Achieving your best skin requires a holistic approach. While topical skincare products and daily habits can go a long way, your diet also plays a large role in the look and feel of your skin. Nourishing your body with healthy foods, vitamins and nutrients will help you feel your best and help your skin glow from the inside out.
Even if you are eating a healthy, balanced diet, you could be lacking in some of the main nutrients that support skin health. Thankfully, adding supplements to your diet can enhance your skin health and promote a clear, glowing complexion. Here are six supplements to try for smooth, clear skin.
1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that have long been lauded as a skincare superfood. Often found in fatty fish and fish oil supplements, omega-3s are known to address specific skin conditions like atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and even acne. They also help to improve skin hydration, reduce breakouts, and promote a clear complexion.
These superstar fatty acids help the body by providing cellular structure and improving cell function.1These benefits don’t just improve skin; omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve cardiovascular health, support brain function, and more.2 In fact, omega-3s are known as essential nutrients, meaning your body needs them to function. A lack of omega-3 fatty acids can have negative health consequences.
Omega-3s can be found in a variety of foods, like flax, chia seeds, walnuts, and salmon - but you can also pack in the skin benefits of omega-3 with supplements. Most omega-3 supplements come in capsule form and can be taken day or night.
2. Probiotics
There’s a lot of buzz about probiotics in the wellness world right now, and for good reason! Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast that balance your body’s microbiome. Often noted as the key to gut health, probiotics are especially beneficial for digestive function and can help boost your immunity.3
Your skin has a microbiome of its own — and can become out of sync. If you are using harsh cleansers, have infections, or are on certain medications, your skin microbiome may become unbalanced. Probiotics may help restore your skin’s natural microbiome. Most notably, probiotics help restore ceramide production, which builds the skin’s moisture barrier. When your skin’s moisture barrier is strong and its microbiome is balanced, you’ll enjoy clearer, more radiant skin.4 Probiotics can also help to alleviate breakouts, eczema, rosacea, and dryness.
Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut are all packed with probiotics that can boost your skin health. If fermented foods aren’t your thing, there is also a variety of supplement formulas that provide ample probiotics.
3. Collagen
While topical collagen creams may be popular, if you want to combat visible signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles, you may want to consider consuming collagen in your diet. Collagen is a protein found naturally in the body’s connective tissue, like skin, muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons. With age, your body’s collagen production slows down, leading to a loss of bone density, muscle tone, and skin elasticity.
For firm, supple skin, collagen could be the key. Often found in animal byproducts, you can also take oral collagen supplements, which have been shown to have anti-aging skin benefits.
4. CoQ10
CoQ10 or coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that provides protection to skin. This naturally occurring compound plays a significant role in generating cellular energy and helps metabolize fats and carbohydrates, and maintains cell membrane flexibility. It also produces several critical enzymes to create cellular energy currency, called ATP.
Enzymes like CoQ10 protect skin from free-radical damage, like UV rays, and may help address the visible signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles, particularly around your eyes, lips, and nose. In addition, CoQ10 has been shown to help even skin tone, making it an ideal skincare supplement if you struggle with fine lines or uneven skin tone. CoQ10 is available in several formulas, including powders, capsule supplements, and oral tinctures.
5. Vitamins C and E
Antioxidant skincare is one of the best tools in your arsenal for fighting sun damage and other concerns caused by exposure to free radicals.
Over time, free radicals from UV rays and other environmental factors may cause oxidative stress, and incorporating powerful antioxidant sources like vitamin C supplements or vitamin E supplements into your diet can help your skin cells stay healthy.
Vitamin C supplements may also support proper collagen synthesis, so in addition to providing backup regarding the side effects of sun exposure, it may also lead to a more vibrant complexion overall.
You’ll find these powerful antioxidants in a variety of colorful produce like oranges and berries, but you can also pack a powerful punch of vitamin C and vitamin E with supplements. These skin-loving vitamins are so good for your health that you may even get adequate vitamin E and C with your daily multivitamin!
6. Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral found in many foods like oysters, beef, spinach, and chicken. This superstar metal aids in wound healing and immune function in the body, making it a must-have for your overall health — but it also works wonders for skin.5 In addition to helping with wound healing on the skin, zinc has been shown to reduce breakouts and help treat acne, and can even help combat inflammation.6
If surf and turf isn’t your thing, you can nourish skin with zinc supplements. Nausea is a common side effect of taking zinc on any empty stomach, so consider taking zinc supplements with a meal or before bed.
What About Biotin?
It’s often said that one of the best vitamins you can take for your skin is a biotin supplement. But there’s little to no evidence that biotin improves the look of your skin, hair, or nails unless you have a deficiency. If you lack biotin, a supplement may improve your skin.
Similarly, vitamin D appears on many lists of skin-friendly supplements. While it’s not likely to do any harm, it won’t yield impressive results. With any supplement, it’s always best to talk to your healthcare provider first to ensure that supplementation makes sense for you.
What’s a Good Skincare Routine?
Nourishing skin from the inside out is key to a radiant, glowing complexion.
In addition to uplifting your lifestyle with dietary supplements, a great alternative to help support your skin is by incorporating microcurrent treatments into your daily routine. Microcurrent treatments can assist by helping tone, contour, and brighten your face for a radiant look while making your skin more receptive to topical products.
Start your microcurrent treatment with the NuFACE Prep-N-Glow® Facial Wipes. These dual-sided towelettes help to cleanse and exfoliate, leaving your skin hydrated and feeling radiant without stripping it of the natural oils and moisture it needs to stay balanced.
Once your skin is cleansed, give it a burst of hydration with the Supercharged IonPlex® Facial Mist. This ultra-fine three-in-one mist offers a blend of glacial water and ions, offering deep hydration that supports your skin barrier and enhances microcurrent treatments.
Apply a NuFACE® Microcurrent Activator in a mask-like layer depending on your concerns, and then glide your microcurrent device over your skin. For more in-depth tutorials, check out the NuFACE® Smart App for step-by-step guides.
The Bottom Line
Loving your skin starts within. While topical products are important, consider working with your healthcare provider to find supplements that help you reach your skin goals. Nourishing skin with a variety of fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals may help you reach that radiant and glowing skin you’re after.
Sources:
Diet and Skin Aging—From the Perspective of Food Nutrition | National Library of Medicine
References:
- Surette ME. The science behind dietary omega-3 fatty acids. CMAJ. 2008 Jan 15;178(2):177-80. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.071356. PMID: 18195292; PMCID: PMC2174995.
- Swanson D, Block R, Mousa SA. Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA: health benefits throughout life. Adv Nutr. 2012 Jan;3(1):1-7. doi: 10.3945/an.111.000893. Epub 2012 Jan 5. PMID: 22332096; PMCID: PMC3262608.
- Mazziotta C, Tognon M, Martini F, Torreggiani E, Rotondo JC. Probiotics Mechanism of Action on Immune Cells and Beneficial Effects on Human Health. Cells. 2023 Jan 2;12(1):184. doi: 10.3390/cells12010184. PMID: 36611977; PMCID: PMC9818925.
- De Pessemier B, Grine L, Debaere M, Maes A, Paetzold B, Callewaert C. Gut-Skin Axis: Current Knowledge of the Interrelationship between Microbial Dysbiosis and Skin Conditions. Microorganisms. 2021 Feb 11;9(2):353. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9020353. PMID: 33670115; PMCID: PMC7916842.
- Rabinovich D, Smadi Y. Zinc. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547698/
- Zou P, Du Y, Yang C, Cao Y. Trace element zinc and skin disorders. Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Jan 17;9:1093868. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1093868. PMID: 36733937; PMCID: PMC9887131.
