Vitamins For Your Skin

It seems like every month there is a new “breakthrough” skincare product, but when you get down to it, they are all claiming to do the same thing: reverse signs of aging and damage. After I went back to school to become an esthetician, I learned that most of these products feature simple, yet powerful, ingredients from vitamins. You can see for yourself: take a look at the ingredients on your skincare products and you’ll see lots of words that are just fancy names for a vitamin. Here’s some of the most popular ones you’ll run into:

Vitamin A - Also known as retinol, this is an antioxidant we frequently hear in anti-aging products. How does it work? Vitamin A stimulates new cell production and repair, thus bringing fresh new skin to the top faster. It triggers the formation of collagen, which gives skin its strength and shape, making fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable.

Vitamin A can also help to exfoliate the outermost layers of our skin. This makes it super effective at treating acne and sun spots. However, it is only recommended to be used 2-3 times per week because it can be irritating, and higher concentrations are prescribed by a doctor only.

As an antioxidant, Vitamin A helps protect the outside of our skin cells from free radical damage that can lead to cell death and various cancers.

When shopping for an over the counter Vitamin A product, look for Retinol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, and Retinyl Palmitate in the ingredient list. Retinoic acid is the prescription strength form. Below is a brand that I trust, and it only costs a fraction of many other Vitamin A serums on the market.

Vitamin C - As an antioxidant, Vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory, it reduces redness in the skin, and it prevents wrinkles caused by UV radiation. Vitamin C is also essential for producing collagen (our natural skin plumper), and it also lightens dark spots on the skin.

I started using a Vitamin C serum a couple of months ago, and I have already seen a difference in my overall skin health. Personally, I have seen the biggest difference in the texture and tone of my skin, and it also reduced post acne marks.

When shopping for a Vitamin C product, there are many different options. THD (tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate) is one of the most stable forms you can find. Another great form that is less expensive is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, which is great for reducing the risk of irritation if used regularly. I use Mad Hippie’s Vitamin C serum, and I am obsessed!

Vitamin E - This vitamin and powerful antioxidant protects our tissues from damage, especially UV radiation from the sun. Vitamin E may also aid in scar reduction and reverse stretch marks, too! Look for tocopherol on your ingredient lists when searching for Vitamin E in serums and lotions. It can be heavy by itself, but it pairs well with a Vitamin C serum, so often you can find these ingredients in the same product.

There are thousands of products out there, so I know it can be overwhelming to try to choose the right one. My advice is to learn what to look for on the label, and choose one that is that has straight-forward ingredients, is paraben-free, and natural.