The topical vitamin a presentation is usually packed in night serums containing retinol. It is commonly used every night, however for sensitive skin daily use is not recommended but can be used twice or three times a week instead.

It’s important to say, that any time you decide to use a product containing retinol, sunscreen is a must.

There are some substitutes to retinol, which can bring the same benefits in skin tone without affecting skin health in the long term. Below my favorites:

• Bakuchiol. This luxurious ingredient which comes from the babchi plant, is creating a great expectation in the natural skincare industry. It claims to have the same restorative effects of retinol without its attributed side effects.
• B-Carotene. This powder ingredient can not just be a great source of vitamin a for cosmetic formulations but can bring a stunning color to the final product.

• Vitamin B1, Thiamin and Vitamin B2, Riboflavin, enable the body to use carbohydrates as energy.
• Vitamin B3- Niacin or more well known as Niacinamide. When used as a supplement, It has a great benefit in overall health. However, is widely used in skincare thanks to its hydrating ability, which promotes skin elasticity and improves skin appearance.
• Vitamin B5- Panthenol. This type of b vitamin, is one of the greatest moisturizing agents in the natural skincare world. It softs and soothes the skin while prevents the increase of water loss.
• Vitamin B6- Pyridoxine. This b vitamin is needed to maintain the health of nerves. However, it has recently arrived at the cosmetic industry, claiming to bring benefits to scalp, hair and to keep your skin free of sebum. In this article you can read more about this vitamin as a cosmetic ingredient.
• Vitamin B7: Biotin. This vitamin b is part of the b complex, and is also known as vitamin H. It helps the body to metabolize fat and protein, and is a very well known for its ability to restore hair and nails when used as a supplement both oral or topical.
• Vitamin B9: Folic Acid. It is more used under medical advice for pregnant women to help the unborn baby’s brain, skull and spinal cord develop properly. Despite it is not used as a cosmetic ingredient, the oral intake of this vitamin can bring benefits in beauty.

Vitamin B12 – Cobalamin. This is a nutrient that helps keep your body’s blood and nerve cells healthy. Deficiency of this nutrient in our body can lead to anemia. Despite it is not used as a cosmetic ingredient, some research have shown that is great preventing discoloration, sunspots, and dark spots.

The best b vitamins used as a cosmetic ingredient for skincare products are B3, B5, B6 and B7.

In supplements, it can be used in the acne treatment thanks to its antimicrobial abilities.

Despite Vitamin D is not a cosmetic ingredient, it is synthesized in the skin which plays an important role in the collagen production.

Minerals have become the ingredient by excellence in sunscreens. There are two types of sunscreen: chemical and mineral.

Chemical sunscreen have been widely used during the last decades. These have chemical compounds that absorb uv rays and prevent the skin from being damaged. However, they do not provide protection against infrared radiation and visible light which can cause photo aging too. Also, there is a common concern regarding chemical ingredients being absorbed by the body and entering the bloodstream.

Mineral sunscreens are composed of minerals which act as a physical barrier against UV rays, reflecting them while protect our skin without having risk of being absorbed.

The main minerals used as main ingredients in physical sunscreens are «Zinc Oxide» and «Titanium Dioxide».

In addition to their use in sun protection, minerals are also used in skincare as follows:

Zinc : It is used in acne products as it can regulate sebum and reduce the appearance of acne while keeping the skin healthy promoting cell regeneration. It is also used in deodorant formulations as ti minimize the growth of odor-causing bacteria

Magnesium: When used in supplements, this mineral supports protein synthesis, nerve function, blood pressure regulation, among other amazing benefits. In skin, can support the treatment of acne and other skin conditions, by lowering hormonal imbalances and improving cellular processes.

So, we have talked about vitamins and minerals and how these can help improve not just your health, but also the look and feel of your skin. But also, we can find other nutrients which are great for skin although we can not necessary call them vitamins or minerals, contain great foods for our skin.

Omega-three fatty acids are a great antioxidant which can reduce damage from free radicals. They also moisturize skin and improve its elasticity, making them the perfect combination for healthy skin! Also, omega 3 fatty acids have anti inflammatory properties which can reduce redness and swelling. They also make your skin more even-toned, which is great for people who suffer acne.

Some sources for intaking omega-three fatty acids are through your diet, including eggs, salmon or tuna; and in your skin care products, where you can find these in vegetal oils used in serums, creams or lotions.

The use of enzymes in skin care is growing in popularity, and with good reason. Enzymes are natural proteins that can help break down dead skin cells to promote cellular renewal, increase collagen production and rejuvenate of your skin. The result? Smoother, younger-looking skin!

Now that we know that vitamins and minerals are a great addition to your skin care routine, we are left with the question, how can we add them to our routine?

Here are some tips:

• First of all you should try to include the vitamins and minerals in your diet. You could start by eating more vitamin c rich fruits and vegetables.
• You could also try taking a vitamin supplement! They are easy to use, all you need to do is take one pill every day.
• Also, if you want to include omega three fatty acids in your skin care routine, try using a body scrub made with fish oil or an oatmeal mask!
• You can include vitamin e by using moisturizers such as shea butter, as they usually contain vitamin e.
• In addition to that you can use a lip balm which contains vitamin e because then you will be able to moisturize your lips and keep them healthy and protected from sun damage.

In conclusion, giving your skin the right vitamins and minerals is a great way to improve its health. As you can see there are many ways to incorporate these nutrients in your skin care routine, just by changing a few of your habits.

Do not forget that the most important thing is being consistent and patient because it takes time for our body to get used with any change, but once we have reached this point new routines will be easy! If you liked this post check out my other blogs on natural skin care!