Vitamins

Vitamins are important nutrients in our diet and are essential to maintain our health. For a number of years now, vitamins have been added to cosmetics and toiletries to "nourish" our skin, hair, and nails. Vitamins A, C, and E are the most commonly used vitamins, with vitamin B added occasionally in the form of cereals such as oat bran or hydrolyzed wheat proteins. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) are banned from cosmetics in the EU.

The FDA's Cosmetics Handbook states that, where cosmetic ingredients are declared as vitamins, this conveys the misleading impression that these ingredients and products offer nutritional or health benefit and, therefore, the product is question may be deemed misbranded. For this reason, vitamins are listed as in the ingredients under their INI names, rather than their commonly understood vitamin names. For example, vitamin E would be listed in the ingredients as tocopherol. 

Vitamins A, C, and E have antioxidant properties. Vitamin C reacts with oxygen and is often used as an antioxidant in food products. In a similar way it can prevent oxidation of cosmetics. It is a water -soluble and is not absorbed through the skin. Vitamins A and E are oil-soluble vitamins, which can react with free radicals and destroy them. Cosmetic manufacturers have latched onto these facts and make exaggerated claims that these vitamins will slow down the onset of fine lines and wrinkles, by preventing oxidation of the skin and by inhibiting the action of free radicals.

However, these vitamins can only penetrate into the first few layers of the epidermis, and never reach the dermis where the aging process takes place. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that they will have any real effect on the aging process, and any reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles is almost entirely due to the moisturizing effect of the other ingredients in the formulation.

Reference: Cosmetics Unmasked: Dr.Stephen & Gina Antczak