Vitamins for the Skin & Acne

Vitamins for the Skin & Acne
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Getting enough vitamins each day is an important aspect of health. You can accomplish this by maintaining a healthy diet, taking vitamin supplements or doing some combination of the two. But if you have acne, eating right and get the appropriate vitamins may be even more important. Vitamins can directly affect the health of your skin.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a powerful anti-oxidant that strengthens the skin's protective tissues and regulates oil production, according to the website vitamins-nutrition.org. Vitamin A has been used in topical treatments for acne and aging and is well known for its derivative tretinoin.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B is a group of vitamins that includes thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid, pyridoxine (B6) and cyanocobalamin (B12). A deficiency in B2, B3 or B6 can lead to acne, and all B vitamins play a role in maintaining skin health. B5 helps to reduce stress, which can trigger acne.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful anti-oxidant and immune-system booster that helps the body fight bacterial infections that cause acne. It assists the repair and regeneration of tissue, according to health advisor Dr. Andrew Weil.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is yet another powerful anti-oxidant, and like vitamin A, it is found in many topical treatments for acne and acne scars. It, too, helps to heal and repair tissues but is a fat-soluble vitamin versus a water-soluble vitamin like C. According to Dr. Weil, vitamin E also helps the body store vitamin A.

References

Article reviewed by Amy Richards Last updated on: Jun 17, 2010

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