Feed Your Face: Why Your Skin Needs Vitamins

Cue the Audrey voice: “Feeeeed me”It’s true – even your skin gets hungry! Hungry for vitamins and nutrients, that is. Vitamins are so, so important for healthy skin, particularly on your face where time and grime tend to show their handiwork first.

First up? Vitamin C. Think ‘c is for collagen,’ and you’ll be golden. Vitamin C is essential for producing collagen (i.e., the stuff that keeps your skin gentle and firm) and reversing the damage done by those pesky free radicals. It also helps heal damaged skin, prevent dry skin, and can enhance the effectiveness of sunscreens applied to your face.

And while vitamin C is hard at work there, vitamin E is your professional protector of cell membranes and is a true team player, regulating your body’s own vitamin A levels at the same time. It is basically anti-aging food for your face, and vitamin E should not be overlooked. Another perk? It absorbs harmful UV light from the sun and minimizes that damage! Vitamin E is naturally produced through sebum, that oily stuff emitted via pores, so if you have drier skin naturally, adding this nutrient is almost essential. Look for products containing this vitamin for refreshed, soothed, and firmed facial tissue.

Next, vitamin D (which you can soak up from the sun – but please do so safely) is a direct contributor to the growth and repair of skin cells and the promotion of healthy ones at that. With its cell regeneration properties, it also fights against signs of premature aging. Some studies have even shown it to help treat psoriasis! Calcitriol is the man-made version of vitamin D and applying that to the face can reduce noticeable irritation and inflammation.

Finally, we come to vitamin K. A key player, this particular vitamin seems to be often overlooked and rarely mentioned. However, it is the one you will want to turn to fight dark spots, acne scars, and those obnoxious dark circles under your eyes. Creams containing vitamin K are used to prevent bruising, reduce scarring, and soothe swelling.