Coming from the sun, you’d think Vitamin D would be just as damaging as UV rays, but it’s actually an ingredient that can combat some sunlight-induced signs of aging

There are many vitamins we know and love—C, E, A, for example—and then there are those that cause a little confusion. Vitamin D is one of those. Nicknamed the “sunshine vitamin,” it’s widely understood to come from sun exposure—the crux of the bewilderment, because we now know the dangers and damage that UV rays cause. “With the bad effects of too much sun exposure, we can’t count on getting enough vitamin D from the sun without all the risks,” says Lonnie Roy, chief marketing officer for Masque*ology by Beauty Architects, a Korean skincare brand that spent the last 10 years formulating a topical stable vitamin D formula, the new Advanced 7D Solution.

However, “in skincare, vitamin D is very important in helping with collagen production, which helps the fight against wrinkles and keeping the skin’s resiliency.” In fact, vitamin D deficiencies are now quite common, with the increased use of SPF and breakdown of the ozone layer. Says Roy, “the easiest way to see the deficiency (as opposed to a blood test) is the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, sun spots and lack of suppleness in your skin.”

In other words, vitamin D is a fundamental element in anti-aging; “it’s important to keep your skin youthful, resilient and able to regenerate itself and restore elasticity.” Fortunately, our bodies naturally produce 7-Dehydrocholesterol, which translates UVA and UVB rays to pro-vitamin D3, a precursor to Vitamin D. But as we age, we produce less and less, leading the scientists at Masque*ology to search for a way to stimulate the production naturally. Although vitamin D is used in supplements and fortified foods, “we found that vitamin D itself did not work well in a topical formulation,” says Roy. “Its stability and ability to penetrate into the skin was not 100 percent successful—that’s why we wanted to find a way to get our own vitamin D production to be increased.”

And they did, through their unique 7-DHC cream, which enhances the process of manufacturing vitamin D. And the Advance 7D Solution also has other ingredients—including almond seed oil and caviar extracts—to help your skin between sun doses and help minimize risk of photo aging and hyperpigmentation. Ultimately, it’s an exciting new crow’s feet, smile lines and forehead treatment for anyone who’s “very fair or has mature skin. And any person who is concerned about anti-aging,” says Roy.