Updated Aug 5, 2021

There are so many supplements and treatments promising to improve your skin health. Sometimes, it's hard to know what's legit and what isn't. Skin can be complicated, but taking care of it doesn't have to be. There are certain vitamins which are important for our skin health, as they help to renew the skin and help it glow. Vitamins are molecules that are essential micronutrients. We need them to help with the functioning of our metabolism. Vitamins can be found in almost all real, whole foods. Your best bet for making sure you don't have any vitamin deficiencies? Load up on all the fresh fruits and veggies you can eat! While all vitamins are important for your overall health and body function, there are some that are more specific to our skin. From preventing scurvy, to helping with metabolism, and giving strength to bones, there's a lot that vitamins are needed for. Read on to learn about which vitamins are important for our skin health.

Do multivitamins help skin?

Yes! Multivitamins can help skin. If they include vitamins that are essential for skin health, then they can help your skin. Some vitamins that can help skin, but are not as essential as the ones listed below, are B vitamins and vitamin D. You can find the vitamins that are great for our skin in many different foods, but you can also take them as supplements to ensure you're getting enough.

The best vitamins for skin health are:

Vitamin E- This is a potent antioxidant which, like vitamin C, helps to repair sun damage. Besides this, it helps skin to feel and appear smoother. It has the potential to help with wrinkles as well. This can be found in many foods, such as avocado, spinach, almonds, and broccoli. 

Vitamin A- Signs that your vitamin A levels are low include flaking and dry skin. Vitamin A is responsible for the repairing of skin tissue. It can be found in sweet potato, carrots, broccoli, cantaloupe, and spinach. It works best for our skin as a topical. You know it better as Retin A and retinol.  

Vitamin C- This vitamin is important for a couple reasons. One reason is that it is involved in the creation of collagen. Collagen is found in our skin, and gives it elasticity, hydration, and helps it to heal when it's damaged. Vitamin C can also help to repair external sun damage. It does this by lessening the damage that can be done by free radicals, which are essentially pollution, UV rays, and smoke. This vitamin can be found in all citrus fruits and vegetables such as bell peppers. 

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Which supplement is best for glowing skin?

The best supplement for glowing skin is not a vitamin; it's collagen. Medically, collagen is used for wound healing. As a supplement, it helps give us glowing skin, keep our bones and connective tissues strong, and prevent pain in our joints and tendons. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It is formed through chains of amino acids and vitamin C (a water-soluble vitamin). These amino acids act as building blocks for the body. It is found in our connective tissues, skin, bones, tendons, and joints. It's what gives our skin elasticity, and has a large role in the formation and strengthening of bones. There are several ways to incorporate collagen into your diet. One of the ways is through food. Many foods either contain collagen or help to promote collagen production in the body. Foods such as bone broth, seafood, meat, green leafy vegetables, and foods rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin E all either contain collagen or are essential components of the formation of collagen in the body. You can also try taking collagen supplements. There are many supplements available that come in different forms and from different animal sources. The animal sources are bovine collagen (this is derived from cows. It is made from their bones and hides), marine collagen (this comes from fish. Scales and skin make up this supplement. It is typically the most sustainable and cleanest form of collagen), porcine collagen (this comes from pigs. It is made from the bones and skin, similar to cows. It is the least common type of collagen), and chicken collagen (this is derived from chickens. It is the same as bovine and porcine collagen, as it comes from bones and skin. It is not as popular as bovine and marine collagen). Supplements come in various forms, such as hydrolyzed collagen, collagen peptides, collagen pills, collagen powder, and liquid collagen. Alternatively, our Kalumi BEAUTYfood bars are made with beauty-boosting ingredients such as 8 grams of marine collagen, sweet potato and cocoa butter. Skincare products and your diet are other important components of having glowing skin. Some products you might consider using are: Sunscreen (to protect against sun exposure, sunburn, skin cancer, and free radical damage caused by UV rays and pollution), retinol (to renew the skin and give you new, healthy skin cells), prescription strength retinoids (which can be stronger than over-the-counter retinol) for skin renewal, moisturizer to hydrate and give the skin moisture, and face wash to clean the face and control sebum production. Eating a clean, anti-inflammatory diet is key. Food sources directly relate to having clear skin, glowing skin, and healthy skin. Besides that, eating clean boosts your immune system. Even if you go to the dermatologist and utilize a topical application of various products, it won't matter if you don't consume skin-boosting foods. Leafy greens packed with antioxidants are great for your skin. Whole grains can be great as well. Nuts like walnuts and almonds, as well as olive oil, contain protein and essential fatty acids, which are important for the skin. Also, eating foods that are rich in the vitamins we discussed previously can help your skin immensely. Things like flaxseeds and chia seeds are packed with protein and omega 3 fats as well. Overall, focus on eating real food and minimizing your consumption of processed foods and sugar. 

Which vitamin is good for skin and hair?

For your hair and skin, there are a few vitamins that are helpful. Vitamins A, B, and C are great for both skin and hair. Vitamin D is helpful for hair growth and strength. These vitamins are either used to make proteins for the skin and hair, or are parts of the process that helps to maintain skin and hair health. As with our skin, our diet is important for our hair as well. Eating a diet that is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients will help you have strong and healthy hair and skin. Also, collagen is great for both skin and hair. We already discussed how it can help your skin. For our hair, it may help to strengthen the hair follicle and stimulate hair production, resulting in strong, shiny hair.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583891/
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50505
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213755/