The A,B,C of Beauty Vitamins | What Do You Do Vitamins!?

I always see a beauty product with claims of a billion helpful vitamins to make my face perfect, but I never really know what I’m getting in to. So I figured I’d do some research and share it :]

White coat | Check.  Geeky glasses | Check.  Alluding to a typical scientific stereotype | Check.

So in the words of Joey Ramone, 'Hey, Ho, Let’s Go!'

 

So I think first it is important to define ‘vitamin’. Its alright saying what each one does to make us pretty, but what is it?

Vitamin - any of a group of organic compounds which are essential for normal growth and nutrition and are required in small quantities in the diet because they cannot be synthesised by the body

 (oxforddictionaries.com)

 

Vitamin A/ Retinol

Essential for growth, skin cell repair and for night/dim light vision. If you eat a carrot, your body can process and turn carotene in to vitamin A, so that old wives tale isn’t far off.  It’s absorbed by the skin, and may also play an important role in learning and....err....wait...oh yeah! Memory.

- Skin repair and growth keeps up the elasticity, take that wrinkles!

Found in: Oily fish, eggs, broccoli, sweet potato, mango and cheese.

 

Vitamin B

A crowd of substances vital for the working of certain enzymes in the body, so basically the bully of the vitamins, or maybe more like a traffic warden. It goes around, making sure everything’s in check, poking and annoying the other stuff inside you to keep it all moving in the right place, never stopping in the wrong places. It also creates red blood cells, which are like little cars full of oxygen whizzing round.

- Increasing blood circulation is good for looking rosy cheeked and healthy

Found in: meat like chicken, eggs, fish and broccoli

 

Vitamin C/ Ascorbic acid

Oranges. Yes, that lovely citrusy fruit, needed to make collagen, which plumps up your skin keeping you looking young, and evens out skin tone. It also aids in the formation of liver bile, which helps to detoxify you after a heavy night out.

- Getting rid of the bad stuff on the inside, to keep your skin plump and even on the outside

Found in: Kiwi, broccoli, oranges and sweet potato

 

Vitamin D

The DIY vitamin. You can make this one yourself in your body, as long as you’re in sunlight, like a plant with photosynthesis. It helps you intake calcium to keep your bones and teeth good and strong.

- keeping your peggies strong and chomp-able and holds up the internal structure, so you’re not like jelly

Found in: Liver, Oily fish and eggs

 

 

 

Vitamin E/Tocopheral

 

When you cut yourself and oxygen makes contact, oxidation happens and new cells replace the dead cells, healing the cut over time. But cells can be damaged during this, and they turn into free radicals. Vitamin E combats free radicals and protects the cell membranes, keeping them stable (no insane in the membrane), and gives you nice soft skin at the same time.

- Stops free radicals in the name of beauty, and makes your skin supple

Found in: Nuts, seeds, plant oil and soya

 

Vitamin F ? G? Well, they’re both part of vitamin B, so is vitamin H, which is also called Biotin. Vitamin I? Part of B again, and then J just doesn’t exist.

 

Vitamin K

Extremely important for the blood-clotting process! And because of this, it helps with circulation and can reduce redness and dark under eye circles.

- Bye death circles under the eyes, and it also stops you from dying when you tweeze/wax to vigorously

Found in: Leafy greens like spinach or broccoli, cereal and egg yolk.

 

Vitamin L is nowhere to be found, vitamin M is also Folic Acid, which is found in....surprise surprise – Vitamin B! And O, well that's just imaginary.

 

‘Vitamin P’

It’s not a real vitamin! It’s a bunch of compounds found in citrus fruits, and referred to as Bioflavonoids. Different bioflavonoids have different roles, but essentially ‘P’ is vitamin C’s BFF. Wherever you find C, ‘P’ is not far away because it’s responsible for helping the absorption of C.

 

And then Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z have no business being here in the vitamin list!

 So, to recap: Even though our bodies hardly make any of these essential vitamins, as long as you have a healthy diet, and get outside once in a while, you should be good to go. They are very important to our health, and can have a massive impact on our bodies both inside and out. There’s more info about vitamins and minerals here.

Hopefully this was a little helpful, so next time you see a magic potion with ‘Contains Vitamin E’ on the label, you can wow someone and say “ That will make my skin soft and kick out all the free radicals :] “

 

Gem

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