As you get older, you need to start taking better care of yourself. Gone are the days of staying out all-night and falling into bed with a face full of makeup. You probably workout, take vitamins, and even try to keep a healthy diet most of the time. Surely that’s the key to great skin, right? Sadly, not entirely so. While all of these elements are important, it’s easy to forget some of the most important building blocks that your skin requires to stay healthy, vibrant and wrinkle-free. One of the most important elements of this mix is getting your daily requirement of vitamin D. It may come as a surprise, but this essential vitamin plays a crucial role in skin cell development and repair, as well as your skin’s immune system. It also assists in destroying free radicals that can cause premature aging. Given the huge benefit of getting a healthy dose of vitamin D on a daily basis, how can you be sure you’re getting what you need?
What is Vitamin D?
If it’s a vitamin, surely you’re getting enough from your daily dose of multivitamins, right? In essence, vitamin D doesn’t even really fit in to the schematic of a traditional “vitamin,” as it were. The definition of a vitamin is something that is required to sustain your life and health, but that you cannot produce on your own. When it comes to vitamin D, your skin actually has the ability to produce vast quantities of what it needs (along with your intestines and kidneys), but only when it’s given the opportunity. This opportunity is through the sun, or, simply put, catching some rays.
How Can I Get More Vitamin D In My Diet?
One of the best sources of getting your vitamin D is through limited and controlled exposure to sun. Although you may have heard recently that staying out of the sun is one of the most important things you can do, neglecting to get any sun exposure can actually damage your skin’s ability to create its own vitamin D. While the sun’s effects are aging in large quantities, aiming to get between 20-30 minutes of early morning or late afternoon sunlight per day is optimal if you’re looking to increase your vitamin D uptake.
You may question if you’re able to wear sunscreen and still get your vitamin D intake through the sun. While the jury has been out on this for a while, a recent study from King’s College in London’s School of Dermatology found that wearing your normal sunscreen does not inhibit your skin’s ability to make and create vitamin D. After testing two groups, it was found that both groups with sun exposure saw their vitamin levels soar, but that the group wearing sunscreen were less likely to experience the damaging effects of a burn or over-exposure to the sun’s rays. In short, keep wearing that sunscreen — your vitamin D will still be going strong.
But what about getting your vitamin D through the food you consume? Though limited, this crucial skin-boosting vitamin can also be found through some of the foods you may already be eating on a regular basis. According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D is actually not available in very many foods. However, it can be found in foods such as fatty fish (tuna, salmon or mackerel), liver, cheese and egg yolks are also good sources.
Getting a healthy dose of vitamin D in your routine can help boost your skin’s ability to prevent aging and stay looking healthy. Those who fail to get an adequate amount into their skincare routine can oftentimes find themselves with more pronounced bone loss around the mandible, as well as more pronounced marionette lines and creping. This summer, don’t be afraid to slather on the sunscreen and catch some early morning rays. Your skin will thank you for it!
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