Vitamins in our skincare products are nothing new. Vitamins A and C are considered a staple in any routine. We also covered vitamins B and E and their benefits for the skin. Another vitamin gaining popularity of late is vitamin K (and no, it’s not only Covid-related). What are the benefits of vitamin K for the skin?
Vitamin K – the essential facts
Vitamin K is also known as phytonadione and consists out of K1 and K2. K1 is one of the main components of green leafy vegetables like spinach, cereal grains, and some vegetable oils. Meanwhile, fermented foods and some animal products (butter, egg yolks, etc.) are a source of K2.
Vitamin K is fat-soluble and produced by the liver. It is vital for several biological functions like blood clotting and the regulation of Calcium in our bodies. Because of this, it is a vital vitamin that impacts our heart’s health as well as our bone density.
What are the skincare benefits of vitamin K?
Vitamin A, C, E, and B have plenty of scientific research behind them. Vitamin K is not as well-researched. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it in your routine.
Vitamin K can aid the skin’s natural healing process. It does so by helping the formation of blood vessels and collagen. Some doctors recommend it after surgical procedures. Likewise, it has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce swelling and bruising.
Purely anecdotal, take it with a pinch of salt – a doctor friend went for a nose job. The surgeon recommended taking vitamin C, D, and K post-surgery. I saw him a week after the surgery, and he had a mere hint of dark circles. Were it not for the plaster on his nose, you’d never known he had surgery done.
If you suffer from dark under-eye circles, you might have seen vitamin K in eye creams and gels. Dark circles are notoriously difficult to treat, and the number one quick fix is a concealer. They can be genetic or down to certain medical conditions. As we age, the already thin skin underneath the eyes can get thinner, and the blood vessels are even more prominent. Likewise, the fragile capillaries will make the dark circles worse as the blood pools around them. Vitamin K helps repair the fragile capillaries, and there is a study to back up that claim. That said, the participants in the study used a topical gel that combined vitamin K with retinol and vitamins C and E.
Your best bet is to combine an eye product that contains vitamin K, along with the other products in your routine like retinol and vitamin C. Retinol boosts collagen production and should help improve the volume of the skin. Vitamin C can help if your dark circles are a result of excess melatonin production.
Ishtar products that contain vitamin K
Vitamin K Dark Circle Repair Cream
Our Vitamin K Dark Circle Repair cream contains 5% microencapsulated vitamin K that helps to repair the broken capillaries. The formula also contains Haloxyl, a peptide complex that reduces the dark pigment that gathers around the capillaries.
