Have you ever been to a health food store looking for supplements?
Where do you start?
I get this question a lot from my patients – “What supplements do I REALLY NEED for my skin?”
It’s tough enough getting into a good skin regimen, it’s another thing getting used to taking supplements on a daily basis. What if you’re traveling for work? What then? It can be difficult losing your routine. Well, unless you’re like my step-mum who brings all her supplement bottles when she travels (lots of carrier bags!).
So I’ve kept this list short and sweet, listing you the Top 5 Supplements for Beautiful Skin (this is the BARE MINIMUM I have found we should be taking).
PLEASE NOTE!
The amount of supplements you need depend on how good your nutrition and lifestyle is. I have a few simple rules:
Look at supplements as the cleaners in your house (your body is a temple as the saying goes).
Cleaners are needed (this could be you) to keep the house tidy, pretty and smelling nice so you enjoy living there and your guest will want to visit you. If things break, your cleaners can also fix things for you.
If you eat and live badly, you will need more cleaners in your house. However, if you have too much rubbish in your house, your cleaners will tire out and you may feel sick from all their complaining. So simple rule is, don’t eat or live badly!
So BACK TO BASICS and back to the topic.
TOP 5 SUPPLEMENTS YOU NEED FOR BEAUTIFUL SKIN (especially if you don’t like popping pills) so here it is:
1. MSM
Valentina Zelyaeva, a Russian fashion model, mostly known as the face of Ralph Lauren swears by MSM, the one and only supplement she takes on a daily basis for her flawless skin.
What is it?
MSM (Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane) is a naturally occurring form of sulfur found in fresh raw foods that are involved in the cycle of rain.
Why is it good for us?
Sulphur is found in every cell in our body and is structurally and functionally important to 150 compounds including hormones, enzymes, antibodies and antioxidants. Benefits are:-
- Encourages collagen production, giving you smooth skin, thick healthy hair and strong nails.
- Maintains the health of connective tissue – think elastic skin, flexible, painless joints and toned sexy body. It is also used to create new cells, to repair and replace damage tissues and organs (perfect for rejuvenation).
- Helps with energy production and sugar regulation so breaking down fat and limiting the sugar cravings that gives us muffin tops and bingo wings!
- An anti-inflammatory so great for reducing acidity in the body, treating gut issues and helping with stress.
How do you take it?
MSM comes in capsule or powder form (white and slightly bitter). You can start with 1.5gram, working your way up to 4.5gram a day, depending on your need. Added benefit when taking with Vitamin C. Follow instructions as indicated.
I will put a link to the supplements so you can learn more about it. I have also included a discount code at the end of the blog if you wish to purchase from the same store.
2. Co-Q 10
CoQ10 was described as “The Single Most Crucial Nutrient to Energise Every Cell in the Body” by Dr Joseph Mercola, re-knowned educator and physician in preventative natural health.
What is it?
An enzyme naturally produced in the human body. It diminishes due to age and stress. Women over 30 years old have below optimum levels of CoQ10 in the skin.
Why is it good for us?
- Helps produce energy
- Neutralise free radicals so the cells are able to regenerate and withstand stress decline.
- Helps produce collagen and elastin (avoiding wrinkles and skin sag)
- Also helps to boost your heart health, support your nervous system and boost your immune system
How do you take it?
Although you find many creams have CoQ10 which has debatable benefits, CoQ10 supplements however have more research on its benefits. I would recommend Microcell CoQ10 Plus which has a potent combination of CoQ10, Linseed Oil (which contains Omega 3 and Omega 6 which is good) and Vitamin E. More goodness packed in a single capsule i.e. less supplements to take 🙂
3. Essential Fatty Acids
Research have shown that a capsule of EFA Omega 3 a day will improve your skin’s protection to the sun by 50%! Less DNA damage means less wrinkles and pigmentation.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) are grouped into 2 families – Omega 3 and Omega 6
Why is it good for us?
Research have shown good EFA’s play a crucial role in prevention of atherosclerosis, heart attacks, depression and cancer. It also helps treat many disorders e.g. diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and Raynauds disease – all of which have an effect on the skin.
How do you take it?
Research have shown too much Omega 6 may be harmful to the body. Western diet is high in Omega 6 as found in corn oil and soy oil. Vegetarian diets tend to be high in Omega 6. The ideal ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 is 2:1 but with the amount of Omega 6’s in our diets, some schools recommend to take Omega 3 separately.
Omega 3 is found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, marine plankton, krill and fatty fish. Did you know grassfed beef is higher in Omega 3 than fish?
To learn more about EFA, I would recommend this article by Dr Mercola
Because of my diet, I take Udo’s Ultimate Oil Blend which is the right blend of EFA’s and DHA’s. – (Udo’s Ultimate Oil Blend)
I mix it in with my morning smoothies or drizzle over my morning omelette. You can use it as a salad dressing too. No fishy taste! Just rich goodness for the skin 🙂
4. Supergreens
Think Popeye! Think strength, resilience and flexibility.
With the hectic modern life, we sometimes don’t eat the necessary intake of greens. And with stress surmounting every day, we need our greens to protect us from prematurely aging us.
Why is it good for us?
It’s detoxing, good for our digestive system, great antioxidant which all helps towards the repair of our skin and preventing the build up of toxins in our bodies.
How do you take it?
There are different greens which you can take – capsule, powder and liquid form. I take Udo’s Choice Beyond Green because it literally has EVERYTHING!! And it doesn’t taste bitter too.
I usually mix 2 teaspoon of Beyond Green’s in a cup of coconut water, preferably in the morning but you can drink this anytime of the day.
5. Probiotics
It was a toss between a MultiVitamin or a Probiotic but have chosen this lovely supplement as my final choice.
What is it?
Good organism e.g. bacteria or yeast that work in synergistic with our bodies.
Why is it good for us?
It’s helps to improve gut function and maintain the integrity of the lining of intestines. It’s used to treat and prevent eczema associated with cow’s milk allergy. Our gut contributes to 70% of our bodies immune system so if anything is wrong with it, our skin will show it.
How do you take it?
Probiotics come in many forms, including powders, tablets, capsules and foods such as yogurts and commercial diary drinks. Experts say the form you take them in doesn’t matter as long as it contains enough organisms to grow in the intestines. Experts say effective dose varies from as little as 50million to as many as 1 trillion live cells per dose.
I take Udo Choice’s Adult Blend Probiotic
And there it is. My 5 top supplements for beautiful skin. If I could sneak one more in, it would be a MultiVitamin as the Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Zinc is important for production of collagen and preventing acne.
If you would like to be more specifics on what you need, I always recommend seeing a specialist nutritionist who will be able to do a nutritional test for you to see what specific nutrients you are lacking.
Hope you found this blog useful. If you would like to purchase it from Nutricentre (www.nutricentre.com) which many of popular brands exist, you are welcome to use the discount code below:-
Enjoy a 10% discount if you call the customer service on 0208 752 8450 and quote the code ZZTLO 001 – the code only applies to orders made over the phone.
Over to you,
What your thoughts about supplements?
What are your favourite ones that you can’t do without?
Looking forward to read your comments below.
Hi Dr Terry,
Thank you for tHis article it’s great and very informative.
Hope you can give me some Help!. Am a french girl born african and very proud about heR roots !
Well i gave birth few months ago and it is the most powerful thing i have ever experienced. Everything is fine except my skin…
i have more than tHree colors on my whole body i became darker And besides my skin is very very dry even if i moisture twice a day i don’t know Why. I wisH i can get a unique tone.
What kind of pIlls or anything else i can take to get a radiant skin tone and uniform ?
My confidence has fade i fell insecure. I wish i could get back to that flAwlEss skin i used to have…
well In advance thAnk You
Have a bless day
Sarah
awesome article, thank you! I have pretty much very smooth skin but around my mouth area is dark, I’m indian and tend to get very dark even if I am in the sun for a few minutes, I use a SPF 30 or more, What can I use to even out my skin tone and help with pigmentation. many thanks
Thanks Neresa. Good question – pigmentation around the skin can be due to UV damage, hormonal changes, medication and even from treatments (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation). Each have their own treatments. Schedule a call with me and we can speak further.
Hi Dr.Terry,
This article was great!! I have a question. I have acne prone skin and am having quite the flare up right now. (Chin, forehead and mouth area). I can’t seem to get rid of it no matter how hard I try. What supplements should/can I take??? Also, could it be hormonal?? I had a baby 7 months ago. Thanks for the help!
Aly
Hi Alyssa, glad you found it useful. Acne flare ups post pregnancy can happen due to the fluctuation of hormones. I wrote another blog that looks at common causes of adult acne and how to manage it. Let me know if it answers your question. Enjoy!
http://drterry.wpengine.com/common-causes-of-adult-acne-and-how-to-manage-it/
Dr. Terry,
I found this article very informative. Can you please let me know the supplements that can be taken to have an even skintone. I have heard about Neocell’s collagen supplements. What do you think about it ?
Thanks
Simmi
Hi Simmi, glad you found the article useful. Great question. For even skin tone, you want a supplement that will help prevent sun damage and reduce inflammation. Both sun damage and inflammation risk causing over-activation of melanin, causing pigmentation.
Lookout for:-
1. Vitamin B
2. Selenium
3. Zinc
4. Antioxidants e.g. Alpha Lipoic Acid and DMAE
5. Essential Fatty Acids (in the form of Omega 3)
6. Tegreen
I checked Neocell – never used it before but looking at the ingredients, their main ingredient is supercollagen and Vitamin C. I’m usually suspicious of collagen supplements because they don’t really tell what’s in it. Their patented collagen could be anything from sugar cubes to key amino acids.
If you’re taking clean, nourished, colourful and fresh foods, supplementing with only key supplements, you don’t need a specific collagen supplement. However, for some people who don’t have either, collagen supplements are better than nothing. Hope that helps.