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ANTI-AGEING For skin longevity, vitamins are not just general


antioxidants; they are precision tools that plug into cellular machinery at defined points. As an example, B-vitamins help control


homocysteine and one-carbon metabolism, with new data showing that optimising certain B-vitamin combinations can slow biological ageing markers in humans. Vitamin D influences barrier integrity and immune balance, both critical for defending skin against chronic, low‑grade inflammation – one of the key skin ageing hallmarks. Emerging clinical frameworks for longevity cosmetic ingredients now explicitly list vitamins and vitamin-like cofactors among the most promising actives to extend skin health span.


Vitamin C: far beyond ‘just’ an antioxidant’ Vitamin C perfectly illustrates why vitamins are great solutions in the longevity story. It is well- known for neutralising reactive oxygen species and for driving collagen synthesis, which already makes it a pillar of anti-ageing skin care, but current research goes far beyond that: vitamin C has been shown to act as a cofactor for enzymes that stabilise and cross-link collagen, helps inhibit tyrosinase to reduce hyperpigmentation, and safeguards the genome by supporting DNA and histone demethylation processes. Recent research with human skin models,


shows vitamin C promotes epidermal proliferation by a specific (enzymatic) TET‑mediated DNA demethylation of key growth genes, effectively switching on regenerative programmes and reversing age-related thinning. In this way, vitamin C acts as an epigenetic


gatekeeper’, helping to control genes linked to tissue repair, structure and resilience. Vitamin C is therefore indispensable for skin longevity, improving firmness, fine lines and tone while countering oxidative stress.8 Crucially, no flavonoid or plant antioxidant can


completely stand in for vitamin C in these roles. Green tea catechins such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can boost lifespan in animal models and visibly improve photoaged skin, but they do so via different targets like AMPK activation and senescent-cell modulation. Vitamin C, in contrast, is hard-wired into


collagen enzymes and epigenetic regulators; if it is missing, these systems simply cannot function properly, regardless of how many other antioxidants are present. This is exactly why long-term strategies for skin longevity consistently include stabilised topical vitamin C as a front-line intervention alongside sun protection and retinoids.9 In skin, vitamins are unsurprisingly woven into


many hallmarks of ageing, with each vitamin often influencing several of these pathways at once. This makes vitamin-driven skin care a powerful way to address multiple root causes of visible skin ageing in one step.


Vitamin A (retinol/retinoids) Topical vitamin A remains the cosmetic benchmark for photoaged skin because it directly re-programmes gene expression in keratinocytes


PERSONAL CARE MAGAZINE April 2026 Figure 1: The hallmarks of ageing.2-6 Redesigned from López-Otín C et al. Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe. Cell. 2023; 186(2): 243-278


and fibroblasts through RAR/RXR nuclear receptors.10 Vitamin A boosts type I collagen, fibronectin


and tropoelastin via TGF-β/Smad signalling, while suppressing collagen‑degrading MMPs, thereby counteracting ECM fragmentation and senescence-driven matrix loss. Clinically, this translates into thicker epidermis,


reduced fine wrinkles, smoother texture and more even tone, effectively “resetting” exhausted dermal fibroblasts toward a more youthful state. Overall vitamin A most clearly acts on mitochondrial dysfunction/oxidative stress, cellular senescence/ ECM remodelling and improving intercellular communication between epidermis and dermis.11


Vitamin B1 (thiamine) Thiamine is an essential cofactor for pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, positioning it at the entry gate of mitochondrial energy production in skin cells. Although direct topical data are limited, mitochondrial profiling in aged human fibroblasts shows marked declines in oxidative phosphorylation and spare respiratory capacity, changes that would be exacerbated by impaired thiamine‑dependent flux. Conceptually, adequate thiamine supports


efficient ATP generation and limits glycolytic “exhaustion,” helping dermal cells maintain proteostasis, repair capacity and resistance to oxidative damage that accelerates wrinkle formation.12


Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) Riboflavin is the precursor of FAD and FMN, the redox cofactors embedded in complexes I and II of the electron transport chain (ETC), making it central to mitochondrial ROS handling in skin. Ageing fibroblasts show reduced expression of multiple ETC subunits and diminished mitochondrial number and membrane potential, which favours oxidative stress and collagen damage. Ensuring sufficient riboflavin allows more


efficient electron transfer and fewer ‘leaky’ radicals, supporting redox balance and protecting dermal matrix components from cumulative oxidative fragmentation associated with visible ageing.13


Vitamin B3 (niacin/niacinamide) Niacinamide PC, a naturally derived sustainable form of vitamin B3, which is exceptionally well tolerated, is now a star cosmetic ingredient, fuelling cells with energy through it replenishing cellular NAD+


, a master cofactor for mitochondrial


metabolism, PARP‑mediated DNA repair and sirtuin signalling in skin. In aged human fibroblasts, nicotinamide restores oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial number and membrane potential to youthful levels, likely via enhanced mitophagy and improved bioenergetic efficiency. Clinically, topical niacinamide reduces fine lines,


sallowness and hyperpigmentation, strengthens barrier lipids and dampens inflammation, tackling hallmarks such as mitochondrial dysfunction, genomic instability, inflammaging and ECM deterioration in one multitasking molecule.14


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