The Benefits of Vitamin A For Your Skin

Your retinoid-responsive skin absorbs vitamin A well when applied topically. This can relieve acne and other skin issues.

What Is Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is crucial for skin, ocular, reproductive, and immunological health.

Animal foods including meat, poultry, and dairy contain preformed vitamin A, or retinoids. Fruits and vegetables include carotenoids or provitamin A.

Both kinds become retinol in the liver. It's then stored in your liver or carried to bodily cells by the lymphatic system.

What Does Vitamin A Do?

Vitamin A benefits your body and skin.
It affects eyesight, reproduction, and immunological function.
Function of organs (heart, lungs, kidneys) and skin health (including acne)

Vitamin A can benefit your skin by:

Improving The Appearance Of Wrinkles And Sagging

Research indicates that topical retinoids, or vitamin A, can diminish fine lines and wrinkles by boosting collagen formation.

Retinoids like retinol repair damaged elastin fibers and promote angiogenesis, or blood vessel growth, to enhance skin elasticity and sagging.

Reducing Hyperpigmentation And Other Sun Damage

Eating a diet rich in carotenoids, including beta carotene, helps reduce cell damage, skin aging, and illnesses. Carotenoids can boost skin health and beauty by protecting it from environmental stressors such as pollution and UV radiation.

Retinoids renew skin cells. This can improve hyperpigmentation, age spots, and sunspots, and lead to a more even skin tone.

Helping Address Acne

The American Academy of Dermatology supports topical retinoids for acne treatment in adolescents and adults.

Retinoids exfoliate surface skin to remove debris, oil, and dead skin cells from pores, preventing pimples.

They also enter the skin to increase collagen and elastin formation, reducing pores and acne scars.

Helping Treat Psoriasis And Other Skin Conditions

Vitamin A is found in both topical and oral psoriasis treatments.

Retinal lowers elevated skin patches and inflammatory cytokines and interleukins.

A healthcare provider may prescribe oral acitretin, another retinoid, for severe, resistant psoriasis.

As a vitamin A-based medicine, Bexarotene (Targretin) treats cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, which can cause skin abnormalities such as rashes, dryness, itching, and thickness.

Is Vitamin A Deficiency Common?

In the US, vitamin A is found in fortified goods like milk and cereal, as well as in nutrient-rich meals like cheese, butter, and fruits and vegetables.

The National Institutes of Health recommends 400 mcg RAE of vitamin A daily for anyone over four. This demand can be met by plants and animals.

Most Americans obtain enough vitamin A from their diet. Please note that preterm newborns and those with cystic fibrosis may require increased vitamin intake. Young children need less vitamin A than reproductive-age adults and nursing mothers.

In nations with abundant food, vitamin A insufficiency is rare, although it is frequent in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Ways To Take & Use Vitamin A

Vitamin A In Foods

To maintain skin health, choose a diverse diet rich in vitamin A. Retinoids are present in animal products:

salmon
beef liver
dairy products, including milk, butter, and cheese
eggs
fish
cod liver oil
shrimp

Carotenoids can be found in plant products, such as:

carrots
tomatoes
sweet potatoes
leafy green vegetables
fruits, including mangoes, apricots, and plums

Vitamin A Supplements

Most individuals receive enough vitamin A from their diet, but if you're contemplating supplements, you have many options:

multivitamins, most of which contain some vitamin A
beta carotene (provitamin A)
retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate (preformed vitamin A)
a combination of provitamin A and preformed vitamin A

Topical & Prescription Retinoids

Strong evidence supports the advantages of topically administered retinoids. Together, increased collagen and elastin synthesis, can smooth skin and decrease fine lines and wrinkles.

The anti-inflammatory effects of retinoids can decrease blocked pores and cure acne. Options for topical vitamin A include:

creams, serums, and oils designed to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles
moisturizers
sunscreen
over-the-counter (OTC) acne products
prescription acne treatment

If you’re exploring options based on your skin goals:

For acne. Most OTC retinoids for acne are effective for moderate, non-inflammatory acne, such as blackheads and whiteheads. Differin gel is now available OTC, previously only available with a prescription. If you have inflammatory acne, your dermatologist may recommend tretinoin or other therapies.
For signs of aging. OTC retinol creams and serums reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and mild discoloration. Creams for the eyes and neck are available alongside full-face choices. A dermatologist can prescribe stronger retinoids to treat deeper wrinkles, skin drooping, and age spots.
For psoriasis. Treatment of skin and nail psoriasis may include tazarotene and corticosteroids. This retinoid slows skin cell proliferation, reduces thickness and scaling, and improves discoloration and edema.

Retinoids Aren’t Always The Best Option

Topical retinoids can help, but they don't fix skin issues. Their benefits end when you stop using them.

They won't work for everyone, and even OTC solutions can cause irritation, swelling, stinging, burning, and skin peeling.

Always see a dermatologist before using new skincare products or therapies. They can help you create a skin-specific treatment plan.

Using Vitamin A Safely

Not everyone should take vitamin A. Overusing oral or topical vitamin A might create negative effects. It can be dangerous, especially for those with skin disorders and other health difficulties.

Learn how to safely utilize vitamin A.

Topical Retinoids

Products containing retinoids may not be good options if you have:

rosacea
eczema
skin allergies
dry skin
hormonal acne
moderate or severe acne scarring

Potential side effects of topical retinoids include:

skin dryness, redness, itching, and scaling
increased sensitivity to UV light (real and artificial)
eczema flare-ups

Oral Vitamin A

Diet provides adequate vitamin A for most individuals. Too much-preformed vitamin A from supplements or pharmaceuticals can have significant negative effects, including:

headaches
blurred vision
nausea
dizziness
liver damage
birth defects
coma
death

High beta carotene intake doesn't pose the same hazards as preformed vitamin A, but it can tint your skin yellow or orange. No worries—lowering your beta-carotene intake will return your skin to its normal hue.

Other supplements and drugs that interact with vitamin A include:

acitretin (Soriatane), used to treat psoriasis
bexarotene (Targretin), used to treat the skin effects of T-cell lymphoma
Orlistat (Alli, Xenical), a weight-loss drug

Do not take vitamin A pills or apply topical vitamin A like retinol or other retinoids if you take any of these drugs or are pregnant.

Other Ways To Get And Maintain Healthy Skin

You can enhance your skin without vitamin A. You may also improve your skin with these steps:

Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
Consume a healthful, antioxidant-rich diet.
Remember to use sunscreen daily. Before going outside, reapply sunscreen or cover-up.
Avoid excessive sun exposure, especially without protection, and tanning beds.
Avoid smoking and stop if you already do.
Wash your face daily: morning and evening.
Keep up with your skincare program based on your skin type.

If you have acne or rosacea, see a dermatologist. Dermatologists can provide additional skin care advice.

You can generally acquire enough vitamin A from meals. However, topical or oral vitamin A may help alleviate acne and sun damage.

To enhance skin health, consider eating a diet rich in key vitamins and avoiding exposure to UV radiation and tobacco.