Taking vitamins for rosacea together with a good balance of minerals, essential fatty acids and antioxidants, while not a specific cure, does provide optimal support for both your immune system and the health of your skin.
Rosacea is essentially a vascular problem which is characterized by a range of symptoms, from a red flushed looking complexion, through to acne-like skin eruptions, lumpy scar tissue on the nose or red itchy eyes. When your blood capilliaries are too close to the surface of your skin, the protective function that your skin is designed to perform is compromised and inflammation is often the result. By taking vitamins for rosacea, you won’t solve the underlying problem but you will arm your immune system with nutrients which are demonstrably specific to improved skin health.
The Most Recommended Vitamins for Rosacea
Vitamin A
I read a forum post recently where someone who had struggled with rosacea for 15 years, completely cleared away all rosacea symptoms by taking 25,000 IU of Vitamin A twice daily. Vitamin A can be found in fish liver oil. It should be noted however, that this is about 5 times more than the recommended daily dosage. Nevertheless, it is still considered low if only taken for a short term. If overdosing on Vitamin A is prolonged, it can lead to side effects including hair loss, dry skin, arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome.
Vitamin A, sometimes called retinol, is a powerful antioxidant and can be used topically in creams, or taken orally. Used topically, it has been shown to make a positive difference to rosacea symptoms, particularly those that arise from sun exposure.
Vitamin B Complex
B vitamins for rosacea are beneficial in that they are good for handling stress, which is a common rosacea trigger. Vitamin B3 in topical medications has anti-inflammatory properties which soothe the skin. Vitamin B12 is known to reduce flushing, which is common in rosacea patients.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is essential to aid in the blood clotting process. Here is another source that talks about the same stuff. Broken or dilated blood capilliaries that are too close to the skin’s surface contribute largely to rosacea symptoms and Vitamin K helps heal them. Applying Vitamin K topically as an ingredient in creams may help reduce the characteristic red spider web veins that often appear on rosacean faces.
Vitamin D
This is one of the interesting vitamins for rosacea because it has an upside and a downside. Our skin is the only organ that synthesizes sunlight into Vitamin D and therefore plays a central role in obtaining enough of it for good health. In return, the Vitamin D produced protects the skin from acne and other inflammatory skin diseases. But it also contributes toward our overall health and immune system and aids in the prevention of cancer and infectious diseases. If we don’t get enough Vitamin D from exposure to sunlight then it can be taken as a supplement.
A warning about too much Vitamin D – a recent study was published in Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology reported research involving 44 rosacea patients and 32 subjects without it. It was noted that the rosacea patients had levels of Vitamin D that were 25 percent higher than the non rosacea patients. Although the study was not definitive, there may be an indication that too much vitamin D in the body may actually lead to rosacea breakouts.
Vitamin C
The anti-inflammatory properties of this vitamin act on the blood vessels to reduce irritation and redness. Vitamin C can be found in all citrus fruits to varying degrees, but some have found citrus fruits to be a rosacea trigger. In cases like this, the vitamin should be taken as a supplement.
Vitamin E
This vitamin is good for healing the skin after flareups. It may also help to minimize scarring. You can either take it as a supplement or find it naturally in foods such as avocados, dark leafy green vegetables and any vegetable foods with ‘good fats’.
Vitamin E has produced some great results when applied topically as an oil. It will help with redness and pimple flareups and reduce the size of your skin pores, leaving your skin much smoother. If you apply this before retiring at night, it will soak into your skin while you sleep and work its magic. Vitamin E oil is particularly beneficial for those living in cold dry climates.
Before taking any of the above vitamins for rosacea in concentrated form you should remember that too much of anything can do more harm than good. Consult your health care practitioner to ensure that you are aware of the danger levels.
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