These Vitamins Make Your Skin Glow

May 19, 2003

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If you want a complexion that glows, take your vitamins. Sometimes that means popping a vitamin pill, sometimes it means eating the right food, and sometimes it means buying the right creams. But the first step is to understand which vitamins work for which skin conditions.

A healthy diet can be a fountain of youth for our skin. Eat well and your skin will be moist, clear, and glowing. Eat poorly and it will be dry, pale, scaly, or oily. In addition to taking a multivitamin pill every day, use this as your grocery list for glowing, youthful skin.

Orange Juice and StrawberriesAll it takes is the vitamin C in one daily glass of O.J. or a bowl of strawberries to build collagen to give your skin strength and elasticity.

Wheat Germ and MilkSprinkle wheat germ on your oatmeal or bake it in muffins to prevent your skin from becoming dry and flaky, as well as oily. Other foods that work well are whole grains and milk--all of which are packed with vitamin B.

Broccoli, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, and CarrotsThink green and orange! Veggies and fruits that are this color contain just what you need to prevent premature wrinkling or bumpy skin that looks and feels like sandpaper.

Spinach, Tomatoes, Cantaloupe, and GrapefruitReduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles without expensive lotions and creams by eating foods such as these that are packed with antioxidant nutrients, including vitamins C and E and beta carotene.

WaterHydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drink six to eight glasses of water every day to keep your skin moist and your oil glands functioning properly.

Vegetable Oils, Safflower Oil, Nuts, Avocados, and SeedsNeed to heal damaged skin? You need the linoleic acid found in these foods. So when you're cooking dinner, try to use one or more of these ingredients. Don't use too much! They're also high in fat and that raises your risk of skin cancer.

Whole Grain Breads, Cereals, Beans, and PeasAvoid processed foods and eat nature's bounty to make your skin glow, look healthy, and keep that youthful appearance.

Sometimes food isn't enough to heal your skin, and you need special creams or lotions. Creams made with vitamin K can help erase the dark circles under your eyes, according to American Academy of Dermatology. Vitamin K can also be used in cream form to treat bruising on the face following dermatological procedures, such as laser treatment for spider veins. In addition, niacin (vitamin B3) is showing promise for use in over-the-counter anti-aging products.

"Vitamins can provide many benefits to the skin, yet with so many different vitamins and different derivatives, consumers may be confused about what ingredients to look for and what products to select," said dermatologist Dr. Leslie Baumann. "The best way to find answers about selecting the best products for specific skin type or correcting a problem area is to see your dermatologist who can provide the proper guidance."

The above information was culled from several sources, including HealthScoutNews, the American Dermatology Association, and WebMD.