How Lactoferrin + Zinc + Vitamin E Strengthens Skin Immunity
Aside from making up most of our outward appearance, the skin is the body’s largest organ and is responsible for many functions. And as with most organs, it also needs certain nutrients to look and feel healthy.
The function of the skin
It’s incredible to think that something so thin (even at its thickest, the skin is only a few millimeters thick) is considered the heaviest and largest organ, making up about one seventh of our body weight. So it only makes sense that an organ that large has many roles in the maintenance of life and health.
Some of the skin’s day-to-day functions include:
- Working as a barrier. Early anatomy lessons tell us that the skin holds everything in, otherwise everything in our bodies would be all over the place. But aside from containing everything that’s inside the body, it also plays a big role in providing a watertight, airtight, and flexible barrier between the outside world and the body’s highly-regulated internal systems.
- Indicating certain health concerns. The appearance of someone’s skin is also very telling of their age and health, for instance. Changes in skin color, structure, or texture can be a sign of a medical condition. For example, people with hepatitis have yellowish skin. Even the location of your pimples can be indicators of health concerns. (Read more: Acne Face Map: Understanding Pimples & Their Locations on Your Face)
- Regulating body temperature by dilating and constricting the blood vessels near the skin surface, which controls how heat is transferred out of the body. It also regulates heat through sweat production.
- Vitamin D production, which helps prevent many diseases including osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and even neurological diseases.
- Allowing us the sense of touch by providing interaction with physical surroundings, allowing all fine and gross motor activities and allowing different kinds of stimulation.
- Helping us fight off bugs, allergens, toxins and carcinogens through the parts of our immune system that exist in our skin. This includes billions of T cells, which is the body’s response to against microorganisms that may harm the body.
- Physical appearance. The quality and condition of our skin contributes to our perception of health, wellness, youth, and beauty. The appearance of our skin can also have a significant impact on our confidence and even our mental health.
Key nutrients that boost skin immunity
Because the skin and other parts of the body do so much, it needs raw materials to function properly. This is where vitamins and nutrients come in. From building bones to healing wounds, to boosting the immune system and keeping skin healthy, these nutrients help ensure many body functions run smoothly.
In the case of skin immunity, there are three nutrients that help give it a much needed boost:
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Lactoferrin
This ingredient is fast becoming a hot topic in online skincare circles mainly for its acne-fighting benefits. Lactoferrin is a single-chain protein found naturally in milk from humans and cows. It is known for its iron-binding property, which is crucial in the transport of iron into and between internal organisms.Aside from that, Lactoferrin is also used as an antioxidant to protect the body against viral and bacterial infections. Lactoferrin helps stimulate the immune system and boost its response to sickness. On the acne-fighting front, the nutrient’s antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are a triple threat for acne. Acne-causing acne and inflammation are kept at bay while skin cell renewal is kept healthy and optimized.
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Zinc
This mineral is also often associated with overall immunity, as it is required for the normal development of the immune system, helping regulate the activity of cells involved in immune function. It is naturally present in the body and also a cofactor of different enzymes involved in cell growth and division.It may come as a surprise to some but zinc is actually an important antioxidant in skin health. Zinc plays a big role in sun protection, shielding the skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, which can cause skin concerns like wrinkles, sun spots, 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. It also promotes wound healing and repair of damaged tissues. As an antioxidant, Zinc also helps regulate oil production, which may also help improve skin appearance.
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Vitamin E
Vitamin E is the skin vitamin that everyone knows about. But did you know that it also helps equip the immune system while also giving the body the antioxidants it needs to fight cell-damaging free radicals?This fat soluble vitamin is a major antioxidant that naturally works to neutralize environmental stressors that destroy the collagen in your skin and cause signs of premature aging like wrinkles. It also lives in and protects the cell membranes that form a barrier around cells, ensuring they stay healthy and hydrated, which then keeps the skin stay moisturized and supple. By helping the skin stay moisturized, it keeps the sebaceous glands from producing too much sebum, which is a major cause for acne.
The ingredient is also studied to have anti-inflammatory properties that helps with controlling inflammatory acne. Because of its antioxidant function, Vitamin E’s free radical-fighting properties aid in wound and scar healing.
Earlier we talked about T cells in the skin and how it helps with immunity. If T cell production is strong, the body is able to combat sickness properly. On the other hand, if production is impaired, viruses will continue to replicate. Vitamin E actually helps the immune system to generate more of these T cells that are needed to fight disease and illness.
Lactezin for clearer skin and stronger skin immunity
While these nutrients are naturally occurring and/or can be found in certain vitamin-rich foods, you may also consider taking a supplement with these ingredients to get the most of their skin-boosting benefits.
Lactezin is a clinically tested anti-acne 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 your overall health.
SOURCES:
https://theconversation.com/the-skin-is-a-very-important-and-our-largest-organ-what-does-it-do-91515
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279255/
https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/vitamins-and-minerals
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25157026/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4120804/
