Vitamins That Keep Your Skin Healthy

Vitamin B complex aids skin that may be cracking, bleeding, or prone to lesions (which can be especially dangerous in diabetics). Though hand lotions and cremes serve to hydrate and give some temporary relief, you need to evaluate your diet to make sure you are getting enough B complex daily.

Equally important are Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, as they keep your skin healthy and help in controlling damage from free radicals and environmental contaminants. Free radicals can cause the destruction of collagen and elastin, which are fibers that support the skin.

Vitamin C attributes to our production of collagen, which slowly diminishes with the aging process. It is this reduction of collagen that causes lines and wrinkles in old skin.

I might also add that collagen is also found not only in our skin, but also in our muscles, tendons, and bones.

Studies have shown that when used together Vitamin C and E can actually repair sun-damaged skin. Research has also shown that a topical solution containing both Vitamin A and Vitamin C, in some cases, can reverse damage done by sun-damage and the natural aging process.

Deficiencies of Vitamin A can adversely affect skin by causing flakiness and dryness. Dryness not only causes itching, but it can also lead to lines and wrinkles.

Vitamin B Complex Benefits

Vitamin B complex is very important for almost every function of the body. Besides keeping us healthy physically, these vitamins play an important role in keeping us balanced emotionally.

Vitamin B complex consists of 8 different B vitamins. They are:

• Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (niacin)
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
• Vitamin B6 (pryidoxine)
• Vitamin B9 (folic acid)
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
• biotin (sometimes referred to as Vitamin H)

I'll get into more detail about each of these indiviual B vitamins at a later time. Right now we're concerned with this group.

Since these B complex vitamins are water-soluble, they are excreted from the body fairly fast. Therefore, it is recommended that you take them after your meals.

Also note that when your body is stressed, either physically or emotionally, you probably need more B complex vitamins in your diet.

To make it easier, you can buy B Complex vitamins in combination in the form of tablets, capsules, or liquid, rather than take each individual B vitamin seperately.