Best Vitamins for Skin: Nesara’s ABC’s of Skincare
Do you know your ABC’s? How about the ABC’s of skincare? Read on to find out the basic building blocks of healthy, well-nourished skin. You probably know how to protect your body from photodamage and other signs of aging; every morning you cleanse, tone, moisturize and add a dollop of sunblock. But we often forget that the foundation of beauty is good health. Skincare shouldn’t be a game of wack-a-mole, where you’re spot-treating problems as they arise. Instead, we should look to ensure perfect health first, so that our beauty is a byproduct of our own natural wellbeing.
Skincare is an Art
Artists use protective sprays on charcoal drawings to keep the work shielded, protecting it from damage and preserving it for years to come. Skincare is the same; create something beautiful, protect it for as long as you can. And like a charcoal masterwork, you mustn’t think only of protection; you must first ensure that the beauty underneath is worth preservation.
Vitamins and Nutrients Nourish and Beautify Your Skin
Nothing empowers your skin’s natural radiance more than proper nutrition. Vitamins and minerals are essential for your body and when we become deficient in certain vitamins, our body starts to show it. Rashes, dry skin, inflammation, acne; your skin is a reflection of your health. You can cleanse, tone, and moisturize all you want but if your skin underneath is unhealthy, it won’t matter.
The ABC’s of Skincare Make Your Skin Worth Protecting
There are 13 types of vitamins. You probably know them all. But of those 13, three classes of vitamins are especially important for the wellbeing of your skin. Vitamin A, B and C are, naturally, called the ABC’s of skincare and should be incorporated into every skincare regime to ensure good health is at the root of your natural beauty.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is often held up as a gold standard in skincare;Its the best fountain of youth ingredient accepted by cosmetologists world over known to govern the skin.
Vitamin A comes in two forms, Retinoids (or Preformed vitamin A) and Carotenoids (or Proformed vitamin A) and is fat-soluble, meaning excess amounts of the vitamin can be stored inside your body. There are special cells in your epidermis and dermis equipped to absorb retinoic acids directly, making topical application an extremely effective delivery system.
Vitamin A is one of the most extensively researched and evidence-backed powerhouses for your skin’s health. Aside from boosting eyesight, immune and reproductive function, many studies have shown topical vitamin A produces tangible benefits for beautifying the skin.
Making sure you get enough is important for a variety of bodily functions. Cellular turnover, eyesight, muscular fortitude. Studies have even linked vitamin A deficiency to follicular hyperkeratosis, where overgrowth of keratin raises the follicle, creating a bumpy, red rash all over the skin.
Vitamin A Makes You Look Younger
Retinoids encourage the replenishment of new skin cells by promoting cellular regeneration, leaving it less prone to dryness and preventing clogged pores. Retinoid use can reduce your skin turnover time from the standard 30 days to as low as 14-21 days, meaning you regrow the entirety of your skin almost twice as fast. This means less wrinkles, less pigmentation.
Vitamin A Boosts Natural Collagen Production
Retinoids boost collagen production and stimulate the blood vessels. Higher collagen production increases your skin’s elasticity, a key component in preventing skin sagging and wrinkles, while increased blood flow promotes what dermatologists call the “Retinol Glow” -- that vibrant, pink glow associated with healthy skin.Our bodies naturally produce less collagen as we age. Regular Vitamin A supplementation helps slow the decline of natural collagen, keeping the deeper layers of skin thicker and more elastic into our later years.
Vitamin A is an Excellent Anti-Inflammatory
Retinoids are potent anti-inflammatories, excellent for fighting against a variety of rashes and acne. The American Academy of Dermatology even recommends topical vitamin A treatments as a primary antidote to acne. Some data even shows a decreased risk of cancer in those who took regular vitamin A supplements.
Vitamin A May Slow Age-Related Eye and Muscular Degeneration
A 2001 study showed that high levels of vitamin A in conjunction with zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin E slowed age-related degeneration of both the eye and muscles. Since then, vitamin A supplements like beta-carotene are often prescribed as a primary treatment for such conditions.
Start With Low Doses
Start using topical vitamin A supplements conservatively, gradually working your way up to higher doses if needed. Some sensitive skin-types are susceptible to vitamin A-induced irritation. And that’s just no fun.
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3 comes in two forms: Niacin and Niacinamide. For dietary intake, look for foods high in Niacin, like peanuts, brown rice, or avocado; For topical skin treatments, Niacinamide is what you want. The importance of vitamin B and its many subforms are well documented for the role it plays in mood and nerve health. Lesser known is its value for skincare.
Vitamin B3 is water-soluble, meaning it isn’t stored in the body for later use and requires regular intake to ensure your skin has sufficient amounts of the vitamin.
B3 deficiency can lead to numerous negative side effects, most visibly a scaly, red rash that flares up under strong sunlight — as well as headaches, memory loss, vomiting, and a whole host of nasty symptoms.
Vitamin B3 Protects You From UV Damage (and other things)
While sunblock does exactly what its name suggests, stopping damaging sun rays before they contact your skin, vitamin B3 fortifies the cells themselves against photodamage. It also helps create a ceramide lipid barrier on your skin that helps retain moisture and provide an extra shield against daily wear and tear.
Niacinamide is also a potent antioxidant that fights oxidative stress and protects your skin from damaging free radicals; one study even showed a significantly decreased risk of skin-cancer among highly-predisposed individuals. ,
Vitamin B3 Boosts Cellular Regeneration
Most significantly, vitamin B3 also boosts cellular regeneration. Your skin sheds old, damaged skin-cells everyday, and those cells need replacing. Niacinamide expedites the regeneration process so your skin can replace dead cells faster, meaning better protection and a more radiant glow.
Vitamin B3 is Anti-Inflammatory
B3 in particular has been shown to be an especially effective topical treatment for a wide variety of skin conditions. For those with eczema or acne, Niacinamide has been hailed as a miracle cure for its ability to reduce inflammation.
Niacinamide Makes You Look Younger
Niacinamide promotes Keratin production, a rigid protein in skin, hair and nails that keeps your skin tight and supple. Regular applications also reduce pore size, smoothing out the skin.
Vitamin C
Everybody knows vitamin C is good for your skin. Most of you probably have a strip of chewable vitamin C tablets growing old in a drawer somewhere. But keep in mind that dietary vitamin C does not guarantee sufficient amounts of the vitamin gets distributed to your skin — vitamin C is used throughout the body. Using vitamin C-enhanced moisturizers like this one directly supplies your skin with ample amounts of the vitamin.
Vitamin C is Super Safe
Not to imply that the other two on this list are unsafe; vitamin C just happens to be one of the most tolerable active ingredients for pretty much all skin types and can be comfortably used in high frequencies. Studies have even shown it to be perfectly safe for use with AHA Toners, Retinols, and High SPF Sunblock.
Vitamin C Evens Out Skin-Tone
Vitamin C fights against dull spots, age spots, and other hyperpigmentation, with some anecdotal evidence suggesting topical application of vitamin C reduces the darkness and prevalence of under-eye circles.
Vitamin C Slows Skin Aging
Vitamin C boosts your skin’s natural collagen production. Collagen is a structural protein your body uses to create elastic tissue; by promoting collagen production, vitamin C keeps your skin tighter and more supple, fighting against sagging, wrinkles, and fine lines. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant; it destroys aging, carcinogenic free radicals.
Vitamin C Promotes Healing
The boosted collagen production provided by vitamin C enhances your skin’s ability to make repairs, speeding up healing. This also helps soothe those vicious sunburns in case you forget to use your sunscreen.
Remember to Combine with Sunscreen
Vitamin C is highly photosensitive. Your vitamin C serum or other topical ointment should come in a dark bottle to protect it from strong rays, and should be applied alongside sunscreen to shield it from photodamage. Alternatively, you could use it as part of your night time routine.
Know your ABC’s of Skincare
By mastering the ABC’s of Skincare you will do wonderful things not just for your skin, but for your body as a whole. Physical wellbeing is the cornerstone of beauty, and when you exude perfect health you will exude an undeniable, holistic radiance. Always be sure to consult your doctor about any relevant health conditions you may have, and start progressively; and remember to sign up for the Nesara by Nicky Newsletter to stay up to date on offers, new blog posts, and other health and skincare-related news!