It seems that every day there’s a new skin cream or lotion that claims to give us flawless skin. But, with the effectiveness of many skincare products often debated, is there an alternative to achieving gorgeous skin?
How about giving yourself gorgeous skin from the inside? Nowadays, there’s a range of supplements that you can take to enhance your skin and give you a healthy glow. Check out which supplements could benefit the body’s largest organ here…
Vitamin C
If we have smooth skin that’s free of wrinkles, it makes many of us feel good about our appearance. However, a major cause of loss of skin firmness is free radicals — which are especially harmful when exposed to strong sunlight. There are 25 types of collagen in the body and, along with elastin, they give skin texture and structure. Free radical damage causes collagen and elastin to break down, which leads to wrinkles and skin losing its firmness.
Free radicals can be major obstacles when it comes to achieving beautiful skin, so what do we do to counter them? Antioxidants, such as vitamin C and coenzyme Q10, can protect cells from the damaging affects of these toxic chemicals. Similarly, incorporating plenty of fruit and vegetables into our diets can help us naturally improve our vitamin C levels. However, it’s best if you ingest this raw, as the vitamin is damaged when cooked or processed.
Did you know that, although vitamin C is essential to human health, our lifestyles might be reducing the amount our bodies absorb? Levels of vitamin C are lowered by factors such as smoking, alcohol and certain drugs like antidepressants and oral contraceptives — which is why many people find it beneficial to get enough of this vital nutrient via supplements. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 60mg/day or 120mg/day, if you’re a smoker.
Omega 3
We’ve surely all heard about the benefits of omega 3 — it’s one of the most popular supplements for skin health. Omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory, making it good for irritable, sore skin, and the richest source of the nutrient is from oily fish (e.g. herring, salmon, tuna, and sardines). Many people choose to take an omega 3 fish oil supplement. Due to concerns about environmental pollution in fish, it is safest to choose a supplement that contains oil from the flesh of the fish, rather than the liver.
But, if you fancy trying something different to boost skin health, have you considered omega 7? Omega 7 supplements can help with lubrication throughout the body, protecting the internal organs, as well as the linings of the eyes, mouth and skin. If you get a supplement featuring sea buckthorn oil, you can also benefit from one of the best natural oils for mature and wrinkled skin. This is due to its essential fatty acid and vitamin E, C and A properties. Omega 7 and sea buckthorn oil have nourishing, moisturising and restorative abilities, promoting tissue regeneration and reducing age-induced skin wrinkling and signs of premature ageing.
Coenzyme Q10
It’s not only vitamin C that can fight free radicals — coenzyme Q10 is also an effective solution. Although we make coenzyme Q10 within our own bodies, our ability to do this drops from our mid-twenties. So, a good solution is to take coenzyme Q10 supplements. Coenzyme Q10 plays an important role in producing energy in our bodies and is also a powerful antioxidant. This means it protects the skin from free radical damage and promotes effective skin repair. Coenzyme Q10 has been proven to reduce the depth of fine lines and wrinkles over time.
Pycnogenol
Good blood circulation is essential if you want the above nutrients to find their way easily around your body to do their jobs. So, how can we improve our blood flow for healthier skin? Pycnogenol is a plant-based extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree and can be taken as a supplement to improve blood circulation — thereby helping with skin hydration and vitality. Pycnogenol can also help to reduce wrinkles by binding with skin proteins collagen and elastin to protect from various harmful enzymes. It also rebuilds elasticity, which is essential for smooth, youthful skin, and is believed to reduce over-pigmentation for a more even complexion.
These supplements could be just what your skin needs to look its best!