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Hello,
I'm Dr. Neal Schultz
[pause]
And welcome to DermTV.
A recent article in the New York Times entitled
“More Evidence Against Vitamin Use”
started with the unsettling allegation that, and I quote…
“Two new studies suggest that taking extra doses of vitamins
can do more harm than good.”
My goal today is not to comment on the merits, or possible,
or even probable flaws in the studies that the article cited…
But… Just as an aside, already, there have been learned comments
published refuting the allegations cited in the Times article….
Instead, today, what I do want to do is to make sure that
readers of the article do not confuse its message
with vitamins applied topically to your skin as antioxidants
because antioxidants are so important
in maintaining the health of your skin.
So first, to clarify things, the study was referring
only to oral vitamin use, not to vitamins applied to your skin
in the form of antioxidants. Shall I say more?
Ok. Fine… You knew I would!
So second, I know of no circumstance where topical vitamins
have had any adverse affect on the skin
and there’s no reason to believe that extra doses of vitamins
applied topically can do any harm… of course unless
if you’re allergic to them. In fact, vitamins applied to your skin
do a ton of good, and I would even argue are necessary.
You see, the skin’s need for topical antioxidants arises
from its unique vulnerability of being the only organ in the body
that gets a double dose of dangerous high energy free radicals
that contribute to both cancer and premature aging.
That double dose is the result of the endogenous,
naturally occurring free radicals that arise in almost every cell
in every organ in the body, and from the unique formation
in the skin of ultraviolet induced free radicals from sun light,
despite the regular use of effective sunscreens.
As you all know from watching DermTV, topically applied vitamins
in the form of antioxidants work by being absorbed into your skin
and neutralizing the harmful effects of the free radicals.
So for those of you who have read the Times article,
you can now rest assured that daily topical vitamin –
“antioxiant” – use is safe and good for you.