The 4 Essential Vitamins Your Skin Needs

My skin has been very dry lately. I do the usual routine to keep my skin healthy such as exfoliating and moisturizing, but lately it seems like it needs something more. I know that skin can get dryer in the winter, so you can get away with using an extra moisturizing cream at that point, but sometimes skin dryness can occur because we are not giving ourselves the vitamins we need, and that is what has happened to me.

There are four vitamins essential to keeping your skin looking its best. (Photo: Getty Images)

The very fast paced way of life in the DMV has its pros and cons. One of the cons is that people often forget to eat healthy meals, or will only have one healthy meal a day and forget that their bodies need more calories to run on. The effects will show in your skin, but there are essential vitamins one can take to keep their skin healthy looking and at its best.

One can be bombarded with many suggestions on which vitamins to take and which to add on top of the ones you already take. The vitamins below are essential versus those that have minimal studies or are suggested as off label usage. By taking these vitamins, you should start to notice a positive change in your skin. The best way to know if there is a change happening to your skin is to make a note once a week for a month. Note what changes you are seeing, good or bad. In a month’s time, decide if the changes were positive enough for you to buy another bottle of the vitamin and continue taking them.

Sometimes, vitamins can have unpleasant side effects. It is okay to cut the recommended dosage in half to allow your body to get used to it while gradually increasing to the actual recommended dosage, or staying at half if that is what works for you.

You should eat three healthy, balanced meals a day. But on those days when life gets in the way, it is good to know you are taking your vitamins and getting your nutrition in another form, which will keep you healthy from the inside and reflect positively on your skin.

It is good to know you are taking your vitamins and still getting your nutrition in another form. (Photo: Getty images)

Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps to keep the collagen in your skin as supple as possible. It stimulates your blood vessels, which helps to keep wrinkles at bay. It also reduces the production of sebum — the cause of acne — so that your skin will not look oily. By contrast, it also helps your skin to not look dry and dull by providing hydration to your cell membranes, giving you perfectly balanced skin.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E helps with scarring on your skin and hyperpigmentation, making your skin’s complexion look like it has an evened out skin tone. It is also great for extremely dry skin during those winter months and is suggested for use in scar healing since it will even out the color of any scar. It is best known for putting a brake on aging genes because of its UV protection as well. (We all know UV rays are an enemy for any type of beautiful looking skin.)

Biotin

Biotin is the basic foundation that your skin, hair and nails need to stay healthy and grow. Biotin helps distribute the fatty acids in your body to the right places, which aids in retaining enough water for your skin to use resulting in hydrated, glowing skin. You can notice that your skin will start to get itchy and might even begin to form eczema if your skin is low on any B vitamin. Biotin is part of the eight vitamins that comprise the “B complex.” B complex packs can prove to be a little too strong for some women, so opt just for a biotin (also known as B7) supplement instead of all the B vitamins.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps to keep the structural growth of collagen working in proper order. If taken along with the other vitamins, you can be assured that the other vitamins are helping to promote collagen, while vitamin C makes sure that the collagen that is being created is not impaired. Collagen helps decrease wrinkles and leaves your skin hydrated. It also helps make sunscreens more effective, since it boosts UV skin protecting properties as does Vitamin E.

Many popular stores offer vitamins such as Walgreens. Be sure to check the pricing on vitamins as stores can charge a premium like Holland & Barrett. We’d advise you to check for deals on mamma.com for stores like Walgreens, as usually you can save unto 20 percent.