Vitamins A, B, C

The difference between Vitamins: what does your skin really need?

We all know that optimal body health comes from a variety of different things such as certain foods that boost our immune system, strengthen our metabolism and which give us a good amount of energy to keep us going for the day. Exercise is also a crucial aspect of keeping your body fit and healthy.

Just like your body, your skin requires the same amount of love and attention to ensure it is performing at its best!

With so many different ingredients and products on the market, it can be hard to determine what your skin specifically needs.

It can be almost daunting trying to understand what different products/ ingredients will do for your skin so let’s start with the basics of the difference between Vitamins A, B&C!

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is also referred to as Retinol or Retinoic acid.

Our body needs Vitamin A for vision, growth, cell division, reproduction, and immunity.

But the reason our skin may need Vitamin A can be slightly different.

Its benefits include:

• The ability to normalize how cells function. This means it can influence cells to behave in a younger, healthier way, leaving skin looking youthful and more radiant.
• It helps to improve problematic skin conditions such as acne by helping to balance oil production, leaving skin less oily.
• Vitamin A helps to reduce the appearance of pigmentation. It does so by weakening the activity of tyrosinase, an enzyme that plays a vital role in the production of melanin.
• It assists in the promotion of healthy collagen and elastin formation by stimulating fibroblasts (cells that produce collagen in the dermis), leaving skin looking firmer and more youthfully radiant.
• Vitamin A helps to speed up healing, prevent breakouts and support the skin’s immune system and it promotes natural moisturizing – which means it helps to hydrate the skin effectively, giving it a radiant glow.
• It assists in promoting and maintaining a healthy dermis and epidermis; the top two layers of your skin.
• Vitamin A is a necessity in any skincare routine and must be incorporated!

Vitamin B’s

B vitamins in particular support skin health in a multitude of ways, making their inclusion in your daily regimen whether through diet, supplements, personal care products, or a combination of the three an effective and safe way to treat skin issues.

Vitamin B: What Is It Good For?  

The eight B vitamins are necessary for nearly every process within the body. They help turn food into energy and affect the health of our nervous system, metabolism, organs, muscles, skin, and hair. They’re also essential for cell growth, development, and overall functioning. They offer serious benefits to skin health since our skin is constantly regenerating. The healthier your skin, the faster it renews.

Not having enough Vitamin B in your day-to-day can really upset the skin causing acne, rashes, dry and flaky skin, cracked lips, and wrinkles. It can also make your skin more sensitive to sunlight leading to redness and irritation.

B Vitamins offer a ton of skin health benefits, but two of the most significant are cell renewal and stress relief. As you’ll see below, the benefits play out a little differently with each of the parts within the complex. Below are the different B vitamins that relate to the skin.

B2 (Riboflavin)

What it does: B2 aids cell turnover and collagen maintenance, which protects the structural integrity of your skin, reduces inflammation, and speeds wound healing. It also helps with mucus secretion in the skin, preventing the dryness that leads to oil production (and therefore acne) and improves absorption of zinc, another important mineral for skin health.

B3 (Niacin)

What it does: A skin-conditioning powerhouse, B3 treats a variety of skin conditions and irritations, including dermatitis, acne, rosacea, eczema, dry and sun-damaged skin, and hyperpigmentation. It’s also one of the strongest anti-aging ingredients and as such, features prominently in skin care products targeted at fine lines and wrinkles.

B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

What it does: A humectant, B5 preserves moisture in the skin, which improves skin elasticity and contributes to a fuller, more hydrated looking face. Since hydrated skin is also more resilient, B5 can help with the prevention of acne and decreases signs of ageing.

B6 (Pyridoxine)

What it does: B6 helps to regulate mood and sleep by aiding the body in producing serotonin (the “happy hormone”), melatonin (the sleep hormone), and norepinephrine (a stress hormone), among others. Inflammation in the body can be caused by a lack of sleep and stress which reduces cell regeneration and contributes to dryness all factors that lead to breakouts and premature aging.

B7 (Biotin)

What it does: B7 is needed for the creation of Fatty Acids and protects cells from damage and water loss, helping to keep your skin moist and plump. Some signs of a deficiency are brittle, dry hair, brittle nails, and dry, flaky skin. Severe cases result in red and scaly skin. B7 also fights inflammation and protects against acne, fungal infections, and rashes.

B9 (Folic Acid)

What it does: B9 works like an antioxidant to promote cell turnover and fight free radical damage. When applied topically it fights signs of sun damage and aging, leading to firmer looking skin.

B12 (Cobalamin)

What it does: B12 is necessary for cell reproduction and can be applied topically for skin benefits because it reduces inflammation, dryness, and acne. It is sometimes used to treat inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one skincare ingredient we can’t live without. This powerful natural antioxidant is a skincare powerhouse that has benefits for every type and skin condition. It’s a key part of any effective anti-ageing skincare routine and can help address countless skin concerns, from any skin imperfections such as dark spots, dullness and discolouration.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that serves several critical roles in providing antioxidant protection against damaging free radicals and helping protect the skin from UV rays (though this protective effect is not enough to serve as a replacement for sunscreen).

As the first line of defence against the outside world, the skin is constantly exposed to stressors, including UV radiation and pollution. These stressors trigger the formation of free radicals. With repeated exposure to stressors, these free radicals can accumulate on the skin’s surface and weaken the production of collagen and elastin which is crucial for skin integrity hence causing wrinkles and sagging within the skin. Vitamin C stops this from happening with its protective shield. It can also lessen the appearance of existing fine lines and wrinkles.

Aside from wrinkles, one of the most noticeable signs of skin ageing is an uneven skin tone due to discolourations like age spots. These discolourations result from disruptions to the skin’s natural production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. Melanin production naturally slows with age, but exposure to free radical damage can speed up this process, resulting in the premature development of age spots, sunspots, and other discolourations. Topical vitamin C helps reduce the appearance of these discolourations, which helps to give skin a more even-toned, youthful appearance.

The skin around the eyes is among the thinnest and most delicate in the body, which makes the eye area uniquely susceptible to age-related concerns like wrinkles, lines, and discolourations. Unlike many of the more potent anti-ageing ingredients, vitamin C is exceedingly gentle and can safely be used around the eyes to help address these visible concerns. Adding a vitamin C eye cream into your daily skincare routine can help to keep your eye area youthful-looking, hydrated and smooth as well as help with the appearance of, dark circles, crow’s feet, and puffiness.