Article by Robin Adler, Toxic Beauty Author
As summer comes to a close, many of us are dealing with sun damaged skin. What can we do to combat the effects of the sun on our skin?
Rebuild your skin’s defenses by nourishing it with the best vitamins for skin. Through this manner, you’re strengthening your skin and repairing damage from the inside out.
Eat organic whole foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. This is easy to say, but sometimes it’s a challenge to get the nutrients and vitamins you need through food due to soil depletion.
This is where dietary supplements come in. What could be simpler than swallowing a few vitamin supplements to get what’s missing in your normal diet?
By the way, I am not suggesting eating unhealthy foods and using vitamins to make up the disparity. You should eat real foods, fruits, and vegetables, yet even if you eat the healthiest way possible, it’s still challenging to get every single nutrient you will need in your diet. This being said, let’s focus on this important question: What are the best vitamins for skin? These are the ones which should be essential in your diet and in your medicine chest. Not only do they work from the inside, but they also work well when applied on the skin through the skin care creams you use. And now, here they are:
Vitamin A
Remember when your Mom made you eat your carrots mainly because they were supposed to boost your eyes? Well, she was correct! Vitamin A is the healthy eyes vitamin. Beta carotene, the red/yellow/orange color, contained in fruits and vegetables transforms into Vitamin A in the body. In addition to carrots, look for healthy Vitamin A sources such as eggs, tomatoes, fish oils, and apricots. Vitamin A also:
- Enhances the skin’s overall appearance
- Helps to protect against infections
- Decreases fine lines and fades age spots
- Helps shield cells against cancer and various other diseases
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is associated with citrus fruits. Interestingly, oranges are not the best Vitamin C containing food! Which foods have the greatest amount of Vitamin C? Strawberries top the list with papaya, red bell peppers, and broccoli not far behind. Like other vitamins, Vitamin C has a synchronous relationship with Vitamin E, making it work more effectually.That’s why it works better to take vitamins in a blend. A lot of us know the immune enhancing function of Vitamin C, but what else can it do?
- Cleanses the whole body
- Eliminates heavy metals
- Boosts collagen in the skin
- Minimizes skin damage caused by free radicals
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is anti-inflammatory…basically, if your skin is puffy, it will “de-puf” it. It’s a wonderful eye oil. I bought a small bottle to add to my handcrafted face treatments. You can also purchase them in gel caps and break them with a little pin to get to the “oil” within. Get natural Vitamin E from almonds, olive oil, spinach, and papaya. Here are additional advantages of Vitamin E for your skin and in your diet:
- Shrinks age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles
- Safeguards the skin from UV rays- This is why I love shea butter- it contains quite a high Vitamin E content.
- Awesome treatment for inflammatory skin diseases, which include acne or eczema
- Increases concentration of carotenoids – free radical fighters- that’s what triggers wrinkles!
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the sunlight vitamin! We can not make Vitamin D in our bodies, so the ideal way to get it is to soak up some rays. This is one of the most neglected vitamins yet one of the most beneficial. A great many people are deficient in vitamin D and don’t even know it. I take 10,000 milligrams a day, even though I live in a warm and sunny climate. If you live in a cooler, more northerly climate, you may need even more. I would not advise getting your vitamin D through milk or dairy sources. Pasteurized dairy is filled with poisonous ingredients and causes inflammation and mucus production in the body. The vitamin D benefits are massive:
- Sustains healthy teeth, bones, and nails
- Assists absorption of Vitamins E and C
- Helps sustain a healthy immune system
- Inhibits cancer, including breast, ovarian, and colon
I almost certainly could go on and on about vitamins (as well as minerals and superfoods!) you should be taking, but I don’t want to boggle you down with information overload!. As it is, my vitamin case is bulging at the seams.
After reading about the top skin vitamins, you might be asking, “How do I find out how much of each vitamin to take?” Like I discussed earlier, try to get as much as you can by way of the foods you eat. If that’s not doable, take a high-quality supplement. I opt for a whole food supplement, but sometimes a multi doesn’t give you the sufficient amount of what you need to have. The majority of the RDA (or Recommended Daily Allowance) for vitamins are way too low. This is when I use an additional supplement.
Of course there are other methods you can sue to determine exactly how much vitamins and minerals you need or if you are lacking in any area…but I will leave that for another day!
What’s your favorite vitamin for beautiful skin?
About the Author: Robin Adler is an organic beauty blogger dedicated to helping women choose safer cosmetics. It’s her mission to help every woman become a vigilant label reader and delete toxic cosmetics and personal care products from their lives. Please join her at Toxic Beauty Blog to learn how to go green with your beauty routine. Download her free report- Label Lies: Secrets of Organic Cosmetics