Dry Skin - Do Vitamin Supplements Really Work?

There are a number of different approaches that you can take when it comes to curing dry skin. You can decrease the amount of times that you shower and turn down your water temperature. You can increase your fluid intake and purchase a humidifier. Or you may even consider applying lotions and intense moisturizing creams to your skin. But is there anything else that you can do? Is it possible to treat dry skin with a vitamin supplement?

To see if vitamin supplements really cure dry skin, we must first understand how the body nourishes skin and how dry patches occur in the first place. The skin is the body's largest organ and as such is nourished by blood vessels and the endocrine system. Granted, the skin is a visible organ so it is easy to see why many people try to treat their dry skin merely through a topical approach. But keep in mind that the skin gets nutrients, moisture and vitamins through the internal systems. This is why an internal approach to curing dry skin is so important.

\"Dry Skin\"

How Do Vitamin Supplements Cure Dry Skin?

Dry Skin - Do Vitamin Supplements Really Work?

As mentioned before, your skin is nourished through the circulatory system. In fact, the majority of your skin's moisture is produced from the water that you drink. If you become dehydrated (most people are and do not even realize it), your body will start to pull moisture from other parts of the body to help with essential functions. One of the first places where this happens is the skin. This is why it is extremely important to drink plenty of water.

Vitamins can help restore health and beauty to dry skin by providing essential nutrients that your skin needs. Antioxidant vitamins such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E help boost healthy cell reproduction which results in youthful, healthy, hydrated skin. Vitamins also help restore a healthy balance to your entire body which greatly affects the appearance of your skin. If you are tired or sick, your skin is often the first place where this shows.

What Vitamins Work at Curing Dry Skin?

Now that you know what important role that vitamins play in curing your dry skin, you are likely wondering which vitamins work the best. Here is a guide to help you decide which vitamins you should be taking as part of your skin care routine:

* Daily multivitamin - Many dry skin conditions are caused by the lack of essential vitamins which are normally absorbed by the body from the foods that we eat. In many cases, though, a regular diet does not supply all of the vitamins that the body needs. This is where taking a daily multivitamin supplement comes in handy.

* Vitamins A and B - Vitamins A and B are vital for skin hydration. If your body is lacking in either of these vitamins, you may begin to show signs of dry skin. These vitamins are normally found in common foods such as fish and leafy vegetables. If you do not consume enough of these types of foods, you may want to consider taking a supplement.

* Vitamin E - If your skin looks dull and lifeless, a lack of Vitamin E is probably to blame. This vitamin is found in foods like olive oil. Vitamin E is also readily absorbed by the skin so topical treatments containing this vitamin can be effective for treating dull and dry skin.

* Antioxidants - Antioxidants ensure healthy cell reproduction. This results in young, healthy and moist skin. You see, skin is renewed on a continuous basis. Daily your skin is producing new skin cells to take the place of dead cells. When you're young, these new skin cells are exact replicas of the old ones. As you age, though, the replicas can become mutated resulting in aged and dry skin.

As you can see, there are many vitamins that combat dry skin. Remember, your skin is an outward reflection of what is going on inside your body. You need to take care of your health, eat a proper diet, and drink plenty of water for your skin to look the best that it possibly can.

There are also many health conditions that can affect the appearance of your skin. Be sure to keep medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disease and Hodgkin's disease under control. This will make it much easier to maintain the health of your skin. Dry skin does not have to be a life long or even a seasonal sentence. Simple things like adding vitamins to your diet can do to lot for your dry skin.

Dry Skin - Do Vitamin Supplements Really Work?

www.dryskinsite.com brings you all the latest information you need to combat your dry skin problems. There's nothing to buy, just really helpful information. Be sure to check out pages like Dry Skin: Do Vitamin Supplements Really Work?

Dry Skin Care - The Truth About Vitamin D and Dry Skin

Are you aware that a large portion of people living in more developed and industrialized areas suffer from Vitamin D deficiency? And this condition is directly related to the desire of maintaining healthy and glowing skin. People in more modern societies are very conscious of the way their skin looks. They use large amount of skin care crams, varying in ingredients, potency and prices. Most of them are working indoors and stay out of the sunlight most of the time. Some historians suggest that Vitamin D deficiency was an indirect result of the Industrial Age, when people who used to work outdoors began working inside, like in the factories and industrial plants. The drastic decrease in exposure to direct sunlight significantly led to the Vitamin D deficiency, among others.

But what is Vitamin D and how is it related to dry skin? 

\"skin Dry\"

Briefly about Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a group of prohormones that are fat-soluble. Its two primary forms are Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). The latter type is one most recommended by nutritionists in enhancing your skin care regimen. Being a prohormone, it is largely critical in the formation of body hormones. Its deficiency may lead to various types of hormone-related disorders. Vitamin D is primarily produced by the body through exposure to the ultraviolet B radiation from the sun. Now you know the link between modern working environment and Vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D plays many functions in the body system. It is mainly responsible for the regulation of calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood. It helps the digestive tracks absorb more of these nutrients from the foods we eat. Because of this, Vitamin D is important to the proper development and growth of our bones. Vitamin D also minimizes the massive secretion of parathyroid hormones produced by the parathyroid gland. Excessive amount of this hormone leads to another hormonal disorder called hyperthyroidism.

There are many known causes for Vitamin D deficiency. Among leading factors are insufficient intakes of foods rich in Vitamin D, very limited exposure to gentle sunlight, and some disorders that limit the vitamin's absorption within and its conversion into more useful metabolites.  

Deficiency in Vitamin D leads to varying disorders. Notably, it may cause certain conditions pertaining to the skeletal system, such as rickets, osteoporosis and other diseases marked by the softening of the bone tissues. Recent studies suggest that Vitamin D has a large role in the maintenance of the proper balance of the skin tissues. Its deficiency results to drier and wrinkled skin layers.

A special layer on our skin is responsible for the conversion and processing of the ultraviolet B radiation from the sun into Vitamin D. Below par functioning of the melanin found on the skin has been linked to this condition. You actually realize that there is a mutual relationship between Vitamin D and skin balance, such that one benefits from the other.

To address this condition, you need to take foods that are rich in Vitamin D. Some foods are now fortified with increased amount of this vitamin, like your milk, breakfast cereals, bread, pastries and yogurt. Common marine sources are also rich sources of the Vitamin. Among the leaders are fish liver oil (especially cod liver) and fatty tissues of herring, mackerel, catfish, salmon, sardines, ell and tuna. You can also get substantial amount from whole egg and beef liver. 

Remember that exposure to sun is not inherently bad to your skin. It is too much exposure which leads to dry skin. Our body is designed to process Vitamin D from sunlight. You just don't have to overdo it.

So, what are you waiting? Go out and bask yourself under the mighty power of the sun.

Dry Skin Care - The Truth About Vitamin D and Dry Skin

And to help you get clearer and younger looking skin, I will like to share with you one anti aging skin care range that I found contains more active ingredients than any other cream on the market. These ingredients are effective moisturizers, because they penetrate deeply and "nourish". So, they never feel greasy.

I have never seen any other natural products that is as good and report no negative or adverse effects. They are hypo-allergenic, fragrance free and can be used on any skin-type. If you want to see discover similar results, you should visit http://www.goodhealthyskin.com to find out more.

Vitamin D For Psoriasis

Oral doses of vitamin D have been considered as a treatment for psoriasis. This was sparked by experiments with cholecalciferol or 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25 (OH)2D3), the active form of vitamin D made in the kidney, which showed promise in treating widespread psoriasis.

Using a one microgram daily dose of cholecalciferol, Japanese researchers in 1986 managed to treat 13 out of 17 psoriatic patents within three months. But there are risks involved with this therapy.

\"skin Irritation\"

High doses of vitamin D often leads to hypercalcemia (high blood calcium levels) which is characterized by nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, high blood pressure, kidney failure, and coma. This was observed in the Japanese study and can occur in those taking 1,000 lUs (international units) or more of vitamin D.

The topical use of cholecalciferol by the same researchers proved to be more beneficial and less toxic. Sixteen out of 19 patients were treated within three weeks with a dose of 0.5 microgram per gram compared to three months with oral doses. Still, the possibility of hypercalcemia remained since vitamin D is absorbed by the skin.

That was until researchers at Leo Pharmaceutical Products in Denmark tried to develop a new form of vitamin D which could clear up psoriatic plaques minus the risks encountered in both oral and topical applications of cholecalciferol. That led to the discovery of calcipotriol.

Calcipotriol is a vitamin D3 derivative which is just as effective as cholecalciferol in controlling rapid cell growth in psoriatic skin yet 100 - 200 times less likely to produce hypercalcemia. Unlike other creams and ointments, it is colorless and odorless and generally well-tolerated by patients.

This vitamin D3 analogue is recommended for the treatment of plaque-type psoriasis and can be used alone or in combination with UVB radiation (which was tackled earlier in this series). The exact mechanism of calcipotriol is unknown but numerous studies have established the efficacy of this drug.

Controlled clinical trials have shown that calcipotriol is just as effective as some steroids and more effective than anthranol (both of which were discussed in this series) in treating plaque-type psoriasis. Patients using the recommended dose of 50 micrograms per gram twice daily for six months have not developed hypercalcemia, making calcipotriol safer than other conven¬tional psoriasis regimens.

The long-term effects of calcipotriol, however, are unknown and its safety in children and pregnant women has not been established. Using more of the drug can also be dangerous. If you go beyond the recommended dose and use more than 100 grams a week, you may suffer from high blood calcium levels.

So far, the only side effect reported is a mild skin irritation that occurs in 10 to 20 percent of patients who use calcipotriol. But this can be controlled by means of careful application. Calcipotriol should not be used on the face and patients are advised to wash away traces of the ointment that accidentally get in other unaffected areas of the skin. If you experience skin irritation, stop treatment and consult a doctor immediately.

Vitamin D For Psoriasis

To strengthen your body, take Immunitril - your first line of defense in maintaining a healthy immune system. For details, visit http://www.bodestore.com/immunitril.html

Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine [http://www.HealthLinesNews.com]