Ingredient spotlight · Vitamin B2, riboflavin in Health Royals’ Beauty Complete, marine collagen and hyaluronic acid · 5 min read
Vitamin B2, riboflavin, is a water-soluble B vitamin that contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to the protection of cells from oxidative stress and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. The reference intake is 1.4 mg a day, found in dairy, eggs, almonds and wholegrains. Beauty Complete provides exactly that, 1.4 mg, as riboflavin 5′-phosphate sodium from dsm-firmenich, alongside biotin, which carries the same wording for skin.
Key takeaways
• Vitamin B2 contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• It also contributes to normal mucous membranes, normal vision, normal red blood cells and the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
• Beauty Complete provides 1.4 mg vitamin B2 per daily dose, 100 percent of the EU nutrient reference value: the full daily amount, and no more.
Some nutrients arrive with a reputation. Collagen is associated with structure, hyaluronic acid with hydration, biotin with hair and skin. Vitamin B2 rarely gets the same attention, yet riboflavin takes part in several normal functions that sit close to how we look and feel, from skin and cellular energy to tiredness and the protection of cells.
That is why it is one of the six ingredients in Beauty Complete, the skin supplement from Health Royals. It is there as a nutrient, not as a headline, and it is dosed accordingly. For us, the dose matters as much as the raw material: 1.4 mg is the reference intake, the complete daily contribution, and there is no reason to go higher.
Vitamin B2 at Health Royals
Beauty Complete provides 1.4 mg vitamin B2 per daily dose as riboflavin 5′-phosphate sodium from the Quali®-B portfolio by dsm-firmenich, 100 percent of the nutrient reference value, together with 500 mg Cartidyss® fish cartilage collagen type II, 120 mg Hyabest® hyaluronic acid, 30 mg Ceramosides™ phytoceramides, 60 mg vitamin C as PureWay-C® and 50 µg biotin. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
What is vitamin B2?
Vitamin B2 is also called riboflavin. It is a water-soluble B vitamin found naturally in dairy products, eggs, meat, fish, almonds, wholegrains and some vegetables. The body stores only limited amounts, so a regular intake matters.
Inside the body, riboflavin is used to form coenzymes that take part in everyday metabolic reactions: how cells release energy, handle nutrients and keep normal function going.
Vitamin B2 helps the body's enzymes do their everyday work at cellular level.
Why is vitamin B2 linked to energy and tiredness?
Food contains energy, but the body cannot use it directly. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins pass through a series of metabolic steps before their energy reaches the cells, and riboflavin takes part in many of those steps.
That is the basis for two of its EU-approved wordings. Vitamin B2 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism. Vitamin B2 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
It does not work like caffeine. It supports the normal processes through which the body releases and uses energy every day.
Vitamin B2 does not create energy. It supports the normal metabolism behind it.
What does vitamin B2 have to do with the skin?
Skin is a living tissue with a constant need for energy, renewal and protection. Vitamin B2 contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and normal mucous membranes.
Its role is different from that of a structural ingredient such as collagen or a hydration ingredient such as hyaluronic acid. Riboflavin does not build the skin's architecture on its own. It is part of the nutritional foundation normal skin depends on, which is why a considered skin supplement includes it.
Vitamin B2 supports the skin as an essential nutrient, not as a beauty trend.
How does riboflavin protect cells from oxidative stress?
Normal metabolism constantly produces reactive compounds, and the body has its own systems for keeping them in balance. Vitamin B2 contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
It does this from within. Riboflavin is part of the enzyme systems and oxidation-reduction processes the body uses for normal cellular protection, rather than acting as a separate antioxidant in the marketing sense.
The same chemistry explains its reach. Vitamin B2 also contributes to the maintenance of normal vision and normal red blood cells, to normal iron metabolism and to the normal function of the nervous system, because riboflavin-dependent reactions take place across many tissues.
The reach of vitamin B2 reflects how widely the body relies on the same core cellular chemistry.
How much vitamin B2 do you need?
The EU nutrient reference value is 1.4 mg a day. A varied diet with dairy, eggs, meat, fish, almonds and wholegrains usually supplies it, and a clear deficiency is uncommon in people who eat that way. Those who leave out many animal foods have a reason to pay a little more attention to their sources.
Signs of a marked deficiency can involve the skin, mucous membranes and the corners of the mouth, but they are not specific to vitamin B2, so any such symptoms belong with a healthcare professional. What we do know is simple: a steady daily intake at the reference level covers the functions the EU wordings describe.
More is not better either. Because vitamin B2 is water-soluble, any excess usually leaves in the urine, which can turn bright yellow after a B vitamin supplement. That is normal and comes from the vitamin's natural colour.
What matters is an adequate, regular intake, not the highest possible amount.
Why riboflavin 5′-phosphate sodium, and why 1.4 mg?
Beauty Complete contains vitamin B2 as riboflavin 5′-phosphate sodium, a defined form selected from the Quali®-B vitamin portfolio by dsm-firmenich, an established global manufacturer of vitamins.
The form does not change what riboflavin does. What a defined raw material from a known manufacturer gives is a clear specification, documented quality and traceability, so that the amount on the label is the amount in every daily dose. Health Royals works with specialist manufacturers, researchers and supplier networks when raw materials are selected, something we explain in what a branded ingredient name guarantees.
The dose follows the same logic. Beauty Complete provides 1.4 mg vitamin B2 per daily dose, 100 percent of the EU nutrient reference value. It is the full daily contribution, set at the reference intake because that is where there is a reason to be.
The ingredient at a glance
An essential B vitamin in a defined form, at the reference intake, for normal skin and everyday energy metabolism.
Form
Riboflavin 5′-phosphate sodium
Daily amount
1.4 mg vitamin B2
100% NRV
Ingredient source
Quali®-B by dsm-firmenich
How does vitamin B2 fit into Beauty Complete?
Beauty Complete was built around several connected parts of skin biology rather than one ingredient. It contains six ingredients:
- Cartidyss® fish cartilage collagen type II, 500 mg, from Abyss Ingredients in Brittany, the structural centre (our article on Cartidyss®).
- Hyabest® hyaluronic acid, 120 mg, bio-fermented by Kewpie in Japan, at the daily dose used in its human studies.
- Ceramosides™ phytoceramides, 30 mg, from Seppic in France, at the daily dose used in its human studies.
- Vitamin C, 60 mg, as PureWay-C® (our article on vitamin C).
- Vitamin B2, 1.4 mg, as riboflavin 5′-phosphate sodium.
- Biotin, 50 µg (our article on biotin).
The three named raw materials carry the doses from their own studies. The three vitamins sit at a nutritional level, and their approved wordings belong to the vitamins. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of the skin. Riboflavin and vitamin C both contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
A supplement like this is taken every day, so the jar is designed to stand out on a shelf rather than disappear into a cupboard.
We have done the selection so that you do not have to. Beauty Complete gives you vitamin B2 at the full reference intake, 1.4 mg a day, in a defined form from dsm-firmenich, as one of six ingredients chosen to work together. Our skin page collects the wider context. You can stop looking.
See Beauty Complete, marine collagen and hyaluronic acid
Go deeper
- Guide: skin from within
- Biotin for hair, skin and macronutrient metabolism
- How much vitamin C does the skin need for collagen formation?
- Vitamin B3 and the chemistry of everyday energy
- Vitamin B1 and the first steps of cellular energy
- Vitamin B12 and the methylcobalamin form
- SOD, oxidative stress and recovery
- The biology of the skin
- Beauty Complete, marine collagen and hyaluronic acid
Frequently asked questions
What does vitamin B2 do in the body?
Riboflavin is used to form coenzymes for everyday metabolic reactions. It contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to the maintenance of normal skin and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, among other functions.
Is vitamin B2 good for the skin?
Vitamin B2 contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and normal mucous membranes, as part of the nutritional foundation normal skin depends on.
Does vitamin B2 give you more energy?
Not the way caffeine does. Vitamin B2 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue by supporting the processes through which the body releases and uses energy.
Why does vitamin B2 turn urine yellow?
Vitamin B2 is water-soluble and naturally yellow, so any excess leaves in the urine and can colour it brightly. That is normal.
How much vitamin B2 does Beauty Complete provide?
1.4 mg per daily dose, 100 percent of the EU nutrient reference value, as riboflavin 5′-phosphate sodium from the Quali®-B portfolio by dsm-firmenich.
References
European Commission. EU Register of nutrition and health claims made on foods: authorised health claims for riboflavin.
European Food Safety Authority. Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to riboflavin. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(10):1814.
European Food Safety Authority. Dietary reference values for riboflavin. EFSA Journal. 2017.
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Riboflavin: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
dsm-firmenich. Quali®-B vitamin B2 ingredient information.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It summarises nutrient functions, published scientific information and manufacturer-provided ingredient information. Individual needs and experiences may vary. Consult a qualified healthcare professional with questions about supplementation, medication or personal health.
