Expert shares an easy guide on essential vitamins and their sources

Dr Gagan Bhatia is a single mother and the founder of the lifestyle venture Uniqaya. Image courtesy: iStock

To be graced with radiant and nourished skin is a goal for many. Your skin will only respond well to you if you take care of it from within as well as externally. For this, one should always resort to the vitamins that promise a healthy glow and contribute to one's skin health. Amongst the vitamins, it's vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B-5 and vitamin E that actually stand out for their remarkable effects.

Chandigarh-based skincare expert and founder of Uniqaya Lifestyle, Dr Gagan Bhatia takes us through vitamins for glowing skin:

Vitamin C
This is a very powerful vitamin that aids in collagen production and helps maintain the skin's elasticity. It also prevents your skin from premature ageing and reduces the appearance of dark spots. It also evens out your skin tone and improves the overall skin texture. The foods that are rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits, such as lemons, oranges, grapefruits, kiwis, strawberries, bell peppers and leafy green vegetables.

Vitamin B-5
Also known as pantothenic acid, vitamin B-5 plays a vital role in maintaining healthy skin. This vitamin helps in the production of coenzyme A, which is important for the metabolism of fats and oils in the skin. It's this particular vitamin that helps in keeping the skin properly moisturized. It also promotes healing and aids a lot in reducing inflammation. Some of the sources of vitamin B-5 include avocados, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, salmon, chicken, and lentils.

Vitamin E
Everyone in the skincare industry knows about this vitamin and loves it to bits. Vitamin E is a very potent antioxidant that protects the skin from sun damage which is caused by free radicals and environmental factors. This vitamin helps a lot in nourishing the skin, reducing inflammation and improving one's skin's elasticity. Vitamin E is also known to work wonderfully with vitamin C, thus enhancing the overall effectiveness. Foods that are rich in vitamin E include almonds, sunflower seeds, spinach, broccoli, avocado, and olive oil.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A is very crucial for the maintenance of healthy and plump skin. It aids in promoting a youthful complexion and further helps in the maintenance of skin cells, thus keeping the skin smooth and supple. Vitamin A is also known to support the skin's natural exfoliation process, which allows for new skin cells to regenerate. The food sources which are rich in Vitamin A include sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, mangoes, apricots, and animal liver.

Vitamin D
Often referred to as the "sunshine vitamin", this vitamin is very beneficial for the skin and our bodies produce it when they're exposed to sunlight. This vitamin plays a very important role in regulating skin cell growth and repair, and also promotes a healthy skin barrier. While sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D, it can also be obtained through certain foods, such as fatty fish, like salmon and mackerel. They are excellent sources of this vitamin.

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