Vitamins Sources and Uses in Skin

What is Vitamin?

Published in

Study Chemistry

6 min readNov 21, 2022

Vitamin is an organic compound or essential ingredient for various skincare products to maintain your healthy hair and skin. It is also an essential nutrient that uses our body from various food and supplements to maintain our good health. Vitamins A, B3, B5, C, E, and K are six vitamins that use mainly in skin care products.

Vitamin Sources and uses of vitamin A, B3, B5, C, E, and K in your skin

Various vitamins and minerals found in a balanced diet enter our bloodstream to maintain many biological processes in our bodies. Vitamins may use internally and externally to maintain your healthy skin. Therefore, we need to intake vitamin-enriched foods and use vitamin-enriched skincare products in our daily routines to maintain good skin health.

Types of Vitamins

There are thirteen different types of vitamins that are required for controlling various metabolic processes. Based on the solubility in fats and water, these thirteen vitamins have been classified into two different groups:

Fat-Soluble Vitamins: Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins stored in the fat cells of your body.
Water-Soluble Vitamins: Vitamin B complexes and vitamin C are water-soluble vitamins that are not stored in our body as their excess gets excreted through our urine and stool.

Sources of Vitamins

Similar to minerals, most vitamins cannot be synthesized by our bodies. Therefore, we need to get them from food sources or supplementation to keep our bodies healthy.

Foods Reached with Fat-Soluble Vitamins

The best food sources that reached fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E. K) are:

Vitamin A: Leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli), orange and yellow vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and other winter squash, summer squash), tomatoes, red bell pepper, mango, beef liver, fish oils, milk products, and eggs.
Vitamin D: Cod liver oil, salmon, swordfish, tuna fish, orange juice, dairy, sardines, beef liver, egg yolk, and fortified cereals.
Vitamin E: Wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, soybean oil, almonds, peanuts, peanut butter, beet greens, collard greens, spinach, pumpkin, red bell pepper, asparagus, mango, and avocado
Vitamin K: Green leafy vegetables including collard and turnip greens, kale, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, lettuces, soybean and canola oil, natto (fermented soybeans), meat, cheese, and eggs.

Foods Reached with Water-Soluble Vitamins

The best food sources that reached water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C and vitamin B complexes) are:

Vitamin C: Citrus (oranges, kiwi, lemon, grapefruit), bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower.
Vitamin B1 or Thiamin: Fortified breakfast cereals, pork, fish, beans, lentils, green peas, enriched cereals, bread, noodles, rice, sunflower seeds, and yogurt.
Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin: Dairy milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, lean beef and pork, organ meats (beef liver), chicken breast, salmon, fortified cereal and bread, almonds, and spinach.
Vitamin B3 or Niacin: Red meat (beef, beef liver, pork), poultry, fish, brown rice, fortified cereals and bread, nuts, seeds, legumes, and bananas.
Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine: Beef liver, tuna, salmon, fortified cereals, chickpeas, poultry, some vegetables, and fruits like bananas, papayas, oranges, and cantaloupe.
Vitamin B7 or Biotin: Beef liver, eggs (cooked), salmon, avocados, pork, sweet potato, nuts, and seeds.
Vitamin B9 or Folic Acid: Dark green leafy vegetables (turnip greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli), beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, fresh fruits, fruit juices, whole grains, liver, seafood, eggs, fortified foods, and supplements.
Vitamin B12: Fish, shellfish, liver, red meat, eggs, poultry, dairy products, and fortified nutritional yeast.

Six Vitamins Uses in Skincare Products

Generally, vitamins A, B3, B5, C, E, and K are the six vitamins that use by many healthcare companies for improving our skin health. The common benefits of these vitamins are given below,

Vitamin A for Skin

The form of vitamin A retinoid is a nutrient that can reprogram your cells. The main function of vitamin A on your skin may include:

It can boost the production of important proteins collagen and elastin. These are the important proteins that promote your skin health and reduce visible signs of ageing.
It also helps to normalize the appearance of pigmentation on your face.
It has the ability to control the action of tyrosinase, an enzyme that creates melanin.

Vitamin B3 for Skin

Vitamin B3 or niacin is a water-soluble micronutrient that helps to convert nutrients that we eat into energy, create cholesterol and fats, and create and repair DNA. The safe topical form of vitamin B3 niacinamide is found in various creams and serums.

The anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties of niacinamide are useful for healthy skin. It renews the skin cells by supplying energy and works well to treat post-acne marks.
Niacinamide works with natural substances in your skin to minimize enlarged or tightened pores, uneven skin tone, and dullness.
It also helps to renew and restore the surface of the skin against transepidermal moisture loss by improving ceramide production.

Vitamin B5 for Skin

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) is a natural moisturizer that prevents the loss of water from our skin and keeps our skin hydrated. Using vitamin B5-containing creams and serums helps bind water into your skin when you suffer from dry or rough skin.

It is found in many anti-aging products for smoothing fine lines in your skin.
It boosts the production of glutathione which is a powerful antioxidant that fights free radical damage.
The healing and anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin B5 can help with scarring wound healing.
It is also helpful for unhealthy skin conditions such as cystic acne, eczema, and rosacea.

Vitamin C for Skin

Vitamin C plays an important role in controlling infections and healing wounds on your skin. It is useful to make fibrous protein collagen in connective tissue that helps for controlling various biological processes in the human body. It also helps to make and control several hormones and chemical messengers used in the brain and nerves.

Vitamin C-containing creams and serums make our skin healthy and prevent premature ageing.
Photo-protective properties of vitamin C can protect your skin against sun damage.
Powerful antioxidant properties can help to fight against free radical damage that increases signs of premature aging like pigmentation and early fine lines.
Like vitamin E, it participates in collagen synthesis and controls melanin production. It lightens hyperpigmentation spots in your skin.

Vitamin E

Like Vitamin C, vitamin E has also antioxidant properties that protect our skin from UV radiation and environmental stress. It used skincare companies for making moisturizers and soothing creams. The most common benefits of vitamin E are listed below,

Alpha-tocopherol is the most active form of vitamin E that has photo-protection properties for absorbing UV light coming from the sun.
It helps in the biosynthesis of proteins collagen and elastin which helps to build healthy skin.
It works as a good antioxidant when combined with vitamin C and is used to prevent the toxic effects of free radicals.
A topical form is used to soothe burns and inflammation in our skin.

Vitamin K for Skin

Vitamin K is an essential micronutrient that helps in blood clotting and the building of bones in our bodies. The anti-inflammatory action is helpful for your skin. It is non-irritating and safe for use with all types of skin even sensitive skin.

Vitamin K may improve wound healing by increasing the concentration of your wound. Vitamin K can be used in the post-surgery cream formulation which is useful for wound healing and reducing swelling because it helps in the formation of collagen and blood vessels.
The antioxidant properties of vitamin K detoxify reactive oxygen species that are formed when our skin is exposed to UV rays and pollution.
Most of the skincare products containing vitamin K claim to brighten the under-eye area in your face.
Many doctors can prescribe vitamin K-containing creams for patients who need help reducing swelling or bruising.