Many skin care products are formulated to include a few different vitamins, and this is because of the incredible benefits that vitamins can bring to the skin. From vitamin A to vitamin E, this guide will help you to understand the skin-related differences between some of the most common vitamins used in skin care.
Vitamin A
While you may not notice vitamin A written on the ingredient labels of your skin care products, you have probably seen retinol, retinoic acid or retinyl palmitate featured several times. These are both derived from vitamin A, and are known for being one of the most powerful anti-aging ingredients out there.
So, what exactly does vitamin A do?
Its most revered benefit is that it is a cell-communicator, which means that it attaches itself to your skin cells, and then instructs them to act like a younger and healthier version of themselves.
As you can imagine, this means that it can affect just about every part of your skin…
Here are just a few of the ways in which vitamin A could help you:
- Speeds up the cell turnover process, which is something that declines with age
- Thickens and plumps up the skin
- Boosts the production of collagen and elastin
- Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
- Controls oil production
- Reduces inflammation
- Reduces pigmentation
- Minimizes large pores
However, vitamin A can have some negative side effects too…
This is quite a potent ingredient, and can be quite drying and irritating on the skin, especially if your skin type is sensitive or dry. Over-using the ingredient, no matter what your skin type may be, can also lead to thinner, and more vulnerable, skin.
To make sure that vitamin A will not have an adverse effect on your skin, it is important to do a patch test with the product containing the vitamin before applying it to your entire face. You should also begin using the product gradually, just a couple of times a week, and slowly build this up, as this will help your skin to grow accustomed to it.
Always test your products before use.
Certain types of vitamin A, such as retinyl palmitate, have also been found to damage the skin when exposed to sunlight, meaning that products that contain these are best used at night.
The B Vitamins
There are eight different B vitamins out there, and each one has its own benefits when it comes to skin care.
Here is a quick overview of each:
- Vitamin B1/Thiamin – A powerful antioxidant that detoxifies the skin and boosts circulation. It also protects against free radicals, slowing down the aging process. A deficiency in thiamin can result in hyper sensitive skin, resulting in redness, acne or flakiness.
- Vitamin B2/Riboflavin – An important vitamin for acne, as it helps to maintain mucus secretion, preventing breakouts. It also stimulates the cell turnover process. A deficiency in riboflavin can result in acne breakouts, as well as dry and cracked skin, especially around the lips.
- Vitamin B3/Niacin – Helps with the production of ceramides and fatty acids, both of which are key components of the skin’s natural protective barrier. Also helps to heal a number of skin conditions, including rosacea, acne, eczema and sun damage.
- Vitamin B5/Pantothenic Acid – This vitamin is a humectant, meaning that it draws water from the air into the skin, keeping the skin hydrated. It also reduces redness and inflammation, while strengthening the skin’s natural barrier, making it another great B vitamin for acne.
- Vitamin B6/Pyridoxine – Helps with the growth and repair of skin cells, while reducing acne breakouts by regulating hormone levels.
- Vitamin B7/Biotin – Neutralizes free radicals and helps to maintain the production of fats in the skin, creating a smooth and plump complexion. A deficiency in biotin can result in flare-ups of acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rashes.
- Vitamin B9/Folic Acid – Stimulates the cell turnover process, while helping to detox the skin, clearing it of impurities. However, too much folic acid will result in an increase in acne, as well as dry and patchy skin.
- Vitamin B12/Cobalamin – Regulates the production of pigment in the skin, meaning that it can help to prevent pigmentation and dark spots. It also boosts metabolism in the skin, speeding up cell turnover. Research has shown that topical use of vitamin B12 actually delivers better results than oral supplements.
Vitamin C
One of the most important skin care vitamins out there, vitamin C is a vitamin that just about everybody should be using, from teenagers to those who are battling against wrinkles and fine lines.
Why?
Because vitamin C is one of the most potent antioxidant in skin care, and there are not many other ingredients that can compare to the way in which vitamin C is able to protect and strengthen the skin.
In addition to speeding up the cell turnover process, meaning that skin is regenerated at a quicker rate, vitamin C is also able to keep the skin hydrated, by strengthening its natural protective barrier. Studies have shown that those who use vitamin C topically do not tend to experience dry skin or roughness.
Vitamin C also regulates collagen production in the skin, which is something that naturally slows down with age, leading to wrinkles and sagging skin. This makes it a fantastic anti-aging ingredient, as it can really minimize fine lines and wrinkles.
When it comes to sun damage, this is an another area in which vitamin C can help, as it can repair damaged skin cells. These healing powers also translate to wounds, with vitamin C able to speed up the healing process.
It is common knowledge that vitamin C can be found in so many fresh foods, so why does it need to also be included in skin care products?
The answer is simple – by applying it topically, the vitamin is able to directly enter into your skin cells, thereby working its magic much more efficiently.
Vitamin D
Since vitamin D is naturally produced in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight, it does work in a slightly different way when applied topically, which is why you will still find a few skin care products that contain the vitamin.
Studies have shown that vitamin D is effective when it comes to calming redness and inflammation, meaning that it can help with everything from acne to eczema.
Just like many of the other vitamins, vitamin D is also an antioxidant that can help to protect the skin from free radical damage (also known as “oxidative stress”).
Vitamin E
Vitamin E helps the skin in a number of ways, but it is also often included in skin care products in small amounts, as it works as a preservative.
How do you know how much vitamin E is actually in a product?
Take a look at the ingredients list. If vitamin E, which is also known as tocopherol or tocopheryl acetate, is listed at the end, then chances are that there is not enough of it in that product to benefit your skin.
So, what exactly does vitamin E do?
To begin with, this is a great one to partner up with vitamin C, as the two work together when it comes to neutralizing free radicals. Using the two of them together will double the anti-aging effects that you will experience.
Vitamin E is also key in reducing transepidermal water loss, which means that the skin remains hydrated and moisturized for longer, giving it a clear and plump appearance.
Here are a few of the other benefits that you will experience by incorporating vitamin E into your skin care regime:
- Enhances the effectiveness of sunscreen ingredients
- Strengthens the skin’s natural protective barrier
- Speeds up the skin healing process
- Regulates the lipid balance in the skin’s barrier
- Protects against pollution and other environmental stressors
Vitamin K
Vitamin K, which is also known as phytonadione, is not as widely used in skin care as the other vitamins mentioned, but you will still find it in certain products.
This is because its effects on the skin are quite specific…
Vitamin K is one of the best ingredients out there when it comes to reducing dark circles underneath the eyes.
Wondering how it does this?
This vitamin is able to strengthen the capillaries that lie underneath the skin. Since one of the most common causes of dark circles is weakened capillaries, vitamin K can really help.
Vitamin K is also able to target and reduce any fluid retention from around the eyes, quickly minimizing any puffiness, while increasing circulation to create a brighter appearance.
As you can imagine, vitamin K is most commonly found in eye creams, and other products that target the skin around the eyes.
Vitamin K is most commonly found in eye creams.
Another benefit to vitamin K is the way in which it can increase the skin’s resiliency. Studies have shown that this vitamin is able to minimize scars, reduce the intensity of spider veins, and fade stretch marks, so you will also often find it in products that target these skin issues.
Want to make the vitamin K in your skin care products even more effective?
Try combining it with a product that contains vitamin A, as studies have shown that the two work extremely well together.
Important Minerals
In addition to understanding more about the different vitamins used in skin care, you should also be aware of some of the important minerals out there that can benefit your skin. Many of these often work in conjunction with vitamins, boosting their effects, which is why most skin care products will contain a mixture of the two.
These are some of the key skin-boosting minerals that you should be keeping an eye out for:
- Selenium – This mineral protects the skin from sun damage, lowering your chances of sunburn. It is also a potent antioxidant that repairs DNA damage, while playing a major role in skin elasticity.
- Copper – Works with vitamin C and zinc to develop elastin, which is one of the building blocks of your skin’s structure.
- Zinc – Deficiencies in zinc are common, and these often manifest as acne. When used topically, zinc is able to regulate oil production and minimize breakouts. Zinc is also key in collagen production, wound healing, and cellular repair, while containing antioxidant properties that can protect the skin from UV damage. This is why it is often used in sunscreens.
- Sulfur – One of the most abundant minerals in the body, sulfur makes up a large part of the skin. When applied topically, sulfur inhibits the growth of bacteria, which reduces inflammation and acne while speeding up skin healing.
- Silica – If you want wrinkle-free skin, silica is essential, and a deficiency in this will manifest in the form of wrinkles, fine lines and other visible premature signs of aging.
Can Different Vitamins and Minerals Be Layered on the Skin?
With each vitamin and mineral playing such a unique role in your skin’s health, combining several of them will only result in greater benefits.
However, keep in mind that when applying different skin care products on top of each other, you should wait for a couple of minutes in between each product, to give the active ingredients in each some time to penetrate into your skin before being diluted.
Remember that the thinner and lighter the product is in consistency, the closer it needs to be applied to your skin. This will ensure that the vitamins contained in each are able to work efficiently.
Can These Vitamins and Minerals Be Used in Their Simple, Pure Form?
While you could technically apply the pure vitamins and minerals to your skin, there would not be much point in doing so, as they will not be able to properly penetrate into your skin.
This is why they need to be incorporated into actual skin care products, as these will have been formulated in a way to make the vitamins more bio-available.
Quality skin care products will also contain the most beneficial carriers for each vitamin, which helps to push them even deeper into the skin.
I didn’t realize there were so many great vitamins for my skin in these products. I look forward to the chance to try them.
This was so informative. Thank you so much for keeping me up to date.
All of this is great information. Thanks.
It’s good to know what we need to look for in the product when it comes to helping with skin problems.
much needed info!
I was fortunate to wander into an Orogold store while on vacation. They gave me a little eye treatment makeover. My husband was with me. He said, Buy it! Buy it!” I’m so glad I did! Thank you!
I didn’t realize all the benefits of different vitamins on your skin. Very interesting information.
Learned a lot of different vitamins I didn’t know were beneficial to the skin, also I didn’t realize when applying different skincare products together to wait to make sure the active ingredients penetrate into the skin before applying anther.
Thank you for showing what each vitamin or mineral is necessary to keep our skin healthy.
This info is very useful specially for those who doesn’t take skin care seriously. Definitely taking notes on this to make my skin care routine efficient. Thanks !
What an education in skincare! I was given a sample of the 24kt skin brightening cream. Wow what a difference ! Looking forward to trying many of the products.
Very informative. I definitely need some if these in my life.
Wow! sounds great!
Great quality ingredients! I have tried one of your moisturizers and it was amazing! I can’t wait to try other products from OroGold!
Using vitamins and minerals to help your skin was a new concept for me. I found it interesting that you should wait for a couple of minutes between applying products, to give the ingredients some time to penetrate into your skin.
Reading this has been so helpful in creating a new skincare routine for myself! I have now incorporated more vitamin based serums and supplements into my diet and I have noticed a difference in my skin. Great information!
Love using vitamins to take care of my skin!
Looks like fantastic products.
I think all of this information is awesome and I can’t wait to try these products
I like the information presented about the vitamins/minerals – hopefully the orogold products actually have done the research to make them all bio-available.
Thank you so much for the wonderful information. It was very helpful.
I use vitamins daily for health, so it’s great to know which vitamins to use for my skin care, too!
It’s good to read about the many benefits of vitamins.
Good information abt vitamin with skin … how vitamins work and their role aswell …
I love learning about how to best care for my skin
Interesting. I knew vitamin K was good for the eye area, but I didn’t know the benefits of it in the other areas mentioned.
I love vitamins.
Fantastic
did not know what different vitamins and minerals did for the skin
I read vitamin B yesterday and this all over again yesterday I had to read it for my class and today for this
Love the product they are amazing
Thanks for the info it can be overwhelming looking into vitamins etc
Had no idea of the importance of all these vitamins and minerals.
I already utilize many of these vitamins, but learned about a few more I want to add to my routine. Thank you for the information!
thats good to know! thanks for sharing
I have started taking in more vitamins in healthier foods. It only makes sense to concentrate them into skin care.
I have seen great improvement in my skin since using Orogold products. These vitamins and minerals must be making the difference.
Can’t wait to try more of the products.
Would love to try Orogold products
Very interesting and thought provoking article. I have learnt a lot from this article and it was very easy to understand the information.
Thanks for all the valuable information!
I wasn’t aware of many of these properties of the different vitamins and their importance in skincare! Thanks for such an informative article!
Very nice
Very nice
I love that OroGold explains all the vitamins your skin really requires to stay beautiful!! You have some of the most beautiful women in the world marketing your products & you truly keep them beautiful!!! Thank You OroGold.
Thank you for this wonderful article about nutrition for your skin. I just wish we learned about this in high school and even before high school. I am glad I recognize these healthy nutrients now but if I had known earlier in my life, perhaps I could have used them when I was younger to keep myself healthier, both how I looked and how I felt.
This is a whole lot of good information! Thank you!
I love your contests! This would be such an awesome 50th Birthday !
Love that OriGold explains the needed vitamins for healthy skin…great articles & always beautiful women.
Loved this article, such great information! Thank you!
I so need this for my aging skin please..This would be so cool,rad,neat to win.
Very informative
Love Orogold products
Love Orogold products
Great information!
I enjoyed both videos.
Would love to experience both the mask and diamonds exfoliating cream the most.
Very informative, I learned a lot of things about vitamins in your skincare.
Informative article, great info, thank you.
i like the idea of vitamins in skin care products. Most of the vitamins taken orally are washed out of the system and the skin ( the largest organ) doesn’t get near enough of the vitamins it really needs.
They’re beneficial for your skin.
Best way to take care of yourself!
Thanks for the great products !
Interesting info. Some stuff I have heard of, but some I haven’t. Sounds like innovative products.
Love all of this!!!
Wow what an informative article! Thanks so much for the info. Definitely will try in the future.
I love this article as always I learn sonething new with every article Thank-you
This is a page I’m bookmarking to refer to often. I especially appreciate the breakdown of the different forms of Vitamin B!
Bring on the vitamins!
Great post, thank you for the info!
Great guide to skincare vitamins.
Love all their products
love all this great nutritional and health info!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to win this giveaway giveaway five stars ⭐️ I’m so excited to try this out !
All I can say is WOW. I didn’t know vitamins and minerals was so important for the skin.
Orogold is the absolute best!! It would be so awesome to be able to win anything from this line!! Especially for my 47th birthday coming up on January 31st Good luck everyone and thank you so much Orogold for this great opportunity to win something from this amazing line!! ❤
All very good information. I really need this for my aging skin and for wrinkles. Also getting some age spots.
Thanks for all the info, since it’s good to know about all this!
Great information, I would have never thought to look for certain vitamins and minerals to help in my skincare routine.
This is a wonderful skincare line! !
Vitamin C is all I need
Important and very educationally interesting knowledge to see and to put into practice. Thank you. Important for every man woman and child to know.
I had no idea there were vitamins in some cosmetics, must be why the wife’s skin looks so healthy
Lots of great info. I learned a lot!
I need to use more Vitamin C products in my skincare routine.
Good to know.
Very informative.
thank you for the tips!
Can many of these be combined into one product, and if so, which of your products are most rich in these ingredients?
Hi Paula,
Many of our products are infused with vitamins — especially vitamins A, C and E — to deliver powerful skin benefits. You may wish to take a look at our Multi-Vitamin Collection and our Vitamin C Collection.
Thank you,
OROGOLD
This is awesome! My skin is so dry and dull in the winter. These would help so much!
Great article! I now know which ones to look for when reading ingredients!
Wow I had no idea thanks for the info and insight I’m going to start focusing on silica and vitamin A i am almost 30 and am definitely noticing my skin ageing never thought it would happen but here I am thank you for this blog is so amazing I absolutely am so in love with the new orogold products they look so phenomenal I absolutely cannot wait to try them especially the white gold thanks for the chance
Very good information.
I absolutely love these products!!
I would love to try this product. It seems like it would be amazing and youthful for my skin.
I take vitamin E whenever I remember to.
I take vitamins every day. I feel great!
I live in a state where I don’t get enough Vitamin D. I was blessed to have good skin but this would really be a great prize to help make it better
I need vitamin E
I really enjoyed reading this post I learnt so much about all the vitamins in skincare and now know about all the different ones and their benefits ! I now know what to look for on ingredient lists on packaging.
Very informative thanku !
This is a great article, thank you so much!
great skin care products
my honey would love this
I’ll look for these now!
Thank you for all this information. I had no idea about all these vitamins and how they pertained to skin care. Very interesting.
Powerful ingredients , amazing products
Nature’s pharmacie works best!
I was not aware of Vitamin K,.. Thank you for this post
Good info
I need to start using those important minerals in my skincare routine. With keeping in mind to wait a few minutes in between layering each product used.
Very informative
Interesting! Thanks!!
Great article and full of information. Thanks for sharing!
I would love to have more youthful looking skin
great cosmetics for all kind of skins!
Ive never seen a skincare product with so many vitamins and other essential nutrients for the skin. I definitely have to check out these products. Thank you for the fabulous write up.
It’s great to know about effects of various vitamins.
I only knew about effects of vitamin C.
This is a great article to bookmark and refer to when you need to know what a certain vitamin does in your skincare products or what to look for when shopping for skincare products.
I use vitamin C religiously. I find it really helps with dull skin and plumping. I haven’t tried the others, but it looks like they have some great benefits.
Great tips. Thanks for sharing.
I have always found it amazing that that these types of ingredients can be combined into something that can have such a dramatic effect on not just the appearance of skin but the overall health of skin. I have never tried this brand before because I can’t afford it but would really appreciate the opportunity to
interesting! xo
This sounds wonderful!
Thank you for an informative post! 🙂
A very informative post thank you!
I have always taken vitamin D daily! Itis definitely a must for me!
This is phenomenal great innovation in skincare
I had no idea about all this . Thank you for the info and explaining in such detail
need it in my life!
This is really interesting and even as a science teacher I learned something … thank you
thanks for the great info!!!
very informative I definately need this in my life for my skin as I age I always get sad when I look in the mirror at my skin fingers crossed
So much of important information about ourself thanks for this post
I love the information you gave us about vitamins! Very usefull!
Definitely need some vitamin K for the huge dark circles under my eyes
Alot of vitamins in this skin care line; would love to win this for my beauty routine!
I love the fact that you always put so much detailed information on your posts. Would love to win this great giveaway.
Orogold products sound very effective!
Your articles are so great about breaking down the important things to look for in products! I really would be clueless if I didn’t read these regularly.
Very helpful information. Can I get a cheat sheet? I will never be able to remember which vitamins are in each ingredient.
I would absolutely love trying these products!
Vitamins are very important for skin, this article makes all these Vitamins easy to understand.
Thanks for this, I’m curious about what vitamins are good for what. Great guide here.
Good products for your skincare.
these skin care essentials are so good. It would be worth gifting to my sister.
So many great vitamins!
I’ve never used vitamin a products before. I do use a vitamin e cream when my skin is dry. It’s good to know layering is okay if done correctly!
Vitamins are essential for your skin.
Thank you for this very informative article.
i love it
great info
I so need this for my skin!
thanks for this articl
This is fantastic I’m just about to turn 39 I would love to try this for my skin that really could use some help
I look forward to trying Orogold products
I really could use this.
I keep on entering your giveaways for the possibility of not only being able to test the product for myself but also to review it for others. I thank you again for the opportunity! Have a wonderful upcoming weekend! Enjoy!
I wasn’t aware vitamins are so helpful to your skin.
I would love to try Orogold cosmetics because of the vitamins and minerals they contain. I am 65 and have mature dry skin.
Great tips! As I get older my skin is much harder to take care of!
I had no idea vitamin K works well with vitamin A!
Wow i had no idea of all these vitamins and minerals and the benefits great article
This is awesome information! Than=ks for sharing!
Thanks for the informative article !
I would love the chance to try Orogold products.
i would love to try this for my self
Wow, this was amazing!
I would love to try this for my face looks like a awesome product.
I’ll be bookmarking this as it’s a really interesting read!
I have problematic skin, so I’m hoping this will help!
In Love with Orogold!
Great information!
Have been wanting to try this!
These look great
Good info!
Sounds exactly like what I need in my skincare routine
Thank for all the information. My skin is always dry because I live in NEW Mexico and I have a hard time finding lotions that really absorb.
i need this for sure and i am diabetic and anemic and would love tohave it
Thank-you fir educating us on the beneficial Vitamins & minerals for healthy skin & preserving our skin. Especially the various terminology for each explained, is very useful.
I didn’t actually realise what all the benefits were for each vitamin. This is an interesting & much needed read!
Have to admit I never knew/thought about vitamins in skin care products. I will be reading labels better
This was helpful information – thank you!
Just what i need
Thank you for a better understanding how vitamins & minerals are good for the skin & how they should be used. Very informative.
looks fab!!
My skin needs nutrients just like my body does!
Great info.
Fantastic looking products xx
this sounds lovely! just what i need!
Very interesting will be giving my teenage daughter the low down too
Great post really interesting thanks
interesting, very important to have the correct balance of vitamins and minerals
great article, did not know alot of that!
vitamins are important for your skin
Great post i love all the wonderful information
Top info, never knew!
Really informative read. The negative side of Vitiman A now explains where I’ve been going wrong. Thanks!
Wow great advice how vitimins help
This is really useful advice! I’ll make sure to get enough of the right vitamins both in my food and in my skincare!
So much information to take it, and this is why I have to treat my skin nicely, its complex and needs all the TLC it can get!
great information
great news!
I use Vitamin B1/Thiamin everyday. I still suffer dry skin. The real down side is the smell, taste and the smell of your wee.
Vitamins are key to keeping skin healthy and your body healthy.
Just started using OroGold. Very excited to see the outcome.
This product looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it out 🙂
Learned a lot, I don’t wear makeup or use skin care and I’m 34. I would love to try and maybe just maybe it will sway me to become more feminine and get into taking better care of my skin. Lots of info to absorb here, thank you!!
I’ve been using Retinol for a while and I LOVE IT!!!
THINK I NEED SOME OF THIS
All this information is very helpful.
That was a very thorough explanation. I thought I knew a lot about vitamins and skin, but this was a real education. I put this page in my favorites.
great read,very interesting
You’re never too old to learn something new especially about our skins needs
Very interesting article.
Very informative. I had no idea about all these vitamins and how they pertained to skin care.
I like the increasing circulation that Vitamin K gives my face.
That takes me back to my science days, only at that time, we didn’t fully appreciate the value of topically applied nutrients to the skin. A great post with clear and relevant information. Thank you.
Thanks for the skin care/vitamin info!
I think vitamins are great internally and externally!
This is really informative, thank you for the post
I didn’t know that Vitamin A reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
I think that it is cool that vitamin C can help reduce sun damage.
I never really think about putting vitamins topically on to skin. Thank you for all the advice.
Good information about skin care.
Wow sounds lovely, very informative and thank you for the chance to win xx
thank you for the information and the details on your ingredients. i did not realize that so many vitamins were in your skincare products and how valuable they were to skincare.
Had no clue what vitamin did what, learnt alot from this thanks xx
Thank you for the information. This sounds like a great product.
This was so informative. Thank you so much for keeping me up to date.
Wow, keeping this article to be able to refer back to. Thanks
Great blog, gives you food for thought
This is a great post, thank you for the tips
Love to try these products with vitamins
interesting information thank you
I may try this, as my skin needs some help!
WOW!! SOmeone’s done their homework, thanks for breaking it all down for me.
So refreshing to read this, i love learning about keeping my body inside and out better
Great information! I now know which vitamins to look for when I’m next looking to buy! Thank you x
Wow, would love to win this!
What a wonderful feature to read. I learned a lot about vitamins and the benefits of the Orogold ingredients for my skin.
Thanks for such an informative post, it’s very interesting.
Very informative, I didn’t realise there were so many vitamins that played a part in skin care.
Thank you. I learned a lot from this post. There is a lot to think about.