I’ve been a nutritional supplement fiend since I was a kid. My mom (AKA the witch doctor) was always giving us echinacea and chamomile and other natural supplements. As a teenager/young adult, I worked in a health food store, where they encouraged me to read and educate myself on the products so I could be a resource for the customers. As an adult, I’m constantly researching vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements for my own health.
Lately, I’ve been on a hair, skin and nails kick. My skin is constantly breaking out (pretty much coinciding with my monthly visitor), my hair is thinning (from the birth control pill no doubt) and my nails are fine, but they could always be stronger, right?
Here are some things I and my fellow beauty bloggers have tried with good or great results. I’d love to hear what you guys are using – what works and what doesn’t in the comments section below.
Hair
- Silica – I’m taking this daily and I’m starting to see a lot of new baby hairs! It’s also great for skin and nails and it’s necessary for healthy bones. Silica also helps you absorb other vitamins and minerals.
- MSM – a form of sulphur for healthy hair and joints. Crystal from Makeup by Crystal swears by it!
- Viviscal – an extremely popular supplement, shampoo, conditioner and scalp treatment containing silica, acerola cherry extract and marine protein (from fish – so not veg friendly). The shampoo has lactic acid, but no marine protein – so it’s vegetarian friendly but not vegan friendly! My mom swears by the shampoo, so I bought some. It’s too early to tell you if it’s working, but you can read more about it FutureDerm.com.
- Calcium – an important mineral for hair growth
- Biotin (B7) – great for hair loss, eczema and brittle nails. Highly recommended by Kia from Killer Lip Gloss and Shelley from Polar Belle.
- Lysine – an amino acid that protects against hair loss
- Arginine – an amino acid that acts as a natural alternative to Rogaine. Read Nicki’s excellent article about hair loss at FutureDerm.com.
Skin
- Zinc – I’m taking 50 mgs of zinc gluconate. After only a few days, my skin cleared up dramatically! Zinc regulates your oil glands and kills the P. acnes bacteria that causes breakouts. It also helps to repair damaged skin tissue. I am only taking it 2 weeks out of each month (pre-period time is best for hormonal breakouts) because taking too much zinc for skin can harm your immune system (it prevents the absorption of copper). Zinc is of course, good for your immune system when taken in moderation. I also take iron supplements and I like to take those at different times to avoid gang fights or scuffles in my bloodstream. You can also use pyrithione zinc topically for acne or dandruff.
- Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) – Omega 3s are necessary for hair, skin and nail health. Vegetarians can use flax seed oil instead of EFAs from fish. Nicki from FutureDerm.com takes Omega 3 fish oil and biotin daily along with her multivitamin. Meredith from Retrodivas Beauty also swears by her daily supplement of EFAs. Michelyn from Cafleurebon.com uses EFAs and Vitamin E topically for clear skin.
- Quercetin – a polyphenol that helps protect against sun damage, can help even out skin tone and stops the enzyme that reduces collagen in your skin
- Antioxidants – selenium, Vit C, Vit E, resveratrol (from grapes), superfruits, green and white tea, etc. All of these help protect your body (and skin) from free radicals and protect your skin from premature aging and sun damage. Patricia from A Diva’s Perogative uses Vitamins C and E to prevent sun damage and wrinkles. Vitamins A and C are also good for dry scalp/hair.
Nails
- Sea Buckthorn – Sea buckthorn is an herb harvested in the Tibetan region that helps hair, skin and nails, but I am listing it here because I saw such a fast and amazing improvement in my nails when I took it. Sibu Beauty is my fave – they have it in capsule or liquid form, and they also make soaps, facial creams, eye creams and body lotions.
- Biotin (see above)
- Silica (see above)
Beauty Supplement Cocktails
- Glowelle – contains antioxidants, quercetin, maritime pine bark, pomegranate, lutein, lycopene, grapeseed, green and white tea extracts, etc. I’m not sure if this is vegan friendly. Does anyone know? The taste is not bad – especially when mixed with juice.
- Votre Vu Snapdragon – not veg-friendly. Contains superfruits, antioxidants, collagen, fiber, aloe vera, foti, ginkgo biloba, etc. Read a review by Kelly of Gouldylox Reviews. Tastes great on its own. Can be mixed with ahem…adult beverages as well!
- Borba – tons of supplements and beauty drinks here. I haven’t tried any myself. Anyone want to chime in?
What do you guys take for hair, skin and nails? What works? What doesn’t?
Oh I LOVE this article! So many choices to research for healthy skin, hair, and nails! Since going vegan, I get zero erruptions, even during my monthly visitor! No lie:) But as I age, my hair doesn't grow nearly as fast as it once did so I began taking MSM religously a few weeks ago. I have noticed a little quicker growth since my last cut, but it does take 6-8 weeks for anything to reach it's max benefits. You sold me on silica, not only for the growth of new hair but the most important aid with absorbing other vits and minerals. My body thanks you!
Great post Thanks so much.
xo
My dad is like your mom. He always advised me to take supplements. What I'm taking at the moment is D3, Potassium, Resveratol, Calcium, Co-Q10, Vitamin E, Omega 3s, multi-vitamin. Probably a few more but I can't remember off the top of my head. In the winter I'll add in more Vitamin C. In the past I've taken Biotin or Hair, Skin & Nail vitamins but I'm not currently doing that. Time magazine this week has an interesting article about supplements.
Marcia
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Great info! As an esthetician I often recommend Biotin, Omega's & Zinc supplements. It makes sense since issues that present themselves thru the skin or hair could be due to a systemic or internal issue.
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I take so many vitamins it's crazy. I mostly take ones that help my thinning hair, or that help with my skin. But I haven't noticed any improvement at all in my hair or skin, so now I just take them because I know they are supposedly good for me. I've tried Viviscal, biotin, and several different "hair, skin and nail" vitamins, plus about 50 other things. Sometimes I get frustrated and stop everything, and then when I see more hair falling out, I start back up with my regimen.
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Thank for sharing with us this information. I also take vitamin C to boost immunity. I noticed many changes in my body and I have many choices now to research for healthy skin, hair and nails.
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This is awesome!!Thanks for the help you give to us…
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what kind of silica do you take? It sounds like something I need to start taking & would love a recommendation.
Thanks! 🙂
Hi…This kind of supplements may be helpful to all people but somehow, it may not as well…
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It's called Super Silica by KAL – so far so good!
I can't live without taking silica, it is a great supplement to take and it is perfect for helping with hair, skin and nails. Definitel one to include in any anti aging regimen.
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Lemon juice is the best remedy to clean and have healthy looking nails. I always do that instead of having nail polish remover. It really works and affordable.
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Regarding the ingredients for Viviscal–it says shark is in it. How does one know this isn’t coming from the sharks that are de-finned and dumped back in the ocean to die slow deaths? Not meaning to be all doom and gloom, but how do we know? I see too many stories about Chinese medicine producing the demand for rhino horns and shark fins and it breaks my heart to see the effects.
I can’t get enough of my supplements, in fact, I think I have a supplement addiction! I just have too many that I want to take so I have to try determine which ones work best for me. Definitely a multi vitamin, fish oil, B & D, bee pollen and digestive enzymes are all on my list. I also use some lemon juice in my water everyday for detox purposes. I’ve also tried Biotin but the results were just so so.
I appreciate you effort in collecting and publishing all of this information. My father swears by supplements, but I don’t know where to start. My skin is generally pretty healthy and soft, but my nails are so weak, causing me to bite them. Also, I have very thick, strawberry blonde hair that is prone to getting tangled. Aren’t these supplements generally pretty expensive? Where do you recommend that I go purchase these?
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As a man with a continously growing bald spot, I find this article very helpful. thank you for sharing.
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