Vitamin A, D, C, E, and coenzyme Q significantly impact skin care. Topical applications in skin care products effectively protect and even repair damage caused by free radicals. These ingredients help reduce pigmentation and bruising, stimulate collagen production, and alleviate acne formation.
Carotenoids (Vitamin A)
Carotenoids are a group of compounds that give plants and animals their yellow, orange, and red colors. There are two types of carotenoids: carotenes and xanthophylls. Bacteria, fungi, algae, and green plants synthesize these pigments, which are most conspicuously visible in flowers, pollen, and fruits such as carrots, tomatoes, citrus fruits, sweet potatoes, and apples.
The body cannot synthesize carotenoids; we obtain them from foods or dietary supplements. This class of products also benefits us through skincare items.
Carotenoids aid in capturing solar energy, making it accessible for plant growth. They are part of chlorophyll and play a role in the biological coloration of animals. When exposed to atmospheric oxygen, these molecules can be bleached by light. Although carotenoids are insoluble in water, they dissolve in fat solvents such as alcohol, ether, and chloroform.
Carotenoids (Vitamin A) are plentiful in orange, yellow, and red fruits and vegetables, such as pumpkins, carrots, tomatoes, animal livers, and egg yolks. They promote normal metabolism and growth while acting as antioxidants, which protect cells from damage. Common carotenoids include beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and astaxanthin.
Carrots and pumpkins are excellent sources of beta-carotene, followed by spinach, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and dandelion greens. Tomatoes, watermelon, and grapefruit are the richest sources of lycopene. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale are high in lutein and zeaxanthin.
Carotenes give yellow, orange, and red colors to fruits (like pumpkin and apricots), flowers (such as marigolds), and roots (like carrots and sweet potatoes). The green chlorophyll molecules in leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach visually mask these colors. Carotenes are also found in fats such as butter, egg yolks, canary feathers, and lobster shells. Provitamin A, the source of the vitamin, is beta-carotene, which was first isolated from carrots in 1910 and artificially synthesized in 1950 (Encyclopedia Britannica).
Carotenes are organic compounds with the formula C40H56. The two main types of carotenes are alpha and beta, although other variants exist, such as gamma and epsilon carotenes. Plants and photosynthetic microorganisms, including bacteria, synthesize these yellow-orange pigments. We obtain this nutrient from food, which is present in many skincare products.
Beta-carotene is stored in the liver and converted into vitamin A as needed in the body. It is a provitamin that serves as a precursor to vitamin A, which is transformed into the light-sensitive pigment rhodopsin in the eye’s retina.
Alpha-carotene also serves as a precursor to vitamin A in the body but is much less common than beta-carotene. Both alpha and beta-carotene are fat-soluble and should ideally be consumed with some form of fat.
Carotenes absorb energy from sunlight for use in photosynthesis and work as antioxidants. Antioxidants help counteract the damage caused by excess free radicals that oxidize cell membrane molecules, altering their function. Antioxidants like carotenes interact with free radicals and help prevent them from harming cell membranes. These antioxidants are widely recognized as anti-aging agents.
Beta-carotene was first isolated from carrots in the 1950s, with most of the global supply now produced from synthetic sources. Natural carotene is obtained from Blakeslea trispora, a plant pathogen, and dried marine algae (Dunaliella salina) collected in Australia (New World Encyclopedia).
The daily requirement of beta-carotene is about 1000 mg for males and 800 mg for females. While excess vitamin A can be toxic, carotene is non-toxic. However, as with many substances, overconsumption of carrots can lead to health issues, such as diabetes. The free radical-trapping action of antioxidants like beta-carotene occurs in tissues with low oxygen pressures (Burton et al., 1984).
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