The largest part of the body is skin. It protects against disease and infection, controls temperature and also helps in vitamin production. Keeping skin healthy is important for beauty and general health, even though most of us want to know how to look healthy instead of keeping our skin healthy.
To keep skin healthy - young, fair, radiant, supple, soft and smooth - is to stay away from the sun.
Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun bring a healthy looking tan, but do a lot of damage to the skin in terms of pigmentation, sunburn and lack of elasticity. It can lead to premature aging in the form of wrinkles, fine lines, flare-ups, dark skin, uneven skin tone, lack of transparency, enlarged pores and dryness. Excellent genetic, topical skin light treatments and oral skin supplements will also be of little use if one is merciless and tan regularly.
Keeping away from the sun helps, but if you can't ignore it, you should make sure you use sunscreen. This is especially important if the sun exposure is for an extended period of time.
Assuming we are already aware of sun exposure, how can we improve our skin condition? We know that some oral supplements are effective for good skin health, but what are these supplements and how effective are they?
Complementary from within
The first group will be vitamins and minerals, necessary for the proper functioning of each organ.
Vitamins and minerals that can affect skin health include B-complex, especially B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B12. Apparent deficiency of vitamins B1 and B2 is known to cause dermatitis (a type of skin inflammation). B12 deficiency is particularly detrimental to the rapid division of cells, including neurons and skin cells.
In addition to vitamin B, deficiency of vitamin C, iron and copper also affects the health of the skin. All three are important for the synthesis of collagen, a major structural protein in the skin, which replenishes and tones the skin.
Vitamin A is important for the normal life cycle of skin cells. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to dry, delicate and chapped skin. On the other hand, excessive intake of vitamin A can cause serious toxicity and should be avoided.
Vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene are known to be anti-oxidants that reduce free radicals. (Free radicals result in skin rejuvenation and aging.) However, the role of free radicals and antioxidants is beyond doubt, but supplemental vitamins and other micronutrients improve skin quality and ignore the aging process if clinical results do not conclusively prove it.
Excessive doses can be as detrimental as deficiencies, so it's best to follow the recommended daily allowance (RDA).
Topical help
Oral Supplements Topical Applications - At least SPF 30 sunscreens, creams (with skin whitening agents) and moisturizers (with skin lightening agents) should be hand-mixed. Comparing with topical applications, the effects of oral supplements are slower and more subtle. Consumers need to be realistic about their expectations because results are definitely not visible in 7 days or 2 weeks.
We recommend a holistic approach to skin health, including:
* A healthy balanced diet that includes all food groups as well as vitamins, minerals and micro nutrients.
* Keep a happy, positive mood. It is well documented that some skin conditions - such as acne and eczema - are more prevalent among stressors.
* If you smoke, quit smoking. Smoke causes free radicals, damages the skin's micro circulation, and causes stains and other discoloration on teeth.
* Reduce sun exposure and use good sunscreen on a daily basis.
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