Which Vitamins Are Good for Skin? The Authorised List and the Trials

The vitamins and minerals that are good for skin, in the sense that Great Britain's register of authorised health claims recognises, are vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, iodine and zinc, which each contribute to the maintenance of normal skin; vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin; copper, which contributes to normal skin pigmentation; and vitamins C and E, zinc, selenium and copper, which contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.¹ Those wordings describe what each nutrient does in everyone, and a label may carry one only where a daily portion supplies at least 15% of the nutrient reference value.^{1, 8} The trial record for skin appearance in people who are not short of a nutrient is thin: a 12-week controlled trial of 39 adults on a carotenoid, vitamin E and selenium mix recorded higher skin density and less roughness, a US diet survey of 4,025 women linked higher vitamin C intake to a lower likelihood of a wrinkled appearance, and no placebo-controlled trial of oral vitamin C or vitamin E alone for skin appearance was found.^{9, 10} The vitamins and minerals guide covers each nutrient in full.

Evidence at a glance

• Register: six "maintenance of normal skin" wordings, one collagen-formation wording for vitamin C, one pigmentation wording for copper, five oxidative-stress wordings; no vitamin holds a wording for wrinkles, dryness, "glow" or sun protection (GB register, last updated 19 May 2026).¹
• Human trials in people with normal skin: one 12-week controlled trial, 39 adults, antioxidant mix, skin density and roughness improved on the mix and unchanged on placebo; funding not stated.¹⁰
• Diet association: 4,025 US women aged 40 to 74, higher vitamin C intake went with a lower likelihood of a wrinkled appearance (odds ratio 0.89) and of dryness (0.93); non-US government research support.⁹
• Not tested: a single vitamin against placebo for skin appearance in adults who are not deficient; any vitamin for sun protection in a form a GB label may claim.

Sources checked on 1 November 2026.

Which vitamins and minerals carry a skin wording in Great Britain?

Ten nutrients. The table gives the exact wording, the nutrient reference value a label uses (a daily portion must supply at least 15% of it before the wording may appear), and the NHS daily figure and supplement line for each. The NHS vitamin and mineral pages were last reviewed on 3 August 2020 and are marked for review.^{2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}

Two things the table does not say. None of these wordings is about wrinkles, dryness, firmness, acne or ageing: the register's skin entries are maintenance wordings, and no wording about wrinkles or sun protection is authorised for any vitamin, mineral or carotenoid.¹ And a wording describes the nutrient, not the product: a multivitamin, a fortified cereal and a skin-labelled capsule may all carry "zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal skin" if a daily portion supplies 1.5 mg of zinc, so the useful comparison between products is the amount of each nutrient per daily portion, read against the NHS figures above.^{1, 8}

One line in the table is under review. Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, and the NHS line of 350 micrograms a day in supplements rests on a 2003 UK assessment; in September 2026 the UK Committee on Toxicity, reviewing selenium in the maternal diet, endorsed in draft minutes the European upper level of 255 micrograms a day from all sources as its guidance value in place of the older 450 microgram expert-group value, noting that a single high-strength supplement can exceed 255; its final statement had not been published at 1 November 2026.^{1, 6, 22}

Vitamin C: collagen formation and the one large diet study

Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin, and the reason is mechanical: the enzymes that cross-link collagen need vitamin C as a cofactor, which is why the NHS lists "maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage" and "helping with wound healing" among its functions and names scurvy as the result of going without.^{1, 2} Adults need 40 mg a day, the NHS says a varied diet supplies it, and taking less than 1,000 mg a day in supplements is unlikely to cause harm; above that, stomach pain, diarrhoea and flatulence are the recorded effects.²

The evidence on vitamin C and how skin looks is observational. In the first US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, dermatologists examined 4,025 women aged 40 to 74 and a 24-hour diet recall estimated their nutrient intakes; higher vitamin C intake went with a lower likelihood of a wrinkled appearance (odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 0.96) and of senile dryness (0.93, 0.87 to 0.99), independent of age, sunlight exposure, menopausal status, body mass index and supplement use.⁹ A diet richer in vitamin C is also a diet richer in fruit and vegetables, so the study shows an association, not what a tablet would do, and no placebo-controlled trial of oral vitamin C alone for skin appearance in adults with normal levels was found in the literature searched for this page. What is vitamin C good for covers deficiency, colds and the UK dose, and what vitamins should I take with collagen the pairing with collagen.

Vitamin A: normal skin, the 1.5 mg line and the pregnancy rule

Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, and the NHS describes its job as "keeping skin and the lining of some parts of the body, such as the nose, healthy".^{1, 3} Adults need 700 micrograms a day (men) or 600 (women); the NHS asks that food and supplements together stay at or under 1.5 mg (1,500 micrograms) a day, because intakes above that over many years have been linked to weaker bones, and says "If you eat liver every week, do not take supplements that contain vitamin A".³ The European authority retained a separate upper level of 3,000 micrograms of retinol equivalents a day in 2024, set on the risk of birth defects, and advised women planning or in a pregnancy not to eat liver products.¹²

The rule that matters most on a skin product is the pregnancy one, in the NHS's words: "Do not take cod liver oil or supplements containing vitamin A (sometimes called retinol) when you're pregnant. Too much vitamin A can harm your baby's development. Always check the label."¹¹ Retinol, retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate in an ingredient list are preformed vitamin A; beta-carotene is the plant form the body converts as needed, and the European authority says smokers should avoid supplements containing it.^{3, 12} What is vitamin A good for covers the units, the foods and who in the UK runs low.

Vitamin E: oxidative stress and the one combination trial

Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress; the NHS says it "helps maintain healthy skin and eyes", puts the daily need at 4 mg for men and 3 mg for women, and says 540 mg (800 IU) or less a day in supplements is unlikely to cause harm, adding that there is not enough evidence to know the effects of high daily doses.^{1, 5}

The one controlled trial of an oral antioxidant mix in people with normal skin ran for 12 weeks in 39 adults in three groups of 13: lycopene, lutein, beta-carotene, 10 mg of alpha-tocopherol and 75 micrograms of selenium; the same without lutein and with more lycopene; or placebo. Skin density and thickness measured by ultrasound rose in both supplemented groups, roughness and scaling improved, and nothing changed on placebo; funding is not stated on the record, and the design cannot separate the vitamin E from the carotenoids and selenium.¹⁰ No placebo-controlled trial of oral vitamin E on its own for skin appearance in adults with normal levels was found in the literature searched for this page, so the fair statement is the authorised one: vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, and what a vitamin E capsule does to the look of skin has not been measured.

Zinc: normal skin, with trials of its own in acne

Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.¹ UK adults need about 9.5 mg a day (men) and 7 mg (women), and the NHS says "Do not take more than 25mg of zinc supplements a day unless advised to by a doctor", because high doses cut the copper the body absorbs.⁶ Zinc is the one nutrient on this list with randomised trials in a skin condition, acne, and the doses in those trials sat above the NHS line; is zinc good for your skin sets out the acne meta-analysis, the largest trial and the wound-healing evidence, and signs of zinc deficiency who runs short.

Riboflavin, niacin, biotin and iodine: the other maintenance wordings

Riboflavin, niacin and biotin each contribute to the maintenance of normal skin, and so does iodine.¹ The NHS's descriptions match: riboflavin helps "keep skin, eyes and the nervous system healthy", niacin helps "keep the nervous system and skin healthy", biotin is "found in a wide range of foods, but only at very low levels", and iodine makes the thyroid hormones that set the body's metabolic rate.^{4, 7} The daily figures and supplement lines are in the table above. One practical note: the NHS says "Taking high doses of nicotinic acid supplements can cause skin flushes", so the form of niacin on a label matters as well as the amount.⁴

Deficiency of any of these is uncommon on a mixed UK diet, and none has a trial measuring skin appearance at normal intakes. Biotin's skin wording is the same maintenance wording as its hair one; is biotin good for hair growth covers the dose, the food amounts and the blood-test rule for high-dose biotin, is it ok to take B complex every day the B group together, and thyroid supplements, iodine and selenium the iodine figures.

Carotenoids, antioxidants and the sun: what may not be claimed

No wording about protecting skin from the sun is authorised for any vitamin or carotenoid: the register lists beta-carotene "helps to maintain physiological immune responses of the skin upon UV radiation", lycopene-containing tomato extract "can contribute to the maintenance of skin health when exposed to sun" and lutein "protects the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals" among the non-authorised entries, each refused because the claimed effect was not substantiated.¹ The antioxidant trial above did measure skin density and roughness, not sunburn, and nothing swallowed changes the fact that shade, clothing and sunscreen are what protect skin from UV. The astaxanthin skin trials measured moisture and elasticity, and does astaxanthin make you tan covers the one UV study and why carotenoids can tint skin without protecting it.

Collagen and hyaluronic acid are not vitamins

They are the two ingredients most often sold beside skin vitamins, and neither holds a GB health claim, so their evidence is trial evidence rather than label wording. For collagen peptides it is the larger record: a 2023 meta-analysis of 26 randomised placebo-controlled trials in 1,721 people found measured skin hydration and elasticity improved, a 2026 systematic review counted wrinkle depth improving in nine of the ten trials that measured it, and a 2025 meta-analysis of 23 trials in 1,474 people found the overall effect but not a statistically significant one in the subgroups of trials without industry funding or rated high quality, which is a gap in the evidence, not a verdict on collagen.^{13, 14, 15} For oral hyaluronic acid, a 2025 pooled analysis of seven randomised trials reported gains in hydration, elasticity and wrinkle depth, and the largest single trial, 150 adults for 12 weeks, found 120 mg a day improved hydration, elasticity and wrinkle depth against placebo, with six of its authors employed by the maker.^{16, 17} Vitamin C sits in many collagen products because of its collagen-formation wording. Does collagen make you look better and is it safe to take a hyaluronic acid supplement hold the trials in full.

Who should check first

Anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone on levothyroxine or with a thyroid condition, anyone with kidney disease or haemochromatosis, and anyone with sudden, patchy or persistent skin changes should ask their GP or pharmacist first. Two additions for skin products: the NHS vitamin A pregnancy rule above applies to any product listing retinol or a retinyl ester, and a product with high-dose biotin should be mentioned to whoever takes your blood, because biotin interferes with thyroid and other laboratory tests.^{11, 18} A skin change that does not settle, a new or changing mole, or a rash with other symptoms is a GP matter, not a supplement one. A suspected reaction to a food supplement is reported to your local authority's food safety team, which works with the Food Standards Agency; the Yellow Card scheme is for medicines.

What we don't know

• Whether any single vitamin changes how skin looks in adults who are not deficient. No placebo-controlled trial of oral vitamin C or vitamin E alone for skin appearance was found; the one controlled trial used a carotenoid, vitamin E and selenium mix in 39 people.^{9, 10} Literature searched to 1 November 2026.
• Whether the vitamin C and wrinkle association is the vitamin. The 4,025-woman study measured diet, and a vitamin C-rich diet differs from a low one in many ways; its record carries a published correction whose content was not read for this page.⁹
• How common mild shortfalls of riboflavin, niacin, biotin or vitamin E are in UK adults, and whether they show in the skin. The NHS pages give amounts and lines, not deficiency surveys.^{4, 5}

Frequently asked questions

What vitamins are good for skin?

Vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin and biotin, with the minerals zinc and iodine, contribute to the maintenance of normal skin, and vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin; no vitamin holds an authorised wording for wrinkles, dryness or sun protection.¹

Which deficiency causes dry skin?

Usually none of the vitamins. The NHS lists "dry skin, dry hair or hair loss" among the common symptoms of an underactive thyroid and "skin changes, including dry and itchy skin" among the symptoms of the menopause and perimenopause, and iron deficiency anaemia can bring paler skin and itching; vitamin C deficiency shows as scurvy, with bleeding gums and poor wound healing, before it shows as dry skin.^{2, 19, 20, 21} Dry skin that persists is a question for a GP, who can test, not a reason to buy a vitamin. Menopause itchy skin covers the emollient advice.

Do skin supplements work?

Each nutrient in them does what its authorised wording says, in everyone, once a daily portion supplies 15% of the reference value.¹ Whether a skin supplement changes how skin looks has been measured in one small controlled trial of an antioxidant mix, which improved skin density and roughness over 12 weeks, and more fully for collagen peptides, where pooled trials found hydration and elasticity improving.^{10, 13} No trial has compared a skin vitamin product with the same nutrients at reference amounts.

Is vitamin E good for skin when taken by mouth?

Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, and the NHS says it helps maintain healthy skin and eyes; 3 to 4 mg a day meets the need and 540 mg or less a day in supplements is unlikely to cause harm.^{1, 5} No placebo-controlled trial has measured oral vitamin E alone on skin appearance; the one trial that included it, 10 mg a day in a carotenoid and selenium mix, improved skin density and roughness in 26 adults against 13 on placebo.¹⁰

Sources

1. Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register, authorised and non-authorised entries; last updated 19 May 2026. gov.uk. Authorised: vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, iodine and zinc, maintenance of normal skin; vitamin C, normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin; copper, normal skin pigmentation; vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium and copper, protection of cells from oxidative stress. Non-authorised: beta-carotene, tomato extract and lutein UV and sun wordings.
2. NHS. Vitamins and minerals: vitamin C. Page last reviewed 3 August 2020 (review overdue). nhs.uk.
3. NHS. Vitamins and minerals: vitamin A. Page last reviewed 3 August 2020 (review overdue). nhs.uk.
4. NHS. Vitamins and minerals: B vitamins and folic acid (riboflavin, niacin, biotin). Page last reviewed 3 August 2020 (review overdue). nhs.uk.
5. NHS. Vitamins and minerals: vitamin E. Page last reviewed 3 August 2020 (review overdue). nhs.uk.
6. NHS. Vitamins and minerals: others (zinc, copper, selenium). Page last reviewed 3 August 2020 (review overdue). nhs.uk.
7. NHS. Vitamins and minerals: iodine. Page last reviewed 3 August 2020 (review overdue). nhs.uk.
8. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 as retained in UK law, Annex XIII, nutrient reference values and the 15% significant amount. legislation.gov.uk.
9. Cosgrove MC, Franco OH, Granger SP, Murray PG, Mayes AE. Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007. Cross-sectional analysis of the first US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 4,025 women aged 40 to 74, 24-hour diet recall and dermatologist examination; research support from a non-US government source; a correction is on record. PubMed 17921406.
10. Heinrich U, Tronnier H, Stahl W, Béjot M, Maurette JM. Antioxidant supplements improve parameters related to skin structure in humans. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2006. Controlled trial, 39 adults with normal skin in three groups of 13, two carotenoid, vitamin E and selenium mixes against placebo, 12 weeks; funding not stated on PubMed. PubMed 16679825.
11. NHS. Pregnancy vitamins and supplements. Page last reviewed 3 June 2026. nhs.uk.
12. EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens. Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for preformed vitamin A and beta-carotene. EFSA Journal, 2024. Scientific opinion; regulator's assessment. PubMed 38846679.
13. Pu SY, et al. Effects of oral collagen for skin anti-aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 2023. Meta-analysis, 26 randomised trials, 1,721 people; hospital-funded, no conflict of interest declared. PubMed 37432180.
14. Bassila C, et al. Efficacy and safety of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin health outcomes: a systematic literature review of randomized controlled trials. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2026. Systematic review, 25 randomised trials of 13 to 236 people; one author employed by a health consultancy. PubMed 42342959.
15. Myung SK, Park Y. Effects of collagen supplements on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. American Journal of Medicine, 2025. Meta-analysis, 23 randomised trials, 1,474 people, with subgroups by funding source and quality; funding not stated on PubMed. PubMed 40324552.
16. Amin P, Sarabi A, Choe S, Scott S, Suh S, Mesinkovska NA. Oral hyaluronic acid supplement: efficacy in skin hydration, elasticity, and wrinkle depth reduction. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025. Meta-analysis, 7 randomised placebo-controlled trials; funding not stated on PubMed. PubMed 40911749.
17. Dolečková I, et al. Oral sodium hyaluronate improves skin hydration, barrier function and signs of aging: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 150 healthy adults. Scientific Reports, 2025. Randomised trial, 150 adults, 60 or 120 mg a day for 12 weeks; six authors employees of the maker, which states it had no involvement in design or analysis. PubMed 41422283.
18. MHRA. Safety roundup, May 2025: biotin interference with thyroid function laboratory tests. gov.uk.
19. NHS. Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism): symptoms. Page last reviewed 28 April 2025. nhs.uk.
20. NHS. Menopause: symptoms. Page last reviewed 19 May 2026. nhs.uk.
21. NHS. Iron deficiency anaemia. Page last reviewed 26 January 2024. nhs.uk.
22. Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. Draft minutes of the 8th September 2026 COT meeting, item 6: selenium in the maternal diet (paper TOX/2026/31). Draft minutes, updated 15 October 2026; a final statement is to follow. gov.uk.

Spotted something out of date? Email support@wellgard.co.uk with the page address and the sentence.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Skin changes that persist, spread or come with other symptoms need a GP; do not take supplements containing vitamin A in pregnancy.