Supplements You Should Be Taking For Your Skin

by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Skincare

I had hard, painful, cystic acne all along my jawline, as well as terrible bouts of psoriasis on my legs and arms during humid months.  As a teenager & young adult, I couldn’t really complain. I’d get a zit here and there, but my skin was never bad.

This was bad.

Once I came off all my medication (including birth control), hormones hit me hard.  I got bad, bad acne around my mouth, chin, cheeks, and areas that are absolutely impossible to hide. ‘Embarrassed’ was not the word. I felt like a different person.

Fed up with having tried absolutely everything, including medication, topical creams, dermatologists, and the like to no avail, I decided I was going to dedicate my entire supplement regime (as well as many mantra-driven meditation practices, as mentioned in depth here) to caring for my skin.

However, it didn’t take too long in my research before I found a few supplements that kicked acne and skin issues to the curb. And years later, I can honestly say (and show!) that these supplements have really, seriously saved my skin!

DIM Plus

DIM is short for Dimethylglycine, which is an amino acid (the building blocks of proteins.)  It is plant based phytonutrient (plant nutrient), and normally found in small amounts in our bodies, for very small amounts of time.

DIM is mostly found in cruciferous vegetables.  These include cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rutabaga, and turnip.  These plants have been cultivated for thousands of years and were initially used for their medicinal benefits.  The connection between DIM and hormones like estrogen has to do with similar characteristics between them at the molecular level.  DIM is not an estrogen or a hormone, but like estrogen it shares the common characteristic of being poorly soluble in water.

DIM is used for everything from ADHD to acne, but it’s benefits reach far and wide.  For me, it put me on a consistent monthly cycle, has reduced aging lines, makes my skin glow, stabilized my moods, heavily reduced my breakouts, boosted my immune system, and lowered my blood pressure.  I can only imagine what it does for others!

It took about 8 weeks for me to see my skin clear up fully, but I did have initial, amazing results overnight, including less bumpy skin, less oil and a smoother texture! Because I am both testosterone and estrogen dominant, I take 4 capsules a day of this kind with meals and my other skin supplements, and I still haven’t suffered from any hormonal breakouts.  If I feel one coming on, I will up the dosage and the DIM usually helps my body to take care of it.  This has been an absolute miracle for me, and I cannot go a day without it or I WILL see “under the skin” bumps start to creep back in.

Omega-3-6-9 fatty acids

If it’s golden in colour, you don’t really have to convince me to put it on my skin or in my body.  Omegas, commonly known as the “good fats”, have recently been credited with increasing heart health as well as helping your skin look healthier. The foods highest in omega’s fatty acids include seafood (especially tuna and salmon) as well as walnuts, canola oil, and flax seed.  Not only do they protect your skin from free radical damage, they act as an anti-oxidant that helps your body process the release of enzyme’s that happen when we are exposed to the sun.  Because of their anti-inflammatory properties, omega’s can also help relieve skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema.

Any time my joints hurt, I also pop some of these.  Break one open and add it to dry areas on your face for an extra boost!  I take a supplement that has Omegas 3, 6, and 9 (fish oil, borage, and flax) as well as the Borage pill (mentioned below) itself.

Borage

Borage seed oil is used for everything from acne, to inflammation, arthritis, and has been used as a natural sedative, lifting the spirits and softening the nervous edge some people experience. Borage works well to ease the depression and mood swings often associated with menopause and menstrual cycles as well and is a nice alternative to traditional prescription medications.

It’s an intense blood purifier, and contains high levels of a fatty acid called GLA, which seems to have  amazing anti-inflammatory effects.  Taking these borage pills internally or applying it directly to my skin has had amazing effects!

Evening Primrose Oil

Speaking of GLA, this little miracle supplement has truly changed the game for me.  It contains the pain relieving compound phenylalanine and is increasingly being used to treat chronic headaches, aging problems, alcoholism, acne, heart disease, hyperactivity in children, symptoms of menopause, multiple sclerosis, weight control, obesity, PMS and schizophrenia.

Evening Primrose Oil contains a high concentration the fa tty acid GLA.  It is this fatty acid that is largely responsible for the remarkable healing properties of the plant. In fact, Evening Primrose contains one of the highest concentrations known of this important substance and only a few other plants contain it at all. This makes Evening Primrose an important medicinal herb, and as studies continue, the list of benefits will likely become much longer.

The gamma-linoleic acid, linoleic acid and other nutrients in this oil are essential for cell structure and improve the elasticity of the skin. These fatty acids also help to regulate hormones and improve nerve function aiding problems ranging from PMS to migraine headaches. The hormone balancing effect also contributes to healthy breast tissue.

Fish Collagen

Collagen: It’s the building block for all our body’s major systems and the second most common substance in the body, coming up right behind water, only in terms of volume. Although abundant in our youth, the body’s natural Collagen production typically slows at a rate of 1.5% per year after the age of 25. As this collagen production slows, the collagen fibers in the body become brittle and begin to break down resulting in a weakening of the skin matrix (dermis). The skin matrix is responsible for the structural integrity and resilience of the skin and its natural degradation results in many of the visible signs of aging such as fine lines, loss of elasticity and eventually, deep wrinkles.

Typically derived from salmon and red snapper, fish collagen is up to 1.5 times more absorbent than other collagen’s because of its low molecular weight. Fish collagen is absorbed through the intestinal barrier into the bloodstream and then carried throughout the body, so it is the best source of collagen for your skin.