Vitamins from Within and Out!

How to care for your body and skin this winter with our range of supplements and vitamin-infused skincare 

What is a Vitamin?

Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients which your body needs in order to function properly. They play a part in our metabolism, at various levels including the functioning of our cells, tissues and organs, and the various systems in our body, such as our immune system. 

What Vitamins Might We Need to Take in the Winter and Why?

In the summer months we are automatically more inclined to eat fruits, salads and a more varied diet, whereas in wintertime we may tend to reach for the sugary, salty snacks, comfort eating, as well as stocking up on stodge at meal times. Adequate protein and vitamins are essential for supporting our immune systems: all vitamins play their part in immunity in one way or another.

You should consider supplementing with a multivitamin and mineral, ensuring that levels of C and B vitamins are high, or failing that taking a separate supplement that contains these. You may also wish to choose a vitamin D supplement, as in the wintertime the sun is not strong enough for us to naturally create vitamin D. Our stores last about 3 months from summer, which leaves us with around another 3 months where we could be deficient.

Vitamin B12 is the most important B vitamin for immune support, as it plays an important part in white blood cell production. Most sources of vitamin B12 are from animal products, so it is particularly important that vegetarians and vegans supplement their diet with a B12 product. We recommend Garden of Life mykind Organics Vitamin B12 Spray.

Vitamin C supports the skin barrier function against pathogens and plays an important part in oxidant scavenging, which you might know better as protection from free radical damage. Vitamin C deficiency results in impaired immunity and higher susceptibility to infections. For the winter months, we always carry Garden of Life mykind Organics Vitamin C Spray for on-the-go dosing, but for times when we need a higher dose, we turn to Ener-C Vitamin C Powder with 1000mg per sachet- just add to water.

Vitamin D plays a large and important part in how our immune system responds to illness and infection, and a deficiency may lead to an increased susceptibility to infection. Nature’s Answer Vitamin D3 Drops offer 4,000iu of vitamin D per two-drop serving, and can be easily added to water or food. 

What About Vitamins in Skincare?

Vitamins play an important part in our skin health and function, particularly vitamins C and E, which work together in scavenging free radicals to help prevent premature ageing. You can read more about this relationship and the power of vitamin E in skincare here, plus you can discover more about JASON’s range of Vitamin E Oils here. Today we are going to look at vitamin C in skincare.

Vitamin C helps to relieve the symptoms and appearance of dry skin when used topically, however it also helps the skin cells repair damaged tissues. Vitamin C plays a major role in the production of collagen, a protein found in the body that, along with elastin, is responsible for the skin’s structure. Vitamin C can also be used directly on the skin as a protection technique against harmful rays and pollutants. 

We offer two skincare ranges built upon the power of vitamin C: JASON C-Effects for anti-ageing and Avalon Organics Intense Defense for anti-pollution. 

The JĀSÖN C-Effects™ range is formulated with an exclusive multi-antioxidant complex; a broad spectrum skin defender that combines: Ester-C®, vitamin C in its most stable form, vitamin E, naturally derived green tea and thioctic acid. Our favourite product is the Creme, which has a rich texture but at the same time is easily absorbed. We love the fresh and fruity scent too! 

The Avalon Organics Intense Defense range balances vitamin C, white tea and lemon bioflavonoids to defend skin and support its natural renewal cycle. If you like face oils, you will love the Antioxidant Oil: a blend of apricot, raspberry and argan oil that absorbs quickly, reinforcing the skin's natural lipid barrier to lock in moisture and protect against environmental stressors.