Now you’ve got your skincare regime down pat – cleanse, toner, SPF, moisturiser, face masks, facials, serum and night mask – let’s focus on how you can feed your skin from the inside. In addition to basic hydration from water, there are five key vitamins we’ve identified that can help you have the glowing skin you’re looking for. 

Vitamin A is your go-to for skin repair and rejuvenations, and is essential to the health of your largest organ. Colour is key for this vitamin – it’s found in dark green, orange and red vegetables, as well as tomatoes. If you’re eating your greens, carrots and peppers, you should be fine – but it’s also found in eggs and liver(!). Vitamin A also aids in repairing skin tissue, and a lack thereof leads to dry, flaky skin – less than ideal. 

B vitamins have a direct impact on your energy levels, brain function, and cell metabolism, and are fundamental for skin regeneration. Here, dark leafy greens are your friend again, as well as meat, eggs, seeds, whole grains, nuts and legumes, and vitamin B is found in plenty of fruits such as avocados, bananas, and apricots.

A lack of vit B can make you skin pale and wan, but that’s nothing compared to the other symptoms like lack of energy and constipation. It’s pretty hard to lack vitamin B, but it is an essential building block for your body’s – and therefore your skin’s – health.

The body also doesn’t produce Vit C naturally and can’t store it either, so we need an ongoing intake of it to keep our immune system in fine fettle. Remember that C stands for collagen – which is why you see it on so many skin products, as this vitamin helps in producing collagen – which we know helps to keep our skin supple, reversing sun damage and smoothing out wrinkles. 

As an antioxidant, it is said to aid in your skin’s natural regeneration process, which helps your body repair damaged skin cells. Vitamin C can also help with hyperpigmentation, as it interferes with melanin production, and may even prevent dark spots from forming.

The best source is – of course – citrus fruits, leafy greens, kale, cauliflower, bell peppers and so on, but it is argued that topically applied via a serum, vitamin C is much more effective than taken orally. It’s also worth mentioning that the benefits of vitamin C take around six to eight weeks to take effect, so be patient with your serums and intake and don’t give up!

Vitamin E. Like vitamin C, it is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and is said to boost skin barrier strength and improve skin tone and colouration –  although some people suffer from contact dermatitis when applied topically, so it’s worth testing out before you slather it on your skin. 

If you aren’t affected, vitamin E is soluble in oils and creams and is thought to combat aging, and makes a good makeup remover. Vitamin E is found in dark leafy greens (remember them?!), broccoli, seeds and nuts – especially almonds, peanuts, coconut and sunflower seeds – as well as oily fish like trout and salmon.

Guess which food group has lots of vitamin K? Yep – anything green and leafy ; rocket, apples, melon, asparagus, broccoli, artichokes, kiwi fruit, avocado…you get the idea. 

Vitamin K is vital for blood clotting, and so it’s thought that adequate levels of Vitamin K can help reduce the appearance of dark circles around the eyes. Regardless, the amount of vitamins in the dark leafy greens that have all the vitamins you need for healthy skin are reason enough to get sautéing that cabbage!

At MySkin, we want to help you improve the quality of your skin, removing imperfections and treating conditions. Just as important, however, is helping your skin be the best it can be, with a skin-optimised diet full of the above vitamins, and a top-notch skincare regime.