Your skin -- the largest organ in your body -- is designed to stand up to environmental abuse. Your skin undergoes exposure to harsh elements like wind, chemicals and radiation in its role as a protective barrier for your internal organs. As you age, this abuse can take its toll on the appearance of your skin, leading to a loss of elasticity that can cause wrinkles, changes in skin tone and an increase in skin roughness. While not a miracle cure for aging skin, some vitamins and minerals can help retain your skin's elasticity, to help preserve the youthful appearance of your skin.
Vitamin C
One vitamin that helps to retain the elasticity in your skin is vitamin C. This vitamin, also called ascorbic acid, helps to boost the production of a protein called collagen within your skin. Collagen helps to maintain your skin's strength, and provides a supportive framework around which your skin cells can grow. Loss of collagen in your skin can lead to wrinkling and tearing, whereas a strong network of collagen maintains your skin's elasticity. Consume a range of fruits and vegetables, like red pepper and pineapple, as sources of vitamin C.
Copper
Consuming copper -- a type of essential mineral -- can also help maintain your skin's elasticity. Copper contributes to the production of elastin, another protein abundant within your skin, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Elastin works together with collagen to maintain the structure of your skin, and maintaining the level of elastin in your skin helps maintain your skin's elasticity. Consuming enough copper each day helps promote normal elastic production, and therefore benefits your skin. Seafood, nuts, nut butters and organ meats all serve as rich sources of this skin-friendly mineral.
Vitamin A
Another vitamin that can help keep the elasticity in your skin is vitamin A, or retinol. The vitamin A you consume as part of your diet interacts with your skin cells and helps to regulate the production of natural oil within your skin. This oil proves important to your skin's elasticity, since moisturized skin retains its elasticity better than dry skin. The NYU Langone Medical Center also indicates that creams containing vitamin A can alleviate fine wrinkles, indicating that topical vitamin A helps keep elasticity in your skin.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E can also contribute to maintaining your skin's elasticity and helping to prevent visible skin aging. Part of the visible aging process occurs due to the presence of free radicals, chemicals that disrupt your skin cells' functioning, and can eventually lead to a loss of elasticity. Vitamin E neutralizes free radicals in your skin cells, improving the appearance of your skin. Applying vitamin E lotion to your skin may help improve the roughness and scaling that can occur in dry, inelastic skin.
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