The skin or skin covers the entire body, the appearance of the skin, its health and free from problems such as acne, pigmentation, wrinkles, dryness and other problems that affect the skin reflects on your personality, beauty and self-confidence
Skin care is as simple and important a task as caring for any organ of the body. The skin is the first line of defense of the body from the invasion of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other pathogens
Therefore, there is an important step to start taking care of your skin and it must be carried out to treat any skin problem.
Proper nutrition and starting with a dietary supplement to compensate the skin for any vitamins, elements, amino and fatty acids that it lacks.
The skin, like any organ in the body, consists of various cells with a special structure to perform its tasks, including:
- The surface layer of the skin consists of keratinized cells and is 5 layers or rows in the thick skin such as the skin in the palms of the hands and feet and 4 layers or rows in the thin skin in the rest of the body
- The last row of cells in the surface layer includes important types of cells with a special composition such as:
- Melanin-producing cells
- Merkel cells have a sense role
- Langerhans cells have an immunological role to protect
- The constituent cells of keratinocytes
- The middle layer of the skin includes collagen fibers, elastin, hair follicles, sebaceous glands and sweat glands
- The lower layer of the skin includes a network of fat cells under the skin and collagen fibers
- In order for the body to form all these cells correctly and therefore these cells are able to perform their tasks, the body needs proper nutrition and important elements and vitamins necessary to build skin cells
The most important elements, vitamins, amino and fatty acids important for building the skin are:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- B1 (thiamine )
- B2 (riboflavin )
- B3 (niacin )
- B5 (panthothenic acid )
- B6 (Pyridoxine )
- B7 (biotin )
- B9 (folic acid )
- B12 (cobalamin )
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin C
- Unsaturated fatty acids
- Omega-3 (fatty acids )
- Amino acids and protein
- Zinc
- The Iron
- Magnesium
- Selenium
Natural sources of the most important elements, vitamins, amino and fatty acids important for building the skin:
- Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna are rich in amino acids, protein, fatty acids, omega-3 and vitamin B7, which is biotin and selenium.
- Eggs it is rich in protein, vitamins A, E and B, elements of zinc and selenium.
- Red meat is rich in protein, vitamins D and B, zinc and iron elements.
- The liver is rich in vitamins A, D and B and the Iron element.
- Leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce are rich in vitamin A, C and E, protein, omega-3, selenium and iron elements.
- Flax seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-3.
- Legumes such as lentils, beans, soy, chickpeas, cowpeas and peas are rich in protein, amino acids, B vitamins and zinc.
- Fruits such as avocados and oranges are rich in vitamin C and e
- Olive oil, which is rich in fatty acids and vitamin E
Sources:
- Anatomy, Skin (Integument), Epidermis – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
- Epidermis (Outer Layer of Skin): Layers, Function, Structure (clevelandclinic.org)
- The 15 Best Vitamins & Nutrients for Healthy Skin (webmd.com)
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals
Author of the article
Ibrahim Ammar
More than 15 years of experience in beauty products, skin and hair care
Egyptian Pharmacist
Treatab platform operations manager