Nutrition Edit

5 Nutrients to Support Your Skin and Wellbeing After Summer

The return from holiday often comes with a shift in routine. Long days in the sun are replaced by busier schedules, shorter daylight hours and the gradual transition into autumn.

While summer leaves us with wonderful memories, it can also take its toll on our bodies. Increased UV exposure, travel, changes in sleep patterns and indulgent meals can all leave skin looking less radiant and energy levels feeling lower than usual.

September is the perfect time to reset. Supporting your body with key nutrients can help maintain healthy skin, restore your routine and prepare you for the months ahead.

Here are five nutrients worth prioritising as you head into the new season.

  1. Vitamin C: The Everyday Essential

If there is one nutrient to keep on your radar after summer, it's vitamin C.

Well known for its role in supporting the immune system, vitamin C is equally important for healthy skin. It contributes to normal collagen formation, helping maintain the skin's structure, while also protecting cells from oxidative stress caused by everyday environmental factors.

After months of increased sun exposure, this antioxidant support becomes especially valuable. Vitamin C also supports energy-yielding metabolism, making it a useful nutrient as you settle back into your daily routine.

You'll find vitamin C in foods such as citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, peppers and broccoli, but ensuring consistent daily intake can sometimes be challenging.

  1. Vitamin D: Holding Onto Summer

Although we produce vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, levels naturally begin to decline as daylight hours become shorter.

Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system, supports healthy muscles and helps maintain normal bones and teeth.

Many people spend more time indoors once work and school routines resume, making autumn a sensible time to pay closer attention to vitamin D intake.

  1. Vitamin A: Supporting Healthy Skin

Healthy skin is constantly renewing itself, and vitamin A plays an important role in this natural process.

It contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and supports the specialised cells that help maintain a healthy skin barrier.

Following a summer of UV exposure and environmental stressors, supporting the skin's natural renewal processes becomes particularly relevant as we transition into cooler, drier weather.

  1. Vitamin E: Helping Protect Skin from Oxidative Stress

Vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant that works alongside vitamin C to help protect cells from oxidative stress.

While sunscreen remains your first line of defence against UV exposure, antioxidant nutrients help support the body's own protective systems from within.

Vitamin E also helps protect the lipids that form part of the skin's natural barrier, making it particularly valuable as temperatures begin to fall and skin starts to feel drier.

  1. B Vitamins: Supporting Everyday Energy

Returning to work often means earlier mornings, packed calendars and busier lifestyles.

Several B vitamins, including vitamins B6 and B12, contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and help reduce tiredness and fatigue. They also support the normal functioning of the nervous system, making them an important part of overall wellbeing during periods of increased demand.

Combined with a balanced diet, good sleep and regular movement, adequate B vitamin intake can help support your body as you settle back into your routine.

Building Healthy Habits This Autumn

Good nutrition isn't about quick fixes. It's about creating consistent habits that help your body perform at its best throughout the year.

As the seasons change, small daily choices can make a meaningful difference:

  • Prioritise colourful fruit and vegetables.
  • Stay hydrated, even as temperatures cool.
  • Protect your skin with daily SPF.
  • Aim for consistent sleep and regular movement.
  • Choose nutritional support that complements a balanced diet.

Rather than waiting until winter arrives, September offers the perfect opportunity to reset your routine and support both your skin and your overall wellbeing from within.

Because healthy skin isn't just about recovering from summer, it's about preparing for the season ahead.

Refernces:
EFSA NDA Panel. Vitamin C, collagen formation, oxidative stress and immune function. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(9):1226.

  1. EFSA NDA Panel. Vitamin C, oxidative stress, immune function and vitamin E regeneration. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(10):1815.
  2. EFSA NDA Panel. Vitamin D, calcium metabolism, bones, teeth and cell division. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(9):1227.
  3. EFSA NDA Panel. Vitamin D, immune and muscle function. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(2):1468.
  4. EFSA NDA Panel. Vitamin A, normal skin and cell specialisation. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(9):1221.
  5. EFSA NDA Panel. Vitamin A and immune function. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(9):1222.
  6. EFSA NDA Panel. Vitamin E and protection of cells from oxidative stress. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(10):1816.
  7. EFSA NDA Panel. Vitamin B12 and normal energy-yielding metabolism. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(9):1223.
  8. EFSA NDA Panel. Vitamin B12 and reduction of tiredness and fatigue. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(10):1756.