Retinoic acid is the form of vitamin A that does all the work in the nucleus. There are various retinoic acid receptors that act as ligands and promote numerous genes responsible for normal skin. Without a doubt, in skin atopy there is also a massive onslaught of free radical activity that has to be addressed in order to allow the natural forces of the body to begin their repair work. Vitamin C is probably the most powerful antioxidant to stabilise cellular membranes. This is a paradox because vitamin C is water-soluble and cellular membranes are lipophilic.
Vitamin E is also essential for the stabilisation of lipids.
Beta-carotene is an extremely powerful antioxidant in contrast to vitamin A, which is a very weak antioxidant. My work with iontophoresis has shown that we can get better penetration of the vitamins and healthier skin within a shorter time. Tozawa Copyright 1999-2000. All rights reserved.