Best Supplements For Healthy, Glowing Skin | Top 10 Go-Tos

How To Get Glowing Skin Using Supplements

People always talk about having a bad hair day, but a bad skin day can leave you feeling just as insecure and self-conscious. Whether it’s dark circles weighing you down, or a break-out on your chin you’re convinced everyone is staring at, your skin can play a big part in your confidence.

It’s not all just about the aesthetics though, the skin is the body’s largest organ and there to regulate our temperature, help with excretion of waste, and generally protect us from the external environment. When things aren’t quite right on the outside, it’s often a tell-tale sign that your body isn’t happy on the inside too — as well as environmental factors, spots can be a result of stress, bad diet and hormone imbalance, for example.

So, if you’re looking to nail that all-natural, no make-up glow, you have to start with what’s going on internally — which is where supplements can come in.

Best Supplements for Healthy Skin

There are so many lifestyle factors that can affect your skin, so you should probably reconsider habits like drinking, smoking, and your make-up routine (if you have one).

We’re all familiar with looking slightly worse for wear after a night out, right? As well as your head, your skin takes a hit when you drink alcohol — when you’re dehydrated your skin gets very dry and creates more oil to make up for the missing water, which can cause breakouts and irritation. It can also worsen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

It’s even more bad news if you’re spending time in the smoking area too, as smoking deprives your skin of oxygen and leads to the loss of collagen and elastin — proteins which help to keep it looking firm and youthful.

Sticking to your skin routine can sometimes be the last thing you feel like doing when you get home late and just want to get straight to bed, but trust us, it’s worth the effort. Wearing make-up clogs your pores and can lead to acne if you don’t remove it properly — a quick rub with a make-up wipe doesn’t quite cut it, we’re afraid, that just sort of smears it round your face.

Make-up can also irritate or dry out your skin, especially if you’re prone to eczema, so it’s important to cleanse so that you can then moisturise effectively.

Diet plays an important role in healthy skin — it’s especially vital to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, but also the foods you eat can have a big effect on what shows up on your skin. For example, consuming a lot refined sugar can lead to break outs, as it causes a spike in your body’s insulin levels which causes inflammation.

A lot of vitamins have beneficial effects on the skin, so if you’re finding it hard to get your 5-a-day, supplements are great to ensure you’re hitting daily requirements.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is involved in so many important functions in your body, but is especially good for the skin as it has antioxidant properties, meaning it protects the skin from the damage of free radicals. It also helps to create collagen, a protein which is responsible for skin strength and elasticity — combatting the signs of ageing.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, is key for healthy skin has been linked to improving conditions such as acne and eczema. These capsules are a great way to make sure you’re getting your fix, even on cloudy days.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another antioxidant so it helps to protect the skin against free radicals, which can reduce signs of ageing and wrinkles. It also has anti-inflammatory properties — good for flare-ups.

Vitamin B Complex

Vitamin B helps to maintain healthy skin and can reduce the signs of ageing. Research has found that vitamin B3 can ‘brighten’ your skin, while vitamin B5 is highly efficient for preventing skin water loss which can dry out cells and worsen the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and is a key part of all connective tissues. It’s responsible for skin strength and elasticity, and for replacing dead skin cells — making this one of the best supplements for skin, especially if you're after fuller, youthful looking skin (and who isn't?).

Causes of Dry Skin

Dry skin can be irritating, sore and not very nice to look at. Plus, trying to conceal it with make-up often makes the problem worse, as foundation ends up clinging to the dry patches in a way that highlights their presence further (not ideal).

Whilst it’s usually a problem that’s worse in the winter when cold outdoor temperatures clash with hot central heating indoors, it’s still an issue for many people all year round, especially those with conditions like eczema and dermatitis.

The most common causes range from:

• Dehydration — not drinking enough water, or not moisturising
• Allergies — to food, skincare products, dust, pollen, or animals
• Psychological factors — stress can cause eczema flare-ups
• Viral infections or existing medical conditions like asthma

Omega-3

Omega-3 contains essential fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) which support collagen production, helping to improve skin cell strength which helps with fine lines, wrinkles, and to reduce symptoms of rosacea and eczema.

CLA

CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) is a naturally occurring omega-6 fatty acid and an antioxidant that can work to strengthen the skin, helping it to retain moisture. It's also got anti-inflammatory properties.

Vitamin B Complex

We know we’ve mentioned this one before, but as this is one of our best supplements for skin — especially dry skin — we thought we should highlight Vitamin B Complex again. It contains biotin, and a deficiency of this essential micronutrient can result in dry skin and scaly rashes around your eyes, so keeping on top of your daily intake can be really helpful to minimise irritation. And, as previously mentioned, vitamin B5 is great to reduce skin cell water loss.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil — the holy grail of health supplements. This amazing natural product is perfect for replenishing dry, flaky, and damaged skin as it’s not only super-absorbent, but it’s anti-fungal and antibacterial too. 

Supplements as a Natural Acne Treatment

Almost all of us experience breakouts and spots, especially through our teenage years when hormones are in overdrive, but for some, chronic acne continues to plague them through their adult years too.

As well as being just downright painful, it can be really damaging to self-esteem and mental health too. There are many triggers, including stress, irritants, hormone imbalance, diet and, unfortunately, genetics — but there are a lot of natural remedies out there too.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a must-have for your battle against breakouts. It’s an antioxidant that belongs to the ‘retinoid’ family, and it’s responsible for red blood cell production, immune system support, and healthy skin. It’s essential to normal shedding of dead skin cells, to prevent them from building up inside the pore and clogging it.

It’s worth noting that Accutane — a medicine that’s prescribed by doctors to treat severe acne — is actually derived from vitamin A.

Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral that’s responsible for transporting vitamin A from the liver, helping your body to get the most of its benefits. Recent studies have shown that people with acne have low levels of zinc in their system.

Take Home Message

Hopefully this article has made you more aware of the obstacles that may be getting in the way of your quest for healthy, glowing skin, while providing you with all the best supplements for skin to improve its health and relieve conditions like eczema and acne. It’s important to remember that a good skincare routine involves plenty of hydration, rest, and cleansing too.