It pays to take care of our skin, not just on 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 can 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 proves to be equally important, which is best demonstrated by the numerous clinical trials conducted by an increasing number of manufacturers and distributors in the dietary supplement sector. Maintaining proper skin hydration, regenerating skin, reducing wrinkles and improving skin radiance are just some of the scientifically proven benefits of using dietary supplements from the beauty category.
Marine collagen: from nature to skin care
So, which ingredients are worth looking at to care for our skin? It is impossible to start our considerations any other way than with collagen - the main building protein in the human body. Products based on marine collagen are becoming more and more popular, especially because of their high purity, 100% natural origin and better bioavailability than gelatine. Thanks to the small size of the peptide particles, marine collagen can be effectively utilised by the human body, increasing its beneficial effects on skin, joints and overall tissue health. In addition, marine collagen is easily soluble, which facilitates its daily use in combination with, for example, water, juice or yoghurt.
Complete form of vitamin E for all-round skin protection
Another extremely effective substance is vitamin E, especially in the form of mixed tocotrienols and tocopherols. Every day we are exposed to harmful factors such as UV rays or polluted air, which cause so-called oxidative stress on 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 ageing, such as wrinkles and skin furrows. Its protective effect against harmful UVA and UVB radiation, the protection of cellular DNA against damage as well as the stimulation of the human body to synthesise collagen. [i],[ii],[ii
A lot of benefits in a single ingredient
A very interesting, though not obvious, source of nutrients for our skin is the hen's egg membrane. It contains a significant amount of cysteine-rich proteins, which nourish the cells responsible for the regeneration of skin, hair and nails.
In addition to cysteine, hen's egg membrane contains collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin, ingredients naturally present in human skin, hair and nails. In studies, people who took dietary supplements containing this raw material showed a significant improvement in the appearance of their complexion, body skin and increased skin radiance. A skin regenerating and protective effect was also observed.
The gut-skin axis: does the care of our microbiota influence the condition of our skin?
Last but not least on this list are probiotics.
Our skin, like our intestines, is an environment full of beneficial but also harmful micro-organisms. If this balance is disturbed, we can recognise it through a change in the condition of our skin. Skin changes such as acne, blemishes, discolouration or flaking of the skin, for which topical preparations do not work, may have their origin in our intestines. In so-called gut dysbiosis (gut dysfunction), combinations of specific bacterial strains can be helpful. For example, a mixture of L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus and L. reuteri strains has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, supporting in parallel our skin against the photo-ageing process. It could improve the condition of acne-prone and atopic skin. In addition, it could better moisturise the skin and lower its pH, which could reduce the risk of pathogens developing on the skin surface.[iii], [iv].
Yes, it also works from the inside!
Concluding with the above observations, 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 their effectiveness. Therefore, the issue of skin, hair and nail care should be approached holistically, taking care of their 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 taking care of it from the inside as well.
[i] Yap WN. Tocotrienol-rich fraction attenuates UV-induced inflammaging: To bench to bedside study. J Cosmet. Dermatol., 2017, 1 – 11.
[ii] Makpol S, Azura Jam F, Anum Mohd Yusof And, 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.
[iii] Michelotti, To., Cestone, And., Of Ponti, I., Giardina, S., Pisati, M., Spartà, And., & Tursi, F. (2021). Efficacy of To probiotic supplement in patients with atopic dermatitis: to randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. European Journal of Dermatology, 1(1)
[iv] Charlemagne, F., Pesciaroli, C., Cestone, And,, Of PontiI, Michelotti, To., Tursi F., Clinical assessment on the efficacy of to combined treatment targeting subjects with acne-prone skin. Our DermatolOnline. 2022;13(3):1-8.
