If you’re cognizant of your health, most people realize it’s not a bad idea to fill in the gaps in our modern diets with some vitamin supplements. You don’t have to go crazy and spend half your paycheck at the nutrition store, but a multivitamin and calcium are a good idea, especially for women.
“But what about me?”
That was your skin, your body’s largest organ, talking. Many people think some good cleansers and moisturizers are about all they need to do to take care of their skin, along with occasional exfoliating. But your skin needs vitamins, just as your body does.
In these blogs heading into the fall, let’s get into four vitamins your skin needs.
Sun or not?
One interesting paradox with our skin is that, while we should avoid exposure because the sun’s UV rays damage our skin cells, daily sun exposure helps our body manufacture vitamin D throughout the skin. Just don’t overdo it. If you’re out in the sun for 10-15 minutes a day, that’s all you need to boost that vitamin D production.
What will vitamins do for my skin?
The most important vitamins for your skin are vitamins D, C, E, and K. They all work to keep your skin looking healthy and youthful. These vitamins work to reduce:
- Dark spots
- Redness
- Wrinkles
- Rough patches
- Excessive dryness
You can, of course, find these vitamins in supplements, but they can also be found in many skin care products.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is most often made when sunlight is absorbed by your skin. Cholesterol converts to vitamin D when this happens. Vitamin D is then taken up by your liver and kidneys and transported throughout the body to help create healthy cells. This includes the skin, where vitamin D plays an important role in skin tone. It’s thought to even help treat psoriasis.
The recommended about of vitamin D intake if 600 IU per day. You need more if you’re over the age of 70 or pregnant.
In addition to supplements, here are other ways to increase your vitamin D intake:
- Get 10 minutes of sun exposure a day
- Eat fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals, milk, and yogurt
- Eat foods high in vitamin D, such as salmon, tuna, and cod
OK, one down, three to go. In October’s second blog we’ll get into the other three vitamins your skin is clamoring for. Until then, if you’d like to start getting rid of your unwanted hair heading into a New York winter, let’s get to it. Call us at Romeo & Juliette Laser Hair Removal, (212) 750-2000, to make your appointment.