We all know that true beauty comes from within — we’ve been beaten over the brow with that message since grade school. While at the time we understood this to mean that we were required to develop glowing personalities in order to sashay through life well adored and admired, we now understand that the statement also has a much more literal meaning.
A healthy diet, regular exercise, and daily water consumption have long been the necessary evils for maintaining healthy skin and hair, but what if that isn’t always enough? How many more kale-based smoothies must we all suffer through before glowing like Emily Ratajkowski? If you’ve got a troublesome beauty issue or need a little skincare boost, there is a very simple supplemental solution waiting in the wings. Here are a few of our medicine cabinet staples.
Best Supplement for… Dark Circles
Stress, lack of sleep, and genetics are your biggest adversaries in the battle against dark circles, and your concealers and serums can only do so much to help you combat them. Iron and a derivative of milk thistle called Silymarin can help take on this beauty foe from the inside — and promise us you’ll stop scrolling through Instagram in bed and actually get to sleep earlier, okay?
Best Supplement for… The Glow Up
Glutathione, a powerful compound of amino acids produced naturally in our livers, is utilized by every single cell in the human body and is relied upon in the medical community to help treat a long list of ailments and issues. Your skin benefits from increased levels of Glutathione due to its free radical destroying abilities as well as intense cell support, so you’ll notice an obvious “glow” straight away and improved skin texture and volume over continued intake.
Source: @nicholeciotti
Best Supplement for… Mermaid Hair
Biotin has long been Most Popular on the superlatives list when it comes to hair growth and health, but taking it completely by itself can lead to some issues for those sensitive to Vitamin B compounds (and by that we mean the dreaded pimple issues). Smaller doses of biotin supported by Vitamin A and Zinc taken in one or two short cycles can deliver a noticeable difference in hair growth and thickness, but avoid taking hair growth supplements daily for the long term.
Best Supplement for… A Youthful Complexion
In addition to a healthy diet, there are several vitamin supplements that are showing promising results in the fight against aging. Resveratrol, otherwise known as the only healthy part of red wine, is showing up more and more in beauty supplements for its antioxidant-rich compounds that help ward off effects of aging in your body, most notably in your skin.
Best Supplement for… Beauty Sleep
Everyone knows that adequate sleep, or rather the lack thereof, is the root cause of all our physical and mental shortcomings. If you want to radiate inner and outer beauty, you better be getting your full eight hours of shut-eye each night. If pure melatonin has left you groggy in past attempts to find a good sleep supplement, consider a formula that combines it with an ayurvedic adaptogen like Ashwagandha to help lull you to dreamland.
Source: Byrdie
Best Supplement for… Preventing Breakouts
Acne remains one of the hardest and most temperamental issues to treat, and while there are various ways to address acne topically, the majority of breakouts begin internally. Magnesium deficiency could be one of the hidden causes in your struggle with acne, as our bodies need magnesium for a variety of bodily systems that without proper function can lead to breakouts — stress management, the ability to reach REM sleep, regulation of insulin levels, and the balance of your gut flora, to name just a few.
Best Supplement for… Curbing Oily Scalp
Niacin and Vitamin B can be very helpful in regulating the overproduction of sebum, the “bad oil” our glands produce that can lead to breakouts and even dandruff. If you can’t stand not washing your hair every day due to greasy roots after a few hours, consider trying a supplement to address the issue. Your scalp will still produce the good natural oils that condition your strands, benefiting the health of your hair overall.
Source: @garypeppergirl
Best Supplement for… The Triple Threat
If you feel as if your hair, skin, and nails are all in need of a major boost, Collagen is here for you. We already know that Collagen, which consists of compounds of essential amino acids that our bodies produce naturally but begin to slow down with age, is great for youthful skin. But Collagen also goes a long way to support our nails, hair, joints, and digestive system — and since we don’t get much of it from our food, we need to supplement the intake.
Best Supplement for… When You Need a Chill Pill
There’s no other way to say it — stress shows up on your face. Increased levels of cortisol in your body wreak havoc on nearly every single physiological function, and this is very bad news for the largest organ in your body. If you really struggle with managing stress in your daily life, you should consider an adaptogenic herbal supplement to help support your nervous system’s response to stress — otherwise you’ll continue to suffer from breakouts, dull complexion, and early signs of aging.
Please note, supplements may affect certain medications — consult your doctor before taking any of the supplements listed above.