Your Beauty Benefits of B Vitamins!
Your Beauty Boosting Benefits of B Vitamins!
If dehydration, dullness or dryness comes to mind when it comes to your skin concerns (especially in winter) then the Bs are for you!
Whether you are wanting to help alleviate inflammatory skin, such as flaking skin, reduce excess oil flow, even out skin tone or even reverse signs of ageing by boosting collagen formation and strengthening cellular integrity, then it may be time to consider your intake of B vitamins!
There are 8 different types of B vitamins, all of which play a vital role in the care and benefit to your skin. B vitamins are a water soluble nutrient, which means that they must be obtained from our diet, as they are readily excreted and cannot be stored within the body.
Here I will break down how the functions and benefits of each nutrient can support our skin health!
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) is involved in energy metabolism and the growth, development and function of cells, all of which help to support wound healing and prevent scarring. Deficiencies in this can lead to weakness, dryness, craped or flaking of the skin.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) plays a vital role for achieving healthy, glowing skin. This helps with maintaining the growth of tissues to encourage a healthy cell turnover, helping to support a clearer complexion, as well as the maintenance of collagen production which protects the structural integrity of the skin. Vitamin B2 is particularly beneficial for acne sufferers as it also assists maintaining the oil flow of the skin, helping to prevent breakouts.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) is one of the most popular skin vitamins as it helps to boost the complexion of the skin and provides multiple factors which assist in skin healing. This helps with the production of ceramides and fatty acid barriers, which assists with retaining skin moisture and plumpness; preventing dry, sensitised skin and ageing skin. It has also been shown to assist skin conditions including helping with acne, eczema, dermatitis and pigmentation.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) helps to maintain a plump, hydrated skin tone, and improve the elasticity of the skin. This can be applied topically, which acts as a humectant (which helps to retain the moisture in the skin). This also assists with healing and protecting the skin, helping to reduce inflammation and redness and strengthen the skin's barrier. Vitamin B5 has also been shown to help to provide benefit in reducing excess sebum production and regulate the oil flow production.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) works within the nervous system, and helps to regulate sleep by producing serotonin (our happy hormone), and melatonin. This also helps to reduce cellular inflammation and supports cell regeneration.
B7 (Biotin) is utilised for the metabolism of fatty acids and protects cells from damage and water loss, which helps to keep your cells hydrated. As biotin helps prevent water loss, this is also beneficial for protection against acne, fungal infections and rashes.
B9 (Folic Acid) actually provides similar properties to antioxidants, helping to promote cell turnover and fight against free radical damage. It is particularly key in supporting sun damaged skins and preventing premature ageing skin.
B12 (Cobalamin) helps promote cell production and can be applied topically for skin benefits as it provides anti-inflammatory benefits, and supports the skin strength and integrity, which is particularly useful for conditions such as dryness, acne, psoriasis and eczema.
So here you can see the multiple benefits and vast array of ways your B vitamins can boost your beauty routine! So, you may be thinking, how do I apply this?!
Let’s take it back to basics.
Aim to consume a highly plant based and whole food diet, rich in dark leafy green vegetables, and include lean poultry and proteins, such as fish, chicken and eggs, legumes such as chickpeas and lentils and healthy fats such as avocados, nuts and seeds. This is the best way to increase your intake of these nutrients.
Also, variety is key! Fill your plate with a variety of different coloured vegetables to ensure you get a wide variety of nutrients and vitamins into your day, and reap the benefits of your B vitamins!
I hope you found this helpful, and if you know someone that would benefit from this, please share this with them.
Also, please leave me a comment below on your thoughts,or anything you found interesting. I’d love to hear
from you!
Thank you, Till next time,
Dominique,
Skin Nutrition Co.