10 Best Vitamins for Beauty

Many times, when we try to achieve glowing and radiant skin we first jump to topicals such as face washes, creams and ointments and ignore the key source of healthy skin. What we put into our bodies is reflected in our skin, eyes and overall health. The fact is that in addition to eating healthy and exercising, vitamins and antioxidants are the safest way to get healthy and youthful-looking skin.

In this post, we share a list of top 10 beauty vitamins and antioxidants with you that you can start using today. These vitamins and antioxidants can be consumed via natural food sources or through multivitamin supplements.

1. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a powerful skin protector and healer. It has a derivative known as retinoid which is found in most of the beauty products that exist today. Retinoid helps reduce wrinkles, cure brown spots, and smooth rough surface on the skin; it is also a key ingredient in many acne products today.

In a study published at Journal of Dermatological Science, it has been concluded that retinoid keeps the elastic fibres present in the skin at rest, so the skin does not taut or stretch, ultimately this also reduces the appearance of wrinkles.

Vitamin A can be consumed from sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy green vegetables, and fish. Supplements also give sufficient portions of Vitamin A to beautify your skin. All beauty products, especially night creams, offer some derivatives of Vitamin A because of its innumerable benefits to skin health.

2. Vitamin B-Complex

B-complex is a comprehensive pack of B-vitamins for overall beauty health. This family of vitamins is known as antioxidants and they are beneficial for hair, skin and nail health.

In regards to skin, biotin is a B-vitamin that improves keratin levels in the body. Keratin contributes to the formation of collagen and forms a layer on the skin surface to keep it hydrated and protected. Niacin, or vitamin B3, is another vitamin with anti-inflammatory and anti-pigmentation properties. It brightens skin tone and moisturizes it.

Look for B-complex vitamins in your food and supplements. Food sources include eggs, fish, green leafy vegetables, red meat, poultry, milk, and dairy products. Here is a very good supplement to meet the required body needs for B-complex vitamins — for healthy skin, hair and nails.

3. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. This is an important vitamin for healthy, youthful, and radiant skin. With all other vitamins and antioxidants aside, Vitamin C alone can do a lot for providing you with beautiful skin. Because it boosts collagen production, you get firmer skin; additionally, the anti-inflammatory properties help cure red spots and post-acne marks.

Recently, research suggests that Vitamin C has been found effective to treat certain UV damages*. Not only is Vitamin C effective against sun damage, but it is also a smart topical defence against other unpleasant atmospheric effects on the skin. It fights against free radical damages and supports cell communication.

4. Vitamin D

Adequate sun exposure provides us with the necessary intake of Vitamin D that is crucial for clear and healthy skin. Vitamin D saves skin from acne and cools down inflammation in addition to helping reduce wrinkles and develop skin that is soft and smooth.

With that being said, it is very important to maintain balanced sun exposure. Ten to fifteen minutes before noon are enough and if you have a darker skin tone, you need to stay exposed for a comparatively longer period of time.

In the U.S., 75% of the population is Vitamin D deficient, which is real bad news not only for skin but for overall body health as well. Vitamin Supplements. Vitamin D obtained from consuming dairy may help but will not overcome this deficiency if we rely solely on this food source.

5. Vitamin E

In addition to being an antioxidant, Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin found abundantly in food sources. It works in synergy with Vitamin C to improve skin health. Vitamin E boosts collagen production in the body and the greater amounts of collagen produced help combats free radicals and provide firm and toned skin.

Vitamin E works better if applied topically as an effective skin conditioner. For instantly visible results on the skin, you must look for a good beauty product with abundant Vitamin E.

In beauty products, Vitamin E is available in two different forms: Alpha Tocopherol (which is alcohol-based) and alpha-tocopheryl (halal). Based on your personal preferences, you might want to look for the halal type when selecting a product. Oral consumption, however, is also necessary, alongside the topical application. The food sources of Vitamin E are vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, spinach, and asparagus.

6. Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a potent anti-aging and moisturizing agent. It is quite popular in creams and cosmetics. Resveratrol has anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it a natural fixer of impurities erupting on facial skin. It plays a vital role in treating acne, red marks, redness of the skin due to sunburn, and other skin diseases such as eczema and rosacea.

It is found abundantly in grapes, nuts, and fruits.

7. Glutathione

Glutathione is a small protein molecule found in protein-rich foods. It is the best antioxidant to fight aging and beautify skin and helps fight against free radical damage, reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. It is especially popular among beauty care products, due to its skin whitening properties. This allows it to help reduce inflammation and red marks and safely even out skin tone.

Glutathione is prepared in laboratories using amino acid for beauty care products but it can also be taken orally from natural products. The food sources high in glutathione content include eggs, tomatoes, avocados, oranges, and walnuts.

8. Retinol

Retinol is an antioxidant you will find in almost every beauty care product and supplement. It is basically a Vitamin A molecule, which works perfectly in combination with other antioxidants and, sometimes, in isolation to improve skin health. Similar to retinoid, it is an anti-aging agent particularly efficient in its production of collagen, which holds together the skin cells and tissues.

This antioxidant catalyzes the production of skin-supporting substances such as ceramides and glycosaminoglycan, which can improve skin texture and stability.

Moreover, retinol is also known to be an anti-inflammatory derivative of Vitamin A. It treats skin burns, brown spots, red marks and is also very curative for acne.

9. Green Tea

Green tea has become the most widely used skincare leaf extract. It has many amazing benefits to offer for skin, and for overall beauty. Besides its most touted advantage of weight reduction, it has overwhelming benefits for younger-looking skin.

The key ingredient in green tea is catechin, an antioxidant and a disease-fighting flavonoid. The greater amount of catechins in green tea as compared to black tea makes it your first choice. Catechins detoxify free radicals that damage body cells. Green tea can be taken orally or applied topically. Oral consumption helps to clean up impurities from the body, known to cause pigmentation, pimples, blemishes, and wrinkles.

The topical application of green tea — in the form of a herbal blend — helps prevent sun damage.. It also prevents collagen breakdown which is a cause of wrinkles and fine lines.

Green tea is found to reduce stress and enhance mood. A stress-free mind is tantamount to youthful and beautiful looking skin.

10. Lycopene

Lycopene is also an antioxidant that improves skin texture. Because it helps in the formation of collagen and reduces DNA damage, its effects help fight against wrinkles.

Although it is found abundantly in red fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, pink guava, apricots, tomatoes are, however, the richest source of Lycopene. Lycopene can be taken either directly from food sources or can be found in multivitamin supplements. Beauty care products also offer lycopene in topical form.

Final Word

The vitamins and antioxidants mentioned above are all major contributors to healthy and radiant skin. All of these should be included in a healthy diet in order to maximize their benefits and achieve glowing skin. You can find these nutrients in your food, beauty products and multivitamin supplements. If you are perturbed in making a supplement choice, check out this ‘all in one’ beauty supplement for healthy hair, skin and nails.

Stay beautiful!