Much like everything else in your body, your skin also needs the right balance of nutrients to stay healthy. You can avail of various treatments and topical products such as moisturizers, serums, and exfoliants to keep your skin looking great. However, in order to keep your skin truly healthy you also need to make sure that you are eating right and following a wholesome and balanced lifestyle. When you nourish your skin from within, it is able to heal and defend itself better apart from just simply looking great.
If you want to maximize your skincare efforts, here are some of the best supplements you can take to achieve your best-looking, healthiest skin ever.
Nutrients For Healthy Skin
If you want to hop on board the supplementation-train to improve your skin health, these are the top supplements you should consider taking.
Vitamin A
This nutrient benefits both the upper and lower layers of your skin. It is also observed to counter the effects of sun damage. Sunlight exposure can break down your skin’s collagen. Vitamin A works to protect your skin by interrupting that process. While it maximizes your protection against the sun, it is still important to wear sunscreen.
Apart from sun protection, Vitamin A also speeds up the healing of random cuts and scrapes on your skin by encouraging healthy skin cell production. By doing so, it also strengthens your skin’s natural barrier.
B-Vitamins
Each class of vitamin B provides your skin with different benefits, but in general the entire Vitamin B complex protects your skin against free radical damage. Here’s a list of the different classes of vitamin B and the benefits they provide:
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) – antioxidant and anti-aging properties, increases circulation
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – prevents acne breakouts and dry skin
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – helps treat acne, dermatitis, eczema, hyper-pigmentation, rosacea, and sun damage; aids in the production of fatty acids and ceramides
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) – reduces skin inflammation and improves skin’s elasticity by working as a humectant
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) – aids in skin cell growth and skin repair by playing a major role in protein metabolism and red blood cell production
- Vitamin B7 (Biotin) – essential for fatty acid synthesis, evens out skin complexion, combats free radicals, helps prevent acne, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, and rashes
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) – regulates skin pigment production, prevents dark spots and hyperpigmentation
These B-vitamins can be obtained from food sources, but if you want to maximize your intake, you can try taking B-vitamin supplements. Vitamin B supplementation is also great for people following a vegan diet.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a highly powerful antioxidant. It lowers your chances of developing skin cancer by protecting this hardworking organ from free radicals and environmental stressors. A deficiency in this vitamin can cause bleeding gums and easy bruising. One of its biggest contributions to skin health is its role in the production of collagen.
If you want to increase your Vitamin C intake, you can try adding supplements such as Purisure’s Vitamin C Powder to your smoothies and health drink mixes.
Vitamin E
Besides its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, Vitamin E can provide you with serious sun protection as it can work to absorb energy from UV light hence preventing further sun damage. It can also work alongside Vitamin C to build stronger skin cell walls.
Evening Primrose Oil
This supplement is believed to support hormone balance which can help alleviate PMS, prevent hormonal acne, and hot flashes. Aside from these, it also contains healthy fatty acids which help improve skin health and appearance.
Zinc
A deficiency of this nutrient can cause symptoms similar to eczema. This is probably because zinc plays an important role in maintaining good skin health. The outer layers of your skin contain 5 times more Zinc compared to the inner layers. Zinc helps in healing wounds and is essential in keeping cell walls stable. It also works with other metals present in your body like copper and iron to protect your skin from sun damage.
Final Note
Taking different supplements for skin health is a good thing. However, before you take on any supplementation program, it is best for you to evaluate the quality of your diet first to establish what nutrients you are lacking. It is also ideal to consult your doctor first if it’s safe for you to take any supplementation especially if you are taking other medications, pregnant, or breastfeeding.
Keep in mind that while it’s important to take care of your skin, you shouldn’t be doing it at the expense of your other organs’ health and overall well-being. Skincare should be part of a more comprehensive, holistic effort towards better health.
References:
https://www.100percentpure.com/blogs/feed/6-supplements-for-healthy-skin
https://www.webmd.com/beauty/nutrients-for-healthy-skin#1
https://www.canyonranch.com/blog/beauty/the-skin-benefits-of-vitamin-a/