Lack or complete absence of certain vitamins can reflect very badly on your skin. Vitamins participate in the cell metabolism and in many biochemical processes of your body and they’re are crucial for your skin and your overall health.
We all know that the best way to get your daily dose of vitamins is through a healthy diet. But sometimes, even when you eat lots of fruits and vegetables and take daily multivitamin supplements, your skin can still suffer from lack of vitamins. The fact is, that your body delivers only small amount of certain vitamins to your skin, regardless how much you’ve taken with food. So, it’s not possible for the vitamins to reach directly to problem areas of your skin where you have wrinkles and imperfections.
The only solution is to use brightening and refreshing homemade facial masks and it’s best to use homemade masks because they’re inexpensive, easy to make, they don’t contain any chemicals and they have lost of vitamins that go directly to your skin. But before using your favorite DIY face mask, learn more about the 5 vitamins for beautiful and healthy skin:
Important! Consult your doctor before taking any vitamin supplements especially if you have a health problems.
Vitamins for beautiful and healthy skin – Vitamin A
It has been shown that vitamin A can reduce wrinkles and fine lines, it can fade dark spots on the skin and make it smoother. It can also help people with acne.
Foods that contain vitamin A are: fatty fish, milk, butter and liver. Some vegetables and fruits like carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, spinach etc. contain the chemical compound – beta Carotene, which your body can turn into vitamin A.
Vitamin A can be found very often in moisturizers, night creams and other cosmetics and medicines for topical use.
Vitamins for beautiful and healthy skin – B Vitamins
It has been shown that B vitamins, especially vitamin B3 increases the production of fatty acids that protect and regenerate the skin. They also keep the skin hydrated, making vitamin B3 perfect ingredient in masks and creams for people with dry and sensitive skin. B Vitamins can also reduce dark spots and redness.
Foods that contain B Vitamins are: fatty fish, lean beef and pork, sunflower seeds, wholewheat bread, cheese, almonds, eggs, avocado, beans, lentils, brewer’s yeast, vegetables, fruit, etc.
Vitamins for beautiful and healthy skin – Vitamin C
It has been shown that vitamin C is an antioxidant and it fights the free radicals that cause skin damage and wrinkles. It also helps to smooth and brighten the skin and to reduce acne scars or brown spots on the skin.
Foods that contain vitamin C are: bell peppers, kale, kiwifruit, broccoli, berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes etc. Rosehips also contain a lot of vitamin C, so a rosehip tea is also a source of this vitamin. You can also use a few drops of rosehip oil in your homemade face masks to give them extra boost of vitamin C.
You can often find vitamin C found in natural moisturizers and creams because it’s a natural preservative so it can extend their shelf life. The concentration of vitamin C in such products should be equal to or greater than 5%.
Vitamins for beautiful and healthy skin – Vitamin E
Vitamin E reduces skin dryness by locking the natural oils into the skin. It also has some sunscreen properties, so if you apply it on your skin before sun exposure, your skin will be less red and dry than usual. This is due to the ability of vitamin E to neutralize free radicals. Some studies have shown that the vitamin E also has anti-inflammatory effect, so it can soothe your skin if its dry or irritated.
Foods that contain vitamin E are: spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds, shrimp, avocado, fatty fish, squash, broccoli, extra virgin olive oil etc.
You can often find vitamin E in sunscreens and lip balms, as well as body lotions that you use after sun exposure. To be sufficiently effective, they must contain at least 1% vitamin E.
Vitamins for beautiful and healthy skin – Vitamin K
It has been shown that vitamin K can reduce the dark under eye circles, because it improves blood clotting in the delicate capillaries in this area. According to studies, a topical application of vitamin K and vitamin A leads to significant improvement in dark under eye circles after couple of months. It’s assumed that this is due to the fact that vitamin K enhances the ability of vitamin A to penetrate the skin better.
Foods rich in vitamin K are: kale, spring onions, basil, brussels sprouts, asparagus, leek, pickles, extra virgin olive oil etc.
You can find vitamin K in eye creams that also contain vitamin A (retinol).
