If you’ve ever been in a grocery store aisle, or scrolling online, staring at thousands of bottles, believing claims of “healthy” and “pure” simply because they have the word vitamin on them, you’re not alone.
This will serve as a simple guide to finding true nourishment.
What a Real “Vitamin” Is
At its core, a real vitamin is a catalyst for life, a natural compound that your body needs in small amounts to function properly.
It is not a single, isolated compound. In nature, vitamins don’t exist on their own. They’re part of a complex of living nutrients, bundled with minerals, enzymes, and cofactors that work together so your body can recognize and use them.
Most vitamins on the shelves, even the ones that look trustworthy, aren’t real nutrients. They’re synthetic isolates, made in a lab, designed to mimic nature. And because your body doesn’t fully recognize them, it has to borrow enzymes and cofactors from your own reserves just to process them, draining the very nutrients meant to nourish your skin, hair, and tissues. A toxin is anything the body can’t use, so we can think of synthetic vitamins as toxins.
Over time, synthetic vitamins can leave you depleted, inflamed, and aging faster, even if you see short-term results.
And here’s the part rarely talked about…
The same is true for skincare. Any vitamin listed on a cream or serum, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, B-complex, when synthetic, robs your skin’s natural stores of antioxidants and enzymes, accelerating the aging you’re trying to reverse.
Why This Matters
Many of the beloved health brands we’ve trusted for decades have been sold to foreign companies or massive toxic conglomerates that no longer uphold the healing principles these companies were founded on. What’s left on the shelf rarely carries the purity, potency, or integrity your body deserves.
This is one of the reasons I’m strongly considering opening The Alchemy Code Apothecary into a broader herbal offering, because knowing the source, purity, and potency of every ingredient matters. And it’s the only way I can ensure what I offer is truly A+ nourishment for your health, beauty, and vitality.
How to Spot Synthetics
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Synthetic Names: Ascorbic acid, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate, retinyl palmitate, cyanocobalamin, folic acid, ergocalciferol, nicotinic acid.
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Food-based names will have the food source listed on the label, such as “Vitamin C from acerola cherry,” “Vitamin E from sunflower oil,” and “B complex from fermented quinoa sprouts.”
A Note on Skincare Labels
Labeling laws require INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) names, which means that plant ingredients often appear in Latin, such as Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) or Calendula officinalis (calendula). These are not synthetic chemicals; they are the botanical names.
It can feel confusing, but once you know these distinctions, you’ll confidently recognize whether you’re nourishing your body with whole, living botanicals or synthetic compounds that slowly rob your youthfulness.
The Herbal Difference
Whole herbs are living medicine, nutrient-rich, synergistic, and easily recognized by your body and skin as food. They don’t steal from your reserves - they replenish them, gently restoring balance, beauty, and vitality from the inside out.
This is why, in my own healing journey and in every formula I create, I rely on whole herbs and botanicals, never synthetics. It’s the only way to honor the body’s wisdom and unlock real transformation, not just for your health, but for your skin and your life.
It’s time we returned to nature’s intelligence. Because when we do, beauty, energy, and true wellness naturally follow.
