Vitamins for Skin Elasticity

February 19th, 2009 | Posted in: Skincare |

Vitamins for Skin Elasticity

What vitamins should you take to keep young and elasticity in your skin? What types of skincare are good for you to keep from wrinkling or aging?

There are two things that definitely decrease the skin’s elasticity, causing wrinkling and accelerated aging: smoking and the sun. If you want to look young, protect yourself from the sun and don’t smoke. A healthy diet and exercise may also help because they increase blood flow. Fish and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids (such as flaxseed) may also be helpful.

Vitamin A, found in green leafy vegetables, whole milk, and liver, can help maintain and repair skin. Vitamin C & E are antioxidants that protect you from sun exposure, pollution, and smoking. They help remove free radicals, thereby reducing the damage. Besides citrus fruits, vitamin C can be found in broccoli, bell peppers, and Brussels sprouts. Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils, nuts, olives, spinach, and asparagus.

Selenium, found in whole grains, seafood, garlic, and eggs, also help to minimize the damage caused by free radicals. Zinc can clear skin by controlling oil production and is important in cell growth. It can be found in oysters, lean meats, and chicken.

Lutein, a dietary nutrient available as a supplement and long-known for its effectiveness in promoting eye health, also provides specific skin health benefits. These include increasing the hydration, elasticity and superficial lipids of the skin, while decreasing the oxidation – a process that causes degradation – of those beneficial skin lipids.

As the weather warms up, many people notice a dull appearance of the skin. This is frequently caused by the build up of dead skin cells. A cleansing facial does very well, but a microdermabrasion is even better. Treating yourself to a medical-grade facial or microdermabrasion will not only make your skin feel more refreshed, youthful, and hydrated, but regular treatment has been shown to increase the amount of collagen, which helps reverse the aging process in your skin. Going a step further, various chemical peels can dramatically improve the look and quality of your skin without the downtime of a surgical procedure. For the body, use a skin care scrub to slough off the old skin, or a chemical exfoliator like an alpha-hydroxy acid.

Of course, be sure to use a cleanser specifically made for your skin type. Glycerin-based cleansers, like Neutrogena, may be good for acne, but is too drying for most skin. Soap bars should be avoided because they leave too much residue on your face and may not clean deeply. SkinCeuticals is an excellent brand, found only in physicians’ offices, that makes cleansers for different types of skin.

A good toner will not only refresh your face, but will balance the pH and remove any residue. Using a high-quality topical antioxidant, such as a vitamin C serum from Obagi, IS Clinicals, or SkinCeuticals, will fight the aging process and protect your skin from environmental damage. Finally, using a full spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30 will help protect you from sun damage and its aging effects.