7 Vitamins And Nutrients For Radiant Skin And Happy Hair

Want to slay with skin that makes you look ‘snatched’? Here’s an easy way to add essential vitamins and nutrient-rich foods to your diet for healthy skin and better hair growth.

However, that does not mean you skip your skincare routine! Instead, complement it with the right nutritional supplements. There are a number of food items that are rich in vitamins and nutrients for hair and skin. Once you know all about these nutrient-rich foods and their impact on hair growth and health, you will change the way you look at food.

While a balanced diet is vital to good health, specific vitamins significantly impact how our skin and hair look, especially as we start ageing. Adding vitamins for hair and skin to your diet early can help maintain and enhance their look, feel, and texture. These essential vitamins can also delay skin ageing and improve hair growth.

Let’s learn which kitchen staples (and specials) hold the secret to naturally smooth skin and healthy hair.

Also known as retinol, vitamin A is famous for its effect on hair and skin. It is often a key ingredient in anti-wrinkle creams and serums. But did you know that it also regulates the production of sebum? This oil maintains the moisture level in your skin and hair, giving you a youthful and healthy appearance. Plus, it's also good for the eyes and reduces the risks of acne.

Include yellow and orange fruit and vegetables in your daily routine as they are rich in beta-carotene, and the body can convert that into retinol. Add papaya, mango, apricots, carrots, and red pepper. In addition, eat cheese, eggs, fatty fish, milk, sweet potato, black-eyed peas, spinach, tomato juice, and if you have a taste for it, liver pâté — which you can easily make at home.

A key player in collagen formation, vitamin C is the ultimate buzzword in most popular skin and haircare routines. A powerful antioxidant, vitamin C safeguards your skin from free radicals. Research shows that it also helps prevent skin ageing and dryness, fight against photoaging due to UV ray exposure, and delay wrinkles. In addition, it allows the body to absorb iron, which is essential for hair growth. Make sure you include enough of it in your diet.

Try to include fruit and vegetables in raw form, as vitamin C might be destroyed during longer cooking periods. All citrus fruits, like oranges, kiwis, and lemons, are rich in vitamin C. Add tomatoes and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower) to your meals. While fresh juice and fruit bowls are a great idea, you can go creative with salads for summer days with a broccoli and cauliflower salad or a filling jowar (sorghum) and spinach salad.

The ‘sunshine vitamin’ helps with hair follicle growth; therefore, a deficiency might lead to hair loss. Studies show that unstable vitamin D levels can also worsen acne, rosacea, and psoriasis. Vitamin D helps control calcium levels, which are very important for keeping the skin hydrated and keeping the body's and skin's immune functions in optimal condition. 

While the sun is widely known to be a vital source of vitamin D, one must be careful about the time they spend exposed to the sun and only wear good-quality sunscreen. Add cheese, mushrooms, egg yolks, and fatty fish to your diet.

A well-known component of skincare routines and products, vitamin E is recognised for its ability to reduce inflammation, marking it as crucial for maintaining healthy skin. It works with vitamin C to strengthen the cell walls, which means reduced or delayed age-related sagging of the skin. Additionally, vitamin E has antioxidants that help maintain hair growth and skin health.

Most seeds and nuts are rich sources of vitamin E, but almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts are especially nutrient-dense. Add them to your breakfast bowls or soak them overnight (just like our grandmoms did) and have them in the morning. Avocados, mangoes, and apricots are also rich sources. Adding vegetables like cooked beets, turnips, red peppers, and squash will give you a healthy dose of vitamin E.

Biotin is the more popular name for vitamin B7, also called vitamin H. Like the rest of the vitamin Bs, biotin is crucial for converting food into energy. People with a biotin deficiency show hair loss and sometimes have scaly skin patches.

Biotin is a water-soluble nutrient that cannot be stored in the body, so you need to add it to your diet. Organ meats, including liver and kidneys, are abundant in biotin. For a biotin boost, add egg yolks and dairy products like milk, cheese, yoghurt, bananas, and whole grains to your meals.

Not the most famous but the most versatile component of your skin, zinc helps repair the tissues of the outer layer of your skin. It also rebuilds collagen, which slows down the signs of ageing and skin damage. That's not all; this superstar also regenerates your body's natural oils, which help prevent dandruff and keep your skin supple and moisturised.

Chickpeas, yoghurt, cashews, hemp seeds, lentils, eggs, and red meat contain lots of zinc. Most zinc-rich foods are easy to add to your favourites. From chana curry to masala lassis, all help maintain zinc levels.

Iron keeps your skin and hair in good health by carrying oxygen for cell and tissue repair. Low levels of iron directly impact hair follicles, leading to dull and weak hair and, in many cases, hair fall.

Fruits like figs, dates, prunes, and dried apricots are rich in iron and can be added to meals. Iron-rich vegetables include sweet potatoes and broccoli and leafy greens such as kale and spinach. You can also add tofu, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds.

Family physician Dr SZ Anwar (MBBS) says, “Most people tend to go online and self-medicate, thinking they're doing it for healthy skin and hair without realising that an excess can cause damage to their overall wellbeing.” He suggests consulting a doctor or certified nutritionist before drastically altering one’s diet, especially if adding nutritional supplements.