Vitamin F and all its benefits!
When it comes to skin care, there are a handful of vitamins that we all know, love and believe can transform our complexion. Experts advocate vitamin C for its great effects and ability to protect against pollution, vitamin E for its intensely hydrating properties and the ability to protect against environmental damage, and vitamin A (from which the miraculous ingredient retinol is derived) for exfoliating skin and minimizing problems such as acne, hyperpigmentation and thin wrinkles. But there’s another vitamin vying for a place in your skin care arsenal, and while he’s currently an unsung hero in the realm of beauty, he definitely shouldn’t be. Thinking about skin care, many experts say with certainty that vitamin F should be the new BFF of your skin.
We know what you’re thinking: is there vitamin F at all? Well, let's get to know each other. :)
Što je vitamin F?
How does vitamin F work?
What are the benefits of using vitamin F in skin care?
- Moisture Retention - Because it is considered an omega-6 essential fatty acid, vitamin F when used on the skin becomes ceramide, a moisturizing ingredient that is also credited with protecting the skin barrier and retaining moisture. In cosmetics, linolenic acid serves as an ingredient that helps maintain optimal skin moisture levels and thus a healthy level of elasticity.
- Skin barrier protection - Without vitamin F, our skin barrier is endangered. As we age, our barrier begins to become porous and if you look at the skin barrier under a microscope, you will see small holes in it. Such skin can become rough and chapped, and this happens because you do not get enough fat. This brings us to the importance of applying vitamin F in skin care to restore that barrier function. This is also very important to note if you like various steps in skin care and invest in expensive cosmetic products. But if you don't have a good skin barrier, you're actually wasting both time on skin care and money on expensive products, because if your skin doesn't function properly, all the expensive ingredients you apply to your skin are less likely to work.
- Reducing Inflammation - Vitamin F can be extremely beneficial for those who have inflammatory skin problems, such as dermatitis and psoriasis. Vitamin F helps reduce inflammation as well as regulate healthy cell function and excessive water loss.
- Fighting Acne - Research shows that those who have acne by topical application of vitamin F have managed to reduce their size by 25% in just one month. In addition, vitamin F regulates cell metabolism, i.e. promotes the healing process, and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, which is extremely important in the treatment of skin prone to inflammatory processes such as acne, and is well tolerated even by very sensitive skin. If you have acne-prone skin, applying vitamin F can reduce redness and dryness which can be a side effect of acne products.
- UV Protection - One of the important benefits of vitamin F is its ability to convert into compounds that exhibit inflammatory and immune properties that can alter our skin’s cellular response to ultraviolet light. This basically means that it can reduce inflammation and enhance recovery from environmental exposure that damages healthy skin cells and provide an extra layer of systemic photo-protection if you happen to forget to apply a cream with SPF protection some days.
- Fighting psoriasis - Vitamin F is best for patients with very sensitive skin and conditions such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, rosacea and acne-prone skin.
- Blocking irritants - Vitamin F is also known as linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid used to make ceramides that help build the outermost layer of the skin. They provide “cement” to keep the cells together and thus block irritants, UV light, contaminants and show anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, a better protective function of the skin from external stressors has been proven due to the continuous use of preparations based on linolenic acid, i.e. vitamin F.
- Giving a radiant glow - In general, anyone looking for a healthier and more youthful complexion can benefit from frequent use of fatty acids such as vitamin F, eg to avoid dryness, rough texture, irritation, allergies, inflammation and other signs of aging.
- Soothing Affected Skin - Vitamin F is great for those with chronic skin conditions characterized by compromised skin barrier function because it soothes inflammation and soothes problem skin.
Does vitamin F have side effects and how to use it?
Vitamin F has no known side effects, but provided you use it as directed. Vitamin F can be used in the morning or evening, but if the product also contains retinol or a vitamin A component, it is best to use it before bed. This is because products with retinol and vitamin A can cause redness or dryness, so be careful.
Vitamin F can be found in a variety of forms and is an ingredient in many different skin care products. From serums to oils to creams, vitamin F is a valuable ingredient used by many manufacturers. The correct way to use it varies depending on the product, but if you use a pure form of oil, you can use it both morning and evening as part of your daily routine. As a general rule, it is best to start using slowly. Normally, it can be used once to twice a day, but it’s best to start once a day to see how your skin reacts to vitamin F before you start using it frequently. Alternatively, you can create your own mask by mixing vitamin F into a mild face cream or serum. But be sure to add the oil directly to the part you are going to add to the skin, not to the whole jar or bottle as you can disrupt the concentration of ingredients in your product and potentially reduce the half-life. If you use vitamin F in the form of a mask, be sure to leave the mask long enough for the ingredients to penetrate the skin.
Foods rich in vitamin F
Essential fatty acids, or vitamin F, cannot be synthesized by the human body alone, so they should be taken in through diet. There are two families of omega fatty acids: omega-3, which are derivatives of linolenic acid, and omega-6, which in turn are derivatives of linoleic acid. They play a key role in immune and anti-inflammatory processes, and the production of hormones essential for maintaining the youthful appearance of the skin.
You can get vitamin F from all fatty foods of animal origin, which you may be used to avoiding. You can also get omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids from meat, especially fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and tuna, which contain many of these healthy fats. In addition, vitamin F also contains grape seed oil, flaxseed oil and germ and nut oil. Always choose raw nuts, not fried ones, as they can help you get vitamin F, which is present in large amounts in nut oils. Seeds like soy, walnuts, sesame and sunflower are also high in essential fats. Useful avocado is an important plant source of vitamin F, and can also be found in legumes.
Omega-6 fatty acids, found in unrefined pumpkin, almond, olive, corn, sunflower and wheat oils, and in the precious cedar oil that can be found in pharmacies, are more prevalent in nature. Peanut, pistachio, cedar and pumpkin seeds are vitamin F bombs.
As we can see, vitamin F can be obtained in a multitude of food choices, also in almonds, chia seeds and egg yolks, while perhaps the most important source of vitamin F is flax seed.
Vitamin F deficiency
As we have been able to see so far, vitamin F contains substances that are essential and necessary for life, from which other saturated fatty acids are synthesized. This vitamin F has the functions of recovery and creation of tissues and cells in the body.
When the skin lacks vitamin F, it becomes dry, dandruffy and prone to eczema. Scars pass slowly, that is, the natural property of the skin to regenerate is slowed down. Vitamin F deficiency causes water loss and excessive thirst. People who often have a long-lasting bruise on their skin are deficient in vitamin F. Other signs of a deficiency include scratches that heal slowly, hair without shine, and dry eyes. People with low levels of this vitamin can suffer from eczema.
Chronic vitamin F deficiency in the body contributes to the occurrence of vascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis, phlebitis, inflammation of the veins, thrombosis, heart attack, liver disorders and chronic diseases of the digestive system such as diarrhea and constipation, but also reduces resistance to viruses and bacteria.
Vitamin F deficiency can cause and aggravate all problematic situations, as already mentioned, which are affected by essential fats. Vitamin F deficiency can cause acne, psoriasis or eczema. Many skin diseases are associated with vitamin F deficiency as well as an unfavorable ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 acids in the body. Symptoms of vitamin F deficiency can include hair loss, kidney, heart and liver problems. A weakened immune system is noticed, even behavioral disorders. Lack of useful unsaturated fats causes a tendency towards slow recovery of the organism and susceptibility to infections. Vitamin F deficiency is thought to dehydrate the tear glands, affect blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which can be high, and increase the likelihood of blood clots forming in the blood. Dry skin, dandruff or brittle nails are also indicators of vitamin F deficiency.