To my U.S. readers, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. You’re probably wondering why I named this post ‘The Thanksgiving Vitamin.” (“There’s no such thing as a Thanksgiving vitamin!” you say.)
You’re absolutely right! I just thought it would be appropriate to introduce Vitamin A during our Thanksgiving holiday – a time of year when we eat many orange colored foods. Pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, yams, and carrots for instance. Many fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin A are orange.
Vitamin A is the third antioxidant in the ACE trio (Vitamin A + Vitamin C + Vitamin E). It is one of the main weapons against aging.
Vitamin A in skin care is used to reverse the signs of environmental aging. It has actually been proven to increase collagen and skin thickness.
Have you heard of Retin-A or Renova? They are prescription products containing Retinoic Acid (aka Tretinoin), which is the acid form of Vitamin A. Renova was the first Vitamin A product to be approved by the FDA for reducing fine lines, mottled pigmentation, and rough skin texture.
Vitamin A exists in other forms, such as Retinol and Retinyl Palmitate. These are ingredients you will see in non-prescription products.
I go over all of these forms in the Vitamin A Overview. Please read it because Vitamin A derivatives are confusing, and if you are serious about choosing effective anti-aging products, you will want to know which forms to look for and to take the right precautions.
