With winter almost upon us, sunshine is the last thing we can expect to see for the next few months here in the UK. And even if it is shining, it isn’t strong enough to really generate the amount of Vitamin D we need. Because of that, Public Health England says 1 in 5 Brits are deficient in vitamin D and it recommends taking a supplement.
The reason for this is that low amounts of Vitamin D in our bodies can lead to a poor immune system and poor would healing and host of other health issues including bone and muscle pain, fatigue and hair loss to name a few. It’s even been linked with an increased risk of heart problems and diabetes. All in all, it’s pretty important for healthy cell growth, which means it’s important for your skin too.
Sunlight is the main source. When sun shines on the skin it sparks a process that tells the body to manufacture the vitamin D3. The liver converts it to a useable form and its carried around the body in the blood stream to where its needed.
Certain foods such as oily fish, beef, liver and egg yolks are other sources, but it’s hard to get the amount we need from food alone.
So in addition to eating healthily many people take oral supplements to top up, but the skin can be an effective delivery system too according to this study involving 550 subjects. It showed that the control group had significantly higher levels of circulating Vitamin D in their blood after topically applying Vitamin D. But don’t throw away your oral supplements quite yet, there is still more research needed before it’s safe to say it they’re a thing of the past.
What we do know is Vitamin D is a vital part of your beauty regime. It can help treat conditions such as acne and psoriasis and it’s also useful for skin healing and rejuvenation – helping slow the ageing process.
Dermatologists recommend applying Vitamin D directly to the skin through professional products – like D Force Risk Management creams by Beaute Pacifique.
Even during the Summer months, when it is possible to get more natural sunlight to absorb Vitamin D through the skin, it’s important to be careful to avoid sunburn and increasing your risk of developing skin cancer.
Beaute Pacifique has two top Vitamin D skincare products – one for the face and another for the body: D Force Risk Management Day Cream and D Force Risk Management Body Cream which can give you the perfect sunshine boost.
They provide you with an all-year-round care regime to revitalise and rejuvenate your skin, making it healthy and younger looking.
Once you’ve tried it, you’ll see a visible difference in days – and feel healthier too.
Shirley Nicol is the Medical Director of Clinica Medica in Glasgow and the UK distributor of Beaute Pacifique products.