Boost Skin Immunity With These Must-Have Nutrients!
Having a skincare routine is a must, whether your skin is normal, acne-prone, or anywhere in between. Of course, a multi-step routine can only do so much, so it is really recommended that you also nourish your body with the right vitamins and nutrients, ones that don’t just boost your skin but also help with important body functions such as immunity.
Why do we need vitamins and nutrients?
Every day, your body performs hundreds of functions, from producing skin, muscle, and bone, to carrying oxygen to its different parts, to warding off sickness, to sending internal messages from one organ to another, issuing instructions that help sustain your life. But to do all these things, your body needs raw materials in the form of vitamins and minerals, some of which the body can produce on its own but not in sufficient amounts.
The skin, being the body’s largest organ, also benefits from getting the right vitamins and nutrients. After all, it serves as a wall-like barrier that separates and protects the inside of the body from potentially harmful external factors in the environment and also provides a primary defense against sickness and infection.
Of course, apart from keeping it healthy, nourishing skin with vitamins helps it look healthy, clear, and glowing. So not only do you feel good, but you look good.
Skin-boosting vitamins: to take or apply?
Nourishing skin with vitamins can be done topically (directly applying on your skin) or orally, either from your daily diet or through oral supplements. So between the two, which is better and more effective?
Topical application directly and almost immediately affects the area of the skin it is applied to, while an oral supplement impacts your body as a whole. So for example in the case of Vitamin C, applying it topically only affects the areas you put it on while taking it orally allows the body to disperse the vitamin to wherever it is needed.
On the other hand, you may not see immediate changes in your skin with oral supplements, but it may definitely improve the overall quality of your skin and health in the long run.
It’s still good, however, to keep nourishing your skin with vitamin-enriched skin care products through your skincare routine. So for a well-rounded approach to skincare, it helps to keep a good skincare routine, a healthy diet, and lifestyle, plus oral supplements if needed.
Vitamins for skin and body
Here’s our guide to essential vitamins that boost, not just your skin, but your overall health:
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Vitamin E
Basically, Vitamin E boosts and equips the immune system, and also gives the body antioxidants it needs to fight free radicals that damage healthy cells and cause illness and aging.
Because vitamin E is a major antioxidant, it naturally works to neutralize all the environmental stressors that destroy the collagen in your skin and cause fine lines and premature aging.
Since Vitamin E lives in and protects cell membranes, which form a barrier around cells to keep them healthy and hydrated, it also helps skin stay moisturized and supple. Plus, along with being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin E also helps fight inflammation. It has been also studied that since free radicals make it difficult for scars to heal, vitamin E’s free radical-fighting properties can help scars heal properly.
A lesser-known benefit of Vitamin E but no less important is its role in protecting the body from illness. At the threat of a virus, the body responds by deploying T cells to combat it. If your immune system is weak, T cell production is impaired and viruses will continue to replicate. Studies have shown that Vitamin E is the key to unlocking the immune systems’ ability to generate more T cells needed to fight disease.
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Vitamin C
This vitamin is a well-known powerhouse, both for the skin and your immunity. Two main things that it does for the skin is that it protects it against harmful UV rays and that it helps synthesize collagen that keeps skin firm and supple. It also helps repair sun damage and adds an extra layer of much-needed protection.
Vitamin C is also an impressive immunity-booster, with all the ways it is involved in the immune system. It helps encourage the production of white blood cells that help protect the body against infection. Plus, it also helps these white blood cells function better while protecting them from damaging free radicals.
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Zinc
Zinc is a mineral that is naturally present in the body and a cofactor of various enzymes involved in cell division and growth. This mineral is required for the normal development of the immune system and helps regulate the activity of cells involved in immune function.
While not as commonly known as other skin vitamins, zinc is recognized as an important antioxidant that helps keep the skin healthy. For one, zinc protects the skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, which can damage the skin by causing wrinkles and other signs of skin aging.
Zinc also has anti-inflammatory properties, which is why it is used to treat common inflammatory conditions such as acne. Aside from this, zinc promotes wound healing and repair of damaged tissues. As an antioxidant, it also helps regulate oil production, which may also help improve skin appearance.
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Lactoferrin
While essentially a protein and not a vitamin, Lactoferrin has been generating buzz in the skincare community for its acne-fighting benefits. A single-chain protein found naturally in milk from humans and cows, lactoferrin is known for its iron-binding property which plays a role in the transport of iron into and between various internal organisms such as cells and bile.
Lactoferrin is also used as an antioxidant and to protect the body against viral and bacterial infections. Similar to Vitamin E, it also helps stimulate the immune system and boost its response to sickness. Its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties are a triple threat to acne-causing bacteria, as it enhances the body’s natural defenses to help fight bacteria, reduce sebum and inflammation, and help repair damaged skin cells.
How Lactezin works for clearer skin and immunity
Lactezin is a clinically tested drug that contains a breakthrough combination of Lactoferrin, Vitamin E, and Zinc that help fight pimples and improve skin appearance. Aside from treating acne from the inside, this combination of vitamins and nutrients may also help boost immunity and improve overall health.
SOURCES:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25157026/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4120804/
