With new skin innovations always being sold to us, it can be difficult to know where to look for natural beauty products. At Fushi, our passion is caring for Mother Earth, so we want to tell you about the best vitamins for healthy skin that can be ethically sourced.
We’ve picked 17 vitamins and supplements that will benefit your skin hugely, and although it may be tempting to apply them topically (directly to the skin), this doesn’t always allow the vitamin to do its best work. Plus, you want the rest of your body to feel the full benefits of them as well.
Before you find the perfect vitamins for your skin, take a look at how you can spot whether your skin is in need of a refresh.
What are the signs of poor skin health?
The easiest way to spot poor skin health is through the signs it will give you if you’re not treating it as well as you could. There are plenty of warning signs that you should try and look out for:
- Early aging signs like wrinkles
- Uneven textures and bumps
- Dark circles under your eyes
- A dreary complexion
- Dry and flaky patches
- Chapped, dry lips
- Blotchiness
- Itchiness or skin pain
- Rosacea or acne
- Hyperpigmentation (dark spots)
Many of these can be combated with a good balanced diet, plenty of rest and an active lifestyle. Part of your diet should always include a good mix of vitamins which you can take as supplements or find in your food. Keep reading to find which ones are perfect for keeping your skin happy.
The 17 Best Vitamins for Healthy Skin
Vitamin C - Vitamin C is perfect for protecting your skin from sun damage by serving as a UV protector and forming a collagen layer. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use sunscreen, but that vitamin C can help repair some sun damage if needs be. Collagen is what keeps your skin firm and bouncy, so the more you can ingest the better.
All citrus fruits, cherries, berries, broccoli and leafy greens like spinach and kale are very high in vitamin C. These foods all help you uphold a healthy, fibrous diet as well, which will only benefit your skin further.
Vitamin K - This vitamin will help stop you bleeding too much if you cut open your skin from shaving or for any other reason. This is because it promotes blood coagulation. It also has been found to heal scars and lessen skin conditions like acne, rosacea and stretch marks. The foods where you’ll find the highest concentration of Vitamin K are kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts and turnips, basically any leafy greens!
Selenium - Selenium is a mineral that helps keep your skin glowy and natural. It prevents free radical damage which causes wrinkles, and protects against UV damage, inflammation and pigmentation. Both men and women need to consume roughly the same amount of selenium per day at 55 micrograms. You’ll find it in brazil nuts, seafood (if you eat it) including crab and tuna, as well as in grains like brown rice and lentils.
Zinc - The way of knowing you’re not getting enough zinc in your body is if it starts producing more acne than usual. The skin holds around 20% of the body’s zinc so it’s crucial that you maintain its health by supplementing it with this mineral. Because zinc is a trace mineral, this means that it regulates your hormone balance and promotes clear and healthy skin. If you have acne, zinc will help with cell growth and regeneration, so it can help clear it up quicker!
You’ll find zinc in beef if you’re a meat eater, flax seeds or pumpkin seeds. If you’re looking for a little treat, dark chocolate contains ten milligrams of zinc per 100 grams, which is nearly the daily recommended dose for men.
Flavonoids - The perfect excuse to treat yourself a little, as flavonoids can be found in red wine and dark chocolate. They are extremely rich in antioxidants, and have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties, meaning that your skin is less likely to be irritated or break out. You can also find them in green tea and berries if you’d rather stay away from less healthy snacks or drinks.
Vitamin E - Vitamin E is very similar to vitamin C where it will protect the skin from UV rays. But spending too long in the sun can also heavily impact the way that vitamin E reacts with your skin, as it produces free radicals when exposed to it, which then cause damage. To make sure you’re fully protected from the sun, don’t forget to apply a broad spectrum sunscreen. There’s no excuse!
Foods where you’ll find vitamin E include salmon and other seafood, as well as broccoli, spinach and hazelnuts. You can also find it in avocado and certain vegetable oils like sunflower, wheat germ and safflower.
Vitamin B - There are a variety of B vitamins that help your skin stay healthy, and they all have very specific functions. So taking our high strength supplement which contains a mix of B vitamins will enable you to ensure that you’re keeping your body and skin happy.
You’ll know if you’re not getting enough vitamin B into your diet as your skin will become dry, your lips will be chapped and your mouth may get cracked at the side. You can combat this by including soy milk, tempeh, kidney or black beans and citrus foods in your diet.
Vitamin D - Sitting in the sun means your body will produce vitamin D naturally, but that can also be dangerous as the UV rays will cause damage through overexposure. As vitamin D can help reduce the effects of acne, rosacea and dermatitis, it’s still a crucial element of keeping your skin happy and healthy.
As part of your diet, you can obtain vitamin D through milk, egg yolk, healthy cereals, fresh orange juice and some yoghurts. But it can be very difficult to obtain enough vitamin D through sun exposure and food, so it’s recommended to take supplements to ensure your body is getting enough.
Beta carotene - This powerful antioxidant keeps your skin healthy and glowing, and is another micronutrient that keeps the UV rays at bay. It shouldn’t ever be used as an alternative to sunscreen though, as the rays will still cause damage to your skin. You can find it in its most concentrated form in any orange, yellow or red fruit or vegetable, including carrots, sweet potato and butternut squash.
Taking it alongside other vitamins will also mean your body is getting enough and promoting healthy skin. Our unique supplement is considered the best formula in the market by leading nutritionists. It contains vital nutrients that penetrate at a deeper cellular level to help promote a radiant complexion and healthy hair and nails.
Iodine - The body needs iodine to stay healthy, but can’t create it on its own. Most of the food that contains iodine can be found in the sea, whether that’s through fish or in concentrated form in seaweed.
Vegans, vegetarians and pregnant people often struggle to get enough iodine into their diets, so taking a supplement is a great way to ensure your body is getting enough. Iodine helps to create thyroid hormones, which help your skin regenerate. If your body doesn’t make enough of these hormones then this can often result in dry and flaky skin.
Vitamin A - Without vitamin A, your skin can get itchy, bumpy or dry, it’s another vitamin that helps prevent UV rays from causing damage to you. Because of its antioxidant properties, it’s amazing for helping your skin regenerate and will help cuts and scrapes heal quicker.
The foods that are high in vitamin A also tend to be high in beta carotene, so green leafy vegetables, apricot, yellow peppers, papaya and carrots are an ideal way to ingest it. Getting both of these into your diet is an ideal double benefit for your skin!
Collagen - We’ve mentioned how the skin can produce its own collagen, but did you know that the earth can provide your body with even more? Many big skin care brands use animal products to create their collagen products, however you can find this naturally-occurring ingredient in many plants, especially those from the sea. Kelp and seaweed contain extremely high concentrations of collagen, and will help keep your skin firm and elastic.
Omega 3 - If you have seen something called vitamin F being advertised as a skin benefit, then it’s likely to be supplemented by omega 3. This is because vitamin F isn’t a real vitamin, the ‘F’ stands for fatty acids, of which omega 3 is one! Omega 3 has been found to protect the skin from UV rays, reduce acne, bumps and spots and guard against itchiness.
It’s most commonly found in fish, which makes it difficult for vegetarians and vegans to ensure they’re getting enough. The Fushi Vegan Omega Totale blend is the perfect way to take it as part of a food supplement, it’s filled with seeds and oils to make sure you’re getting the perfect omega blend in your diet.
Biotin - Biotin is part of the B Vitamin family, but it promotes the health of your skin so much that we thought it deserves a mention on its own! Also known as vitamin B7, Biotin helps strengthen fingernails, can reverse hair loss and is one of the keys to healthy and glowing skin. This is because it helps with collagen and elastin production, keeping your skin strong and bouncy. It can be found in very small amounts in foods like walnuts and peanuts, milk, egg yolks, salmon, and sardines.
CoQ10 - CoQ10 is an enzyme that the body produces naturally when we’re young, but is made much less as we get older. It’s a powerful antioxidant that energises cell activity in your skin and promotes rapid regeneration. Once we turn 20, this stops happening as often, which can cause problems.
CoQ10 has many benefits to your skin, including the stimulation of collagen and elastin production, the evening out of skin tone through melanin production, the removal of toxic irritants and through the reduction of wrinkles and fine lines. You can find it in our energiplex supplement which is perfect for an active and healthy lifestyle.
Turmeric - Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant with many health benefits, most of which come through the curcumin which is found in this spice. Curcumin acts as an anti-inflammatory which is massively beneficial for keeping the skin smooth and happy. You can take it as a supplement or use the ground spice version.
You can mix a small amount of ground turmeric with greek yoghurt and honey to apply as a 15-minute face mask, this can give your skin a stunning glow. This is down to the turmeric acting as a microorganism manager on your face, which will also help prevent breakouts in the future. Just be careful if you are looking to apply turmeric directly to your body if you have pale skin, as it tends to stain everything! Simply apply a little to the back of your arm to ensure it washes off easily.
Probiotics - Probiotics naturally occur in your gut, and are the sign of a very healthy digestive system. When they form, this means that the body has a very good chance of fighting off any bad bacteria that might try and attack it.
There are huge links between good gut health and good skin health, so ensuring a clean and balanced diet to help your tummy also helps keep your skin clear! In order to get more probiotics into your diet, look out for foods like kale, kombucha, kimchi and miso.
Hyaluronic Acid - Much like CoQ10, hyaluronic acid is produced naturally by our body, but declines as we get older. It’s a natural hydrator and moisturiser, and will help maintain your skin’s elasticity. The food and drinks where you can find it are green tea, kale, spinach, soy and citrus.
We take inspiration from both the old and new and are passionate about delivering pure, honest and carefully created products, find our full range of skin supplements here. For more health inspiration, read our full collection of blogs here.
