Vitamins in skincare are nothing new and have been around for years and some excellent results have been achieved. But some vitamins are particularly volatile in skincare and this results in issues with delivery and absorption into the skin. So, which vitamins are used in skincare? What do they do,and how well do they work?
Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps with fine lines and wrinkles. As some have learned the hard way, attempting to hide fine lines and wrinkles behind layers of make up is a losing battle. It’s better to improve the condition of your skin with products containing retinoids. Prescription products like Retin-A and Renova utilize Vitamin A derivatives, but many people’s skin may react with uncomfortable stinging, redness or scaling. Fortunately, ‘Retinol’, a non-prescription Vitamin-A derivative can provide much of the same benefits with less risk of irritation and sun sensitivity.
Vitamin Bs
Vitamin Bs help skin to achieve a healthy glow, and assist with moisture retention. Vitamins B-3 (niacin) and B-5 (pantothenic acid) have become popular additions to skin-care products because of their ability to assist in retaining moisture. B-3 is a relatively new ingredient on the marketplace but has demonstrated great promise, offering a milder alternative to acidic exfoliators like glycolic and salicylic acid, which some feel are too harsh for their complexions.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C’s greatest claim to fame is its ability to repair sun damage, making it one of skincare’s hot sellers for the past several years due to its proven effectiveness as an antioxidant.
Antioxidants are a critical natural defense against ‘free radicals’, unstable molecules that age the skin as a result of pollution, smoking and sun exposure. Topical Vitamin C can protect the skin from UV damage caused by prolonged sun exposure by reducing the amount of free radical formation. However, while it can help safeguard against skin damage and reduce discoloration, it should be used in conjunction with, definitely NOT in place of, a good sunscreen.
Yet another benefit of Vitamin C is its ability to increase the production of collagen: a critically important skin protein that strengthens structural support and resilience of the skin. Problems with instability in water-based formulations, and in the presence of air and light, however, have resulted in manufacturers coming up with new ‘carriers’ for their Vitamin C formulations (ie. absorptive clays, zeolites and nanoparticles), to ensure a more stable delivery into the skin.
Other manufacturers choose to use Vitamin C derivatives such as vitamin C palmitate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, calcium ascorbate (Ester C), Vitamin C tetrapalmitate and others because they offer water and oil solubility, stability in water and oil emulsions, and enhanced bioavailability. However, all antioxidants are extremely vulnerable in the presence of light and oxygen.
Vitamin E
Known for its ability to repair dry, rough skin, Vitamin-E (alpha tocopherol) is another powerful antioxidant that is commonly used in lotions and creams for its moisturizing ability. Though some of the ‘miraculous’ healing claims of Vitamin-E supporters have been exaggerated over the years, it is still widely recognized for its proven ability to help retain moisture in the skin.
Vitamin K
Repairs dark, under-eye circles. Although a good night’s sleep is always recommended, topical Vitamin-K is a good additional defense against discoloration under the eyes. Often used as a treatment for spider veins, topical Vitamin K enters through the pores all the way to the damaged capillary or artery and helps to clot the blood, thus stopping any seepage (often the cause of dark circles) and allowing the tissue to heal itself.
Despite the benefits topical vitamin skincare provides, it is important not to get hung up on any one antioxidant, regardless of its history. Ageing is more complicated than just the loss of, or need for vitamins—or any other enzyme, protein, peptide, fatty acid, amino acid, or lipid in the skin. Although vitamin skincare is clearly an effective ingredient for skin, with some impressive, measurable results, there are many antioxidants that are as good, including beta-glucan, green tea, grape extract, selenium, curcumin, lycopene, superoxide dismutase, and so on.
Furthermore, many researchers studying antioxidants and their effects on the human body feel the best plan of attack is to use multiple antioxidants rather than narrowing your choices to a few well-publicized options, or the mistaken belief that there is a single ‘best’ antioxidant to apply and consume.
While an innovative delivery system can improve both the look and performance of vitamin skincare, there are still concerns to address where pH levels and percentage concentration can still affect stability in some forms of Vitamin C, for example. The future promises increasingly sophisticated vitamin formulations for cosmetics and skin care products.
In order for vitamin skincare to cement its place in the cosmeceutical marketplace, however, claims must be proven and pre-marketing testing must also evolve to assess not only effectiveness but also safety of ingredients used.
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