Dietary supplements for skin care from the inside – does it work?

Recently, the market of dietary supplements in the beauty category has been developing extremely dynamically. As a society, we pay more and more attention to beautiful and healthy skin, hair and nails. On the market we can find more and more dietary supplements for skin care from the inside. But do they actually work? And if so, which of them and how can they help us?

Our skin is worth taking care of not only from the outside

One of the key factors responsible for the health of our skin is proper nutrition, rich in ingredients that nourish our skin, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and many, many others. Not coincidentally, many skin changes may be a sign of a deficiency of important nutrients in our body.

In addition to traditional skin care through dedicated cosmetic products from the outside, skin care from the inside turns out to be equally important, which is best proven by numerous clinical trials conducted by an increasing number of manufacturers and distributors in the dietary supplements sector. Maintaining proper skin hydration, skin regeneration, wrinkle reduction and improving skin brightness are just a few of the scientifically proven benefits of using dietary supplements from the beauty category.

Marine collagen – from nature to care of your skin

So what ingredients are worth focusing on to take care of our skin? It is impossible to begin our considerations other than with collagen - the main building protein of the human body. Products based on marine collagen are becoming more and more popular, famous primarily for its high purity, 100% natural origin and better bioavailability than gelatin. Thanks to the small size of the peptide particles, the human body can effectively utilize marine collagen, increasing its beneficial effects on the skin, joints and overall tissue health. In addition, marine collagen is easily soluble, which makes it easy to use daily in combination with e.g. water, juice or yogurt.

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Complete form of Vitamin E for complete protection of your skin

Another extremely effective substance turns out to be vitamin E, especially in the form of a mix of tocotrienols and tocopherols. Every day we are exposed to harmful factors such as UV rays or polluted air, which cause so-called oxidative stress in our skin. The aforementioned form of vitamin E provides a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory barrier, protecting our skin cells and thus delaying the effects of aging such as wrinkles and skin furrows. Their protective effect against harmful UVA and UVB radiation, protection of cellular DNA against damage as well as stimulating the human body to synthesize collagen have been proven. ^1,2

A whole world of benefits in one single ingredient

A very interesting although not obvious source of nutrients for our skin is the chicken egg membrane. It contains a significant amount of proteins rich in cysteine, which provide nourishment for cells responsible for the regeneration of skin, hair and nails. In addition to cysteine, chicken egg membrane contains collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin, ingredients naturally present in human skin, hair and nails. In the studies conducted, people taking dietary supplements containing this raw material showed a significant improvement in the appearance of their complexion, body skin and improved skin brightness. A regenerative and protective effect on the skin was also noted.

The gut-skin axis - does looking after our microbiota affect the condition of our skin?

The last factor in this list, but absolutely no less important than the above, is probiotics. Our skin, like our intestines, is an environment full of beneficial but also harmful microorganisms. If this balance is disturbed, we might recognize it through a change in the condition of our skin. Skin changes such as acne, spots, discoloration or its peeling, for which topical preparations do not work, may have their origin in our intestines. On the so-called intestinal dysbiosis (intestinal dysfunction), combinations of specific bacterial strains may be helpful.

For example, it has been proven that a mixture of L. plantarum, L.rhamnosus and L. reuteri strains has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, in parallel supporting our skin against the photoaging process. It might improve the condition of acne-prone and atopic skin. Moreover, it could better hydrate the skin and lower its pH, which might reduces the risk of pathogens developing on the skin’s surface. ^3,4

Yes, it works from the inside as well!

Concluding on the observations above, we can state that Yes - dietary supplements for skin care from the inside work, although we can be sure of this only for products that have been clinically tested and have confirmed effectiveness. Therefore, the topic of caring for our skin, hair and nails should be approached holistically, taking care of its condition not only from the outside, but also from the inside, remembering that although the skin is our main protective barrier against harmful external factors, it is worth supporting it from the inside as well.

Sources:

1. Yap WN. Tocotrienol-rich fraction attenuates UV-induced inflammaging: A bench to bedside study. J Cosmet. Dermatol., 2017, 1 – 11.

2. Makpol S, Azura Jam F, Anum Mohd Yusof Y, Zurinah Wan Ngah W. Modulation of collagen synthesis and its gene expression in human skin fibroblasts by tocotrienol-rich fraction. Arch Med Sci., 2011, 7(5), 889-95.

3. Michelotti, A., Cestone, E., De Ponti, I., Giardina, S., Pisati, M., Spartà, E., & Tursi, F. (2021). Efficacy of a probiotic supplement in patients with atopic dermatitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. European Journal of Dermatology, 1(1)

4. Carlomagno, F., Pesciaroli, C., Cestone, E,, De PontiI, Michelotti, A., Tursi F., Clinical assessment on the efficacy of a combined treatment targeting subjects with acne-prone skin. Our DermatolOnline. 2022;13(3):1-8.