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I was wondering if someone can compare the functionality of vitamin A, Bx (x means numbers, such as 1, 2, 3, ...), C, D, E, K in the skin? They are used in cosmetics but what is their actual effect?

If there is some source that compares between them in particular, I think it will help me understand some important basics.

Some products:

GNC Vitamin C Moisturizing Cream

GNC Vitamins E, A & D Moisturizing Cream

Reviva™ Labs Alpha Lipoic Acid Vitamin C Ester & DMAE Cream

Reviva™ Labs Vitamin K Cream

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migrated from Nov 24 '12 at 20:21


I added a section to your question to ask for the effect the vitamins have on skin in general separating it out from their presence in cosmetics. Feel free to re-edit if I've missed your point. – Rory M Nov 24 '12 at 23:21
Bx and C are water-soluble so unless there are special uptake systems that I'm not aware of, they should have 0 effect if you rub them on the skin... – Armatus Nov 24 '12 at 23:25
@Armatus: Perhaps I was not accurate enough. There are cosmetic products with ingredients of Bx and C derivatives. – Tim Nov 25 '12 at 1:48
@Tim (1) Skin is a protective tissue with the special purpose of keeping things out. Hydrophilic substances have no way of getting past it other than wounds, but lipophilic substances can dissolve through the cell membranes. Hair is a collection of dead cells and protein as far as I know and vitamins may have effects on them in some way. (2) As I said, there might be uptake systems of the skin that I don't know about which could be exploited by modifying the vitamins. Anti-aging is a disputed concept as far as I know. – Armatus Nov 25 '12 at 13:46
I think this question is too broad to encompass all known vitamins. – user560 Dec 26 '12 at 22:49

Vitamin A: One study conducted in the 60's claims that vitamin A acid prevents formation of comedones in Acne Vulgaris [1]. Another one conducted in the 70's found no significant improvement of plantar warts when vitamin A acid was applied topically [2].

Vitamin D: Agents like calcipotriene associated with topical steroids are effective against psoriazis [3]. They inhibit keratinocyte proliferation, normalize differentiation and modulate the activity of immune cells [4]. Active form of vitamin D is also effective against vitiligo [5].

Vitamin E: It reduces skin damage induced by UV [6, 8], but it shouldn't be applied on scars [7].

Vitamin K: It prevents bruising after laser treatment and reduces the severity of eventual bruising [9, 10].

Vitamin B12: It is an effective treatment for atopic dermatitis [11] and children with eczema [12]. It could also potentially improve olfactory function when associated with corticosteroids [13].

Vitamin B1: It doesn't protect you from mosquitoes [14].

Vitamin B3: It improves fine lines/wrinkles, hyperpigmentation spots, texture, red blotchiness and sallowness [15, 16].

Vitamin C: It improves wrinkling by new collagen formation [17]. It is useful in sun-induced skin ageing [18, 19] where it increases density of dermal papillae [20].

And here are the results of a study [21] which assessed multiple vitamins:

Vitamins A, C, E, and B3 have been shown to have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but to achieve optimal effectiveness, products must be delivered in appropriate formulations. Products containing alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), retinol (vitamin A), and niacinamide (vitamin B3), are effective for the treatment of photoaging. These compounds have also shown effectiveness in the treatment of inflammatory dermatoses, acne, and pigmentation disorders and wound healing.

The same study [21] also concludes that combinations are better:

There is emerging evidence that combinations of vitamins have additive effects that provide enhanced efficacy compared with individual compounds.


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  13. Heilmann S, Just T, Göktas O, Hauswald B, Hüttenbrink KB, Hummel T. [Effects of systemic or topical administration of corticosteroids and vitamin B in patients with olfactory loss]. Laryngorhinootologie. 2004 Nov;83(11):729-34. doi: 10.1055/s-2004-825676. PubMed PMID: 15538662.
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  16. Bissett DL, Oblong JE, Berge CA. Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance. Dermatol Surg. 2005 Jul;31(7 Pt 2):860-5; discussion 865. PubMed PMID: 16029679.
  18. Humbert PG, Haftek M, Creidi P, Lapière C, Nusgens B, Richard A, Schmitt D, Rougier A, Zahouani H. Topical ascorbic acid on photoaged skin. Clinical, topographical and ultrastructural evaluation: double-blind study vs. placebo. Exp. Dermatol. 2003 Jun;12(3):237-44. PubMed PMID: 12823436.
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  20. Sauermann K, Jaspers S, Koop U, Wenck H. Topically applied vitamin C increases the density of dermal papillae in aged human skin. BMC Dermatol. 2004 Sep 29;4(1):13. doi: 10.1186/1471-5945-4-13. PubMed PMID: 15456516.
  21. Burgess C. Topical vitamins. J Drugs Dermatol. 2008 Jul;7(7 Suppl):s2-6. PubMed PMID: 18681152.
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