I realize that skin health entails a lot. After all, some people are dealing with eczema, psoriasis, or acne, while others just want their skin to look young and hydrated. In this article I will try to distinguish between nutrients, supplements, and protocols that could benefit anybody, no matter your specific skin-related goal, and those that are specifically effective for a certain end goal. (currently I only covered acne and sun damage prevention, but this may expand in the future)
This blog post serves as an extension of the instagram collaboration I did with the great skin coach Tanel. His course on healing from eczema is phenomenal, and still among the best courses I followed until this day. You can find more info on that course and a fat discount right here.
General purpose nutrients for the skin
Any nutrient deficiency might eventually present itself with skin problems as well, so making sure you get all your vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in should always be your goal.
However, the following nutrients seems to play a particularly important role when it comes to skin health
Collagen & Glycine
Collagen makes up 70-80% of the skin, and the decline of collagen in the skin is one of the hallmarks of aging [s]. It is therefore no surprise that collagen supplementation has been shown to increase skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density [s].
About 33% of Collagen is made up of the protein Glycine. Studies suggest that Glycine is often the limiting factor in healthy Collagen production [s][s]
As outlined in this article, we need about 15 grams of Glycine for the production of collagen, synthesis of glutathione (a potent antioxidant), and other crucial processes, but the body can only produce about 2.5 grams a day. The rest therefore needs to come from food.
Foods high in Collagen and Glycine are meats and fish with skin, connective tissue, or directly from the bone. Bone broth is also a rich source of Collagen and Glycine. Unfortunately, very few people eat these sorts of food regular enough to adequately supply their body with an optimal amount of Collagen or Glycine.
This is where a supplement could come in. Both a Collagen and a Glycine supplement can be helpful.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is one of the two most abundant anti-oxidants in the skin [s]. The main role of vitamin E regarding the skin is to prevent damage from peroxidized fats [s]. Peroxidized fats can be a contributor to inflammation, which in turn seems to be at the root of many terrible diseases [s][s][s][video]. This is one of the reasons many in the nutrition world discourage the consumption of vegetable oils, which are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids that are especially prone to this peroxidation process.
No matter your diet however, the skin will always contain fats that can oxidize for many reasons. Vitamin E can help prevent and reduce the inflammation that would follow from this.
A lack of vitamin E has been associated with eczema in studies, once again showing its important role in limiting inflammation [s].
Getting enough vitamin E from your diet is difficult, therefore supplementation can be helpful, and topical application can ensure that the vitamin E really gets to the skin.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the second of the two most abundant anti-oxidants in the skin[s]. Similar to vitamin E, low vitamin C levels have been associated with skin issues like eczema [s].
Vitamin C is also an essential cofactor in the production of new collagen in the body [c]. This means that a lack of vitamin C will limit collagen production in the skin, even if you supplement collagen. It also likely means that a person with a skin condition can use more vitamin C than a regular individual, because a greater proportion of it is used in the healing process of the skin.
Moreover, studies have shown that vitamin C, just like vitamin E, can prevent the skin from sunburn and its associated damage [s][s].
Although you can easily get enough vitamin C through your diet, additional supplementation could help if you are dealing with an inflamed skin, or topical application can ensure that the vitamin C really ends up in the skin.
Vitamin A (retinol)
Vitamin A has mainly been studied as an anti-aging agent for the skin, and found to be very effective in that regard [s][s]. The beneficial functions of retinol on the skin are many, as outlined in this study:
Retinol, by interacting with receptors inside keratinocytes, promotes their proliferation, strengthens the epidermal protective function, reduces transepidermal water loss, protects collagen against degradation and inhibits the activity of metalloproteinases which are responsible for degradation of the extracellular matrix.
Retinoids: active molecules influencing skin structure formation in cosmetic and dermatological treatments [s]
Retinol makes the connections between epidermal cells more loose and facilitates keratosis. What is more, it enhances epidermis turn-over and accelerates proliferation of the basal layer of epidermal cells and the stratum corneum.
In other words, it strengthens and protects the skin, and speeds up the renewal of skin cells. For this reason, you will often find retinol or retinol-derived substances in skin products. But skin health comes as much from the inside as from the outside.
Eating foods high in retinol can help, such as liver or eggs. As supplementation, you could consider Cod Liver Oil or Freeze-Dried Liver in capsules.
Do not confuse beta-carotene for vitamin A. This is the pre-vitamin found in carrots for example. It is true that this pre-vitamin can be converted to retinol in the body, but the efficiency of this process is low, and differs per person. You’re therefore far better of getting retinol directly, instead of beta-carotene, the type of pre-vitamin A found in plant foods.
Zinc
Zinc has incredible benefits for the skin, and has been studied as a topical and oral supplement for a wide arrange of skin conditions, from acne, to warts, and even genital herpes. Although not all studies were of the highest quality, nearly all of them showed a beneficial effect [s].
The main benefits from Zinc for the skin seem to stem from its key role in wound healing [s] and its strong anti-inflammatory properties [s].
Great food sources for Zinc are red meat and Oysters. Supplementation can definitely help, but an important caveat is warranted. Zinc and Copper balance each other out in the body. Disturbing this balance will not benefit your health.
This means that if you decide to supplement Zinc, it is wise to make sure you also get enough copper through eating foods like liver, oysters, dark chocolate, avocado, or potatoes.
Nutrients & Supplements for Acne
Acne is a common problem, and can be crippling for some. Here are a few compounds that have been specifically studied as a treatment for acne.
Zinc
I already mentioned Zinc as a great general support for the skin, but its combination of being a strong anti-inflammatory and a compound that supports wound healing makes it especially effective against acne. This table provides a great overview of no less than 14 research papers studying the effectiveness of Zinc against acne [s], with he overall trend being a positive effect of Zinc supplementation on reducing acne.
The studies mainly used Zinc Sulfate and Zing Gluconate in dosages ranging from 10 mg to 220 mg, but other Zinc formulations should work just as well. It is probably wise to start at a dosage of maximum 50 mg, and go from there. Check this website for clear dosage information.
NAC & Milk Thistle
A randomized prospective clinical trial researched the effectiveness of Milk Thistle (Silymarin), NAC, and Selenium on acne in 56 patients [s]. After 8 weeks of supplementation, the results showed a 53% reduction in lesion count for the group taking Milk Thistle (210 mg/day), and a 50% reduction in the group taking NAC (1200 mg/day), while no significant reduction was found in the group taking Selenium.
While this study is the only one studying the effectiveness of these compounds, the reductions are remarkably high, suggesting that even if the data is not the cleanest data out there, there is reason to believe it will have some effect.
Vitamin B5
Few would think of this vitamin when it comes to acne, but one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (the most rigorous type of study in existence) investigated the effects of supplementing vitamin B5 on acne [s]. For 12 weeks, subjects took 2.2 grams of vitamin B5 daily, divided in two dosages. After 12 weeks, the lesion count was reduced by an incredible 68.21% in the group taking the supplement.
Two other studies show the efficacy of vitamin B5 for the skin. One study demonstrates the necessity of vitamin B5 for the growth of new skin [s]. The second study is a randomized controlled trial studying a facial lotion that contain vitamin B3, vitamin E, and vitamin B5, showing significantly reduced appearance of hyperpigmentation, improved skin tone evenness, appearance of lightening of skin, and positive effects on skin texture [s].
One study goes as far as suggesting that a vitamin B5 deficiency is a root cause for acne, but no other studies have backed up this finding to date [s].
All in all, it seems that vitamin B5 is a very interesting compound to try out if you are suffering from acne.
Vitamin B3 (niacinamide)
Vitamin B3 comes in different forms. When it comes to acne, the studies involving vitamin B3 use niacinamide (also called nicotinamide sometimes). There are two high quality studies, that compare a topical solution with 4% niacinamide with a topical antibiotic known as clindamycin [s][s]. In both studies, the substance is applied to the skin twice daily for 8 weeks. The results show that the niacinamide solution has similar efficacy as the antibiotic cream. One of the studies notes a total of 60% reduction in acne lesions, and a 52% reduction in acne severity, and a similar reduction is seen in the other study.
Now it goes without saying, that a solution with vitamin B3 is preferable over an antibiotic, which will kill other microbes on the skin too that might be beneficial to you.
Concluding Notes
As it goes with any health condition, start with the health basics. This can already help a ton. Make sure you sleep 8 hours a night, at the same time every day. Make sure you eliminate processed foods from your diet, and switch to a whole food nutrient dense diet instead. Find ways to manage your stress. Practice good hygiene, but stay away from excessive soap or chemical use on your skin, keep it natural. Implement some movement practice in your life, get outside and expose yourself to the sun. These are all things that can benefit you.
Next, it is important to know that skin health is closely related to the health of other organ systems. Take care of your gut health, your liver, your thyroid, and you may see improvements in your skin health as well.
Finally it should be mentioned that nutrients work in synergy. So even though the nutrients mentioned above are particularly effective for the skin, they won’t work optimally if you are deficient in many other nutrients. Make sure to cover all your bases.
Sun Damage Protection
If you are particularly interested in protecting your skin from the potential UV damage of the sun, I already wrote an article about that which you can find here.