Vitamin A is a nutrient that is often recommended for the maintenance of normal skin & vision and also provides numerous other health benefits including the normal function of the immune system.

What is Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble group of vitamins that are essential for many processes within the body including maintaining healthy vision, a healthy immune system, ensuring healthy cell renewal and for healthy skin and hair growth.How effective is Vitamin A in dealing with problematic skin?

There are many factors that contribute to problematic skin and so it is useful to know that vitamin A is a powerful nutrient that can help. Vitamin A supplements can promote healthy cell renewal which can result in improved skin appearance as well as strengthening your tissues from within which means less likelihood of breakouts.

Medications such as Roaccutane contain a synthetic form of vitamin A which works to prevent clogging of pores from dead skin cells, reducing the amount of oil produced and decreasing androgen production that causes inflammation. Natural vitamin A supplements may also provide these benefits albeit gentler in action and generally without side effects.

Whilst vitamin A may be obtained from food sources, keep in mind that it is hard to obtain your daily requirements through diet alone which is where vitamin A supplements such as Vitamin A 5000iu by HealthAid come into play but do remember that vitamin A supplements are not a ‘cure-all’ and will be of benefit when combined with a healthy and varied diet.

Retinol in skin care

Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A and is considered by most dermatologists to be transformative in effective skincare. Studies have shown it to enhance cell turnover in skin resulting in improvements in ageing skin, and other common skin complaints.

With specific reference to breakouts, by enhancing cell turnover, it helps prevent pore congestion, regulates oil production and improves appearance of blemishes. Retinol is just one of a group called retinoids of which Granactive Retinoid Serum by Garden of Wisdom remains a firm favourite since it provides all the benefits to prevent breakouts without any irritation so common to high strength retinol products.

Conclusion

Vitamin A supplements and topicals can be a saviour if you suffer from problematic skin. It is however important to understand that too much vitamin A can be detrimental to the body. Vitamin A supplements should not be taken alongside anticoagulant medications, prescription retinoids and also during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding.