Folic acid benefits for skin

Most people first hear of folic acid while pregnant, as healthcare professionals advise expectant mothers take it as a supplement to keep their baby healthy.¹ However, not only pregnant women have something to gain from ingesting folic acid. This potent vitamin can improve everyone’s health, and give your skin a glow in the process.

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is simply manufactured folate, aka vitamin B9. Folate encourages the body to produce healthy blood cells and protects against anaemia.²

Many foods commonly found in British homes are enriched with folic acid, including³:

• Marmite
• Bovril
• Corn flakes and other cereals
• Some bread and flour

The UK government wishes to make it mandatory that flour producers enrich their products with folic acid to reduce birth defects nationwide.⁴

Folic acid benefits for men

Folic acid has specific benefits for men, including:

• Healthier sperm

One scientific study found that men who regularly took folic acid experienced fewer sperm abnormalities than an equivalent group with no folic acid supplements.⁵

• Reduce antisociality

Men develop negative antisocial symptoms more frequently than women.⁶ Folic acid supplementation has been shown to improve social function, which may reduce antisocial behaviours in male sufferers of mental illness.⁷

• Better heart health

Poor heart health is the leading cause of death for men in the UK.⁸ Positively, folic acid supplementation has been shown to enhance heart health.⁹

Folic acid benefits for women

Folic acid is positively associated with female reproductive health. Here’s how it can help women of childbearing age:

• Healthy pregnancies

Studies have shown that taking a folate acid supplement increases women’s likelihood of experiencing a full-term pregnancy and delivering a healthy baby.¹⁰

• Prevent birth defects

Folate acid supplementation has been shown to reduce the likelihood babies will be born with birth defects, including spina bifida and neural tube defects.¹¹

• Reduce instances of depression

Women experience higher rates of depression than men.¹² Folic acid deficiency is associated with increased cases of depression.¹³

Folic acid benefits for skin

Folic acid is healthy for you, so it follows that it's good for your skin. Here are the ways folic acid can support skin health:

• Improved firmness

One scientific study found that applying folic acid can boost collagen metabolism and increase skin firmness, combatting ageing.¹⁴

• Reduced sun damage

Topically applied folic acid has been shown to reduce some sun damage’s visual indicators, including reducing DNA damage to affected skin, improving firmness, and reducing wrinkle severity.¹⁵

Products with folic acid

Folic acid is commercially available in these forms:

• Capsule supplement
• Powder
• Moisturiser
• Gel
• Cream
• Serum
• Fortified bread/flour
• Fortified cereals

Last updated: 6 April 2021