B6 And Dandruff

This caught my attention:

Source: ABSORPTION OF TOPICALLY APPLIED VITAMINS

 

Just wanted to add that the link you provided has some very good reports about topical application of several water soluble vitamins from the B group. It shows that all of those vitamins are well absorbed when applied dermally. This should come in handy for those people with stomach issues who have trouble absorbing nutrients. The report even says that this is the recommended method for people with colitis, enteritis, IBS, etc.
Good find, thanks!

 

Is the solution they used necessary for absorption or would the vitamin dissolved in water work as well?

 

When do you release your vitamin B complex shampoo haidut ?
just kidding :P

 

They compared different solutions and for some vitamins the water based solution was ineffective in achieving dermal absorption. But the alcohol solution was very effective for all vitamins. For some vitamins it achieved better absorption than oral for the same dosage.

 

Believe it or not, I am already working on it. It probably won't be a shampoo, but similar to the other two products I have in a small bottle. Still working on the formula but it will combine a number of Peatarian ideas.

 

Very exciting! I'm definitely interested. Also, since I have trouble digesting fats, can I take estroban topically?

 

You sure can, and that's what the study "j." posted had in mind - topical application for people who do not absorb well orally. I think for the fat soluble vitamins they found equal absorption to oral. At least for vitamin D they did, but I have also seen data for E and K2.

 

Haidut,

How about vitamin A topically-- do you know if topical absorption is equal to oral? I'm having to supplement vitamin A for some skin issues. It would be nice to know if topical could be a viable option. Only down side to that might be skin photosensitivity to UV light? I don't know if the form of A can make a difference there. :?

 

The studies I have seen showed either equal absorption or slightly lower for dermal application as compared to oral. Also, dermal has the advantage that for some people allergic reactios tend to start in the gut and with dermal application this issue is avoided. Try it out, if it works you should get an energy rush and improved vision clarity usually within an hour of application.

 

Are there any general recommendations for preparing vitamins for topical application? Would it be better to dissolve the tablet/capsule/gel cap in water, oil (like coconut) or alcohol? If alcohol, what type would be best - like a 70% isopropyl, or a 100 proof?

Any practical tips for topical application of vitamins would be greatly appreciated! :)

 

I am afraid the answer is it really depends. For fat soluble vitamins, coconut oil and/or olive oil should work just fine. Also, I think some of the fat-soluble vitamins are soluble in alcohol as well but I don't know to what degree. The water soluble vitamins have varying degrees of solubility in water and alcohol and it depends on their chemical structure. You can find more by searching for things like "vitamin B6 solubility water" or "vitamin B6 solubility ethanol", and so on. That will give you some info. Each vitamin is different, and I don't have the information collected for all of them.
The study at the start of the thread discusses the solubility of some B vitamins and the different solutions they used. For some they used 20% alcohol solution, for others they used water, and for others the used isopropyl. Each solvent gave different absorption performance.

 

What happens if you put fat soluble vitamins on your skin without any solvent? Just pure vitamin A or vitamin E. Is it absorbed?

 

Thanks-- by the way, can you point me to the link for supplements you sell to forum members? :)

 

Ray wrote that vitamin E does not get well absorbed in its pure form to the skin but adding a little olive oil makes the absorption "almost immediate". Vitamin E on its turn enhances absorption of progesterone. So, that's why Ray's product Progest-E has both vitamin E and oil. Oil for the vitamin E, and vitamin E for the progesterone.
I think vitamin A is better absorbed than vitamin E (when applied purely) b/c it is actually an alcohol and Ray referred to it as being "unsaturated", so probably has fat-like qualities. However, pure retinol is extremely unstable and oxidizes almost immediately, which is why it is usually in a solvent and with vitamin E as protector.

 

The link is in my signature shown on all my post
https://squareup.com/market/idealabs-llc
Also, for international orders you can use this link:
http://haidut.dyndns.org/estroban.html

 

That is very interesting, considering that I've been putting pure vitamin E on my skin, about 700 mg, and feeling progesterone-lite like effects.

I wonder what would happen if I add a little olive oil to it. I might need to apply it less often.

 

If you add olive oil you can probably get away with much lower doses of vitamin E since most of it will be directly absorbed and not get a first pass through the liver.

 

Thanks for your link, Haidut. From your comment above about vitamin A instability, what form would be best and safest from oxidation standpoint?

I want something higher dose to treat a skin condition. If not retinol, would retinyl palmitate be a better choice?

Are they all pretty much absorbed the same? In the safer forms, is there a distinct advantage to topical application vs. oral?

Thanks again!

 

The different forms of vitamin A are not absorbed the same. Some of them are made water soluble like that product from Nutrisorb, some of them are fat-soluble. Retinyl palmitate is a good option, retinyl acetate is probably even better but much harder to find retail.
I would not say there is an advantage of one form vs. the other unless the person has stomach issues and thus not absorbing well orally. Just do whatever gives you the best subjective effect unless you do blood tests to confirm which way is better for you.