If you want your skin to look firm and glowing you need to look after your diet and have a good beauty routine to include moisturising and sunscreen. Vitamins and minerals are important factors for skin care, especially the B vitamins.

When you’re looking at a skin cream, you’ll find that vitamin B is used widely along with vitamins A and C and retinol. Here’s a quick guide to each B vitamin and how they help to keep your skin looking good.

Thiamine

Thiamine is better known as vitamin B1. It isn’t produced in the body, but you can get the benefits of it from your diet.

Eggs, potatoes, kale, asparagus, meat, nuts and beans all contain Thiamine. Seeds like flax and sunflowers can also be sprinkled on salad as they contain thiamine too.

Vitamin B1 helps collagen production. It’s collagen that gives our skin volume and keeps its elasticity.

Riboflavin

Riboflavin, or vitamin B2 plays an important role in keeping your skin fresh and in good condition. It helps the body to absorb zinc which is vital for skin, hair and nail health. Lack of vitamin B2 can lead to dry cracked skin at the corners of your mouth.

Foods that contain riboflavin include beef, pork, mushrooms, avocado, eggs fish, spinach and almonds.

Niacin

Niacin is vitamin B3. It’s produced in the body for energy, digestive and brain function and to boost skin health. Niacin prevents the skin from losing moisture so that the skin doesn’t dry out. Using a cream which contains niacin can help ageing skin to stay moist and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Foods that contain niacin include salmon, tuna, chicken, liver, pork, beef, avocado, whole wheat, peas, potatoes and mushrooms.

Pantothenic Acid

This is known as vitamin B5. Like B3, it hydrates the skin and helps to keep it soft and nourished. It also acts as an antioxidant and will help prevent dark spots caused by melanin production.

Vitamin B5 is found in fish, seafood, meat, grains, vegetables, yoghurt and milk.

Finally, we have pyridoxine, which is vitamin B6, biotin, vitamin B7 and folate which is vitamin B9. These vitamins help to nourish skin cells and encourage tissue growth and collagen production which help to keep your skin healthy.

Foods containing vitamins B6,7 and 9 include salmon, liver, eggs, asparagus and bananas.

image:stock.com/Daria Soldatkina