A lot of things can affect the health of our skin. One thing that can have a big impact is our daily intake of vitamins. These nutrients help to keep our entire body healthy by promoting cell growth. Below are three of the most important vitamins that your body needs to maintain healthy skin – and where you can get these vitamins.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the most important vitamin that our skin needs. It helps our skin to grow and repair itself by supporting skin cell metabolism. Without a healthy intake of vitamin C, skin can become pale, dry and wrinkly.
Small amounts of vitamin D can be found in foods like fish, dairy and cereals. While eating these foods can improve your vitamin D levels, it’s very hard to get the amount of vitamin D your body needs from food alone.
The best source of vitamin D is in fact sunlight. Ultraviolet light from the sun interacts with proteins already found in our skin to create vitamin D. Just how much time do you have to spend in the sun to get your fix of vitamin D? For most people, about 10 to 30 minutes of midday sun multiple times per week. Those with darker skin generally need more than this. Obviously, too much sun exposure is not good for the skin so try to limit exposure or wear sun lotion.
You can buy vitamin D ointments, but they’re generally only used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis in which skin regeneration requires a boost. You can also buy vitamin d pills if you have a deficiency.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E has moisturising and healing effects and can help to create a barrier within the skin against damage. A healthy intake of vitamin E is believed to help slow down aging and reduce dryness and inflammation.
The biggest sources of vitamin E are seeds and nuts. Foods like salmon, avocado, mango and butternut squash are also high in vitamin E.
Skin products like vitamin E cream can be used as a supplement, helping to combat dryness and slow down aging. Vitamin E capsules also exist but are generally only suitable for deficiencies.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant with health benefits similar to Vitamin E. Some studies suggest that a healthy intake of vitamin C can help to slow down aging. Lack of vitamin C is known to lead to a condition called scurvy which leads to poor healing, anemia and swelling among other symptoms.
Citrus fruits are some of the best sources of vitamin C that you can incorporate into your diet. This includes oranges and lemons (orange juice is a great source of vitamin C). You can also find this vitamin in foods such as peppers, strawberries, broccoli, brussel sprouts and blackcurrants.
Vitamin C serums are available on the market, which can help to give skin a glow. You can also buy vitamin C supplements to ingest that are typically dissolved in water.
