Vitamins for the Skin

With people living longer and healthier lives, the demand for anti-ageing products has never been greater. A leading cosmetic surgeon based in Cape Town, South Africa, believes that skin needs daily replenishment of vitamins and antioxidants to fight the effect of photoaging — ageing which is caused by exposure to sunlight. Dr Des Fernandes claims that photoaging is a skin disease caused by vitamin deficiencies. Exposure to sunlight destroys vitamins A, E and C and beta carotene in the skin, hence why the best treatment for photoaging, he says, is to supply the skin with what has been lost through exposure to UV light.

“The skin ages because we lose essential light-sensitive vitamins every time we go out into sunlight. The scientific method to counteract this damage is to replace the lost vitamins every single day, preferably both morning and evening.”

Vitamin A is the Key to Healthy Skin

“Vitamin A is the key molecule that maintains safe, healthy skin and it should be used by every single person on this planet in order to neutralise the accelerating damage from a thinner ozone layer. If there is insufficient vitamin A in the skin, then no matter what cosmetic you put on it, the skin’s cells will not be healthy.”

Topical vitamin A has long been used in anti-ageing cosmetics as it makes the skin thicker, reduces pigmentation and helps to smooth out the skin. However, alongside vitamin A, vitamin C and E are also destroyed by exposure to UV light. These two powerful antioxidants are crucial to the body – by protecting healthy skin cells. Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen and the reduction of pigmentation blemishes while vitamin E helps preserve cell walls.

Dr Fernandes believes there are two significant rules to revolutionising skincare. Firstly, every skincare regimen should have vitamins A, C, E and Beta carotene included at least once a day. Beta carotene is a precursor of vitamin A and is often called vitamin A, but it is also a powerful antioxidant in itself. He recommends vitamin A to be combined with antioxidants for the most effective results. Secondly, vitamin replenishment should start soon after exposure to sunlight.

“In order to protect the skin each day while also allowing for the formation of natural vitamin D, a low SPF should be used for simple ’round the town’ sun exposure. The low SPF can be augmented, in effect, if the day cream has been fortified by the addition of natural vitamin A and antioxidants. These antioxidants will reduce the damage from UV light.”