A is for anti-aging.
B is for brightening.
C is for collagen boosting.
I’m talking about vitamins. Just like your body needs its fair share of vitamins to boost your immune system and stave off colds and nasty diseases, your skin needs them to keep wrinkles and dark spots at bay.
But with so many vitamins to choose from, how can you tell which ones your skin needs the most? Here’s a quick guide to the most common vitamins used in skincare and what they do. Take your pick!
Vitamin A: Best For Antiaging
Vitamin A is the only thing scientifically proven (so far) to reduce the wrinkles you already have. It comes in many forms:
- Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (Granactive Retinoid)
- Retinaldehyde
- Retinol
- Retinyl Palmitate
- Retinyl Retinoate
- Tretinoin (Retinoic Acid - prescription only)
If “retin” is in the name, it’s a form of Vitamin A. But, not all of them are created equal.
Most forms of Vitamin A (with the exception of Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate and Tretinoin), must be converted into Retinoic Acid to work their anti-aging magic. It works like this:
Retinyl palmitate > Retinol > Retinaldehyde > Retinoic Acid
Retinyl palmitate is too far away from Retinoic Acid to be effective. Retinaldehyde is closer, but too unstable to add to skincare products. That leaves Retinol as the most effective form of Vitamin A in OTC skincare products. Here’s what it does for your skin:
- Accelerates cellular turnover (i.e. the skin’s natural exfoliating process)
- Boosts the production of collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm
- Fades away dark spots
- Helps treat acne
- Neutralises free radicals before they give you wrinkles
The catch? There are two:
- Irritation: Vitamin A can irritate and dry out your skin when you first start using it. A way to get around this is to use microencapsulated retinol. It’s a technology that releases retinol into the skin slowly over a period of several hours, rather than all at once. It’s just as effective, but gentler on the skin.
- Sun sensitivity: Vitamin A makes skin more susceptible to sun damage (ironic, as it helps treat it!). Use it at night only.
You can find retinol in our Night Renewal Cream for aging skin and Skin Fix Serum, a formula that targets both wrinkles and acne.
Vitamin B3: Best For Brightening (And Everything Else!)
Vitamin B3 is another name for Niacinamide, a multitasker that does everything you ask it to:
- Brightens the complexion and fades away dark spots
- Helps treat acne
- Hydrates skin
- Reduces the appearance of wrinkles
- Soothes irritations and rosacea
Doesn’t matter what your skin type is or what concerns you have, niacinamide can help you fix it - sans side effects. This vitamin is safe for everyone, including sensitive skin.
You’ll find niacinamide in our Niacinamide Serum, an anti-aging formula that treats both breakouts, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, and Redness Calming & Skin Soothing Serum, an anti-inflammatory cocktail for sensitive and easily irritated skin.
Vitamin B5: Best For Soothing
Vitamin B5 is the alcohol form of Vitamin 5, Pantothenic Acid. Its nickname? Panthenol. It has four superpowers:
- Helps keep oil production under control
- Hydrates skin
- Soothes irritations
- Speeds up wound healing
If you’ve got dry skin or are prone to breakouts, it’s a good idea to add Panthenol to your skincare routine.
We’ve added Panthenol to our B5 Serum With Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid for a double dose of moisture, and Mega Lift All-In-One Daily Beauty Cream Moisturizer, an anti-aging formula to help fight wrinkles.
Vitamin C: Best For Collagen Boosting
Vitamin C is a water-soluble Vitamin that comes in many forms:
- Ascorbyl Glucoside
- Ascorbyl Palmitate
- Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
- L-Ascorbic Acid
- Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
- Sodium Ascorbyl Palmitate
- Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
- Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
If you can spot “ascorb” in the name, it’s a form of Vitamin C. Here’s how they all help you keep your skin young:
- Boosts the production of collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm
- Brightens the complexion and fades away dark spots
- Neutralizes free radicals before they give you wrinkles
- Prevents UV damage (especially when paired with its BFFs, Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid)
The most powerful form of Vitamin C is L-Ascorbic Acid. It’s also the most irritating and stable (it goes bad within weeks). If you have sensitive skin or want your Vitamin C serum to last you for months, opt for a derivative instead.
You can get L-Ascorbic Acid in our Super-C 20% Vitamin C Serum, which also includes Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid for better damage prevention. If you prefer a derivative, our MAP Vitamin C Serum contains a whopping 15% Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate - it’s the only product that has this much MAP!
Vitamin E: Best For Moisturizing
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin available in many different forms:
- D-alpha-tocopherol
- D-alpha-tocopherol acetate
- Dl-alpha-tocopherol
- Dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate
- Tocopherol
- Tocopheryl acetate
- Tocotrienols
You’ve guessed it. If it has “tocopher” in there, its Vitamin E. What does it do? Plenty of things:
- It moisturizes skin, reducing water loss
- It neutralises free radicals, the nasty molecules that give you wrinkles
- It helps protects your skin from UV rays (especially when paired with Vitamin C and Ferulic Acid)
FYI, in case you’re wondering, nope, Vitamin E can’t heal scars. That’s a myth.
You’ll find Vitamin E in our Super-C 20% Vitamin C Serum, a powerful anti-aging cocktail, and our entire range of moisturizers and oils. That’s its strength, remember?
Vitamin K: Best For Dark Circles
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin produced by your liver. Scientists call it phytonadione.
This vitamin is involved in the coagulation process, so scientists believe it can help treat dark circles caused by blood pooling. A 2004 study seems to confirm this. A gel with 2% Vitamin K, 0.1% retinol and 0.1% vitamins C and E was found to reduce dark circles in 47% of patients!
If that’s the cause of your dark circles, try our Vitamin K Cream. It also helps with purple blotches and spider veins.
The Bottom Line
Skincare is like diet. Just like your body needs a wide variety of nutrients to stay healthy and soft, your skin needs a mixture of vitamins to look its best. If you’re interested in anti-aging, go with A and C. If you need more moisture, B5 and E are your BFFs. K is great for dark circles. And B3 is for absolutely everyone.