When it comes to beauty products, there are tons that promise you the world. Whether they will remove all of your wrinkles overnight, or make you look 30 years younger, many of us know that while there are some great products out there, many don’t live up to the hype.
Personally, I don’t like to use a lot of store-bought products on my skin or in my hair because they often contain tons of chemicals, preservatives, or additives that are toxic for your body. And what’s the point of trying to eat well and exercise if you’re just going to gunk up your body anyway with scented lotions and toxic shampoo?
Where Can You Look for Great Hair, Skin and Nails?
When I look at hair, skin and nail care, I look deeper. A lot of it actually has to do with your diet and your digestive health. For example, have you ever eaten a ton of sugar and then broke out the next day? Your skin, especially, is a direct reflection of your digestive health, so it makes sense to start there when you’re trying to look your best.
Now ideally, you would get these nutrients from your diet, but let’s be real, we don’t always have the time or the energy to eat the best we can 100% of the time. That’s where supplementing comes in.
Why Vitamins Are Good for Your Appearance
Vitamins are great for supplementing your diet and basically filling in the holes left from missed meals, quick snacks or on-the-go dishes that don’t live up to the “whole foods lifestyle” standards we all strive for. Let me make it clear, though, I don’t recommend taking vitamins as an excuse to eat whatever you want. Your diet still plays a large role in your appearance, but vitamins simply help give you a boost because we are all, in fact, human.
Which Vitamins Should You Incorporate Into Your Daily Beauty Routine?
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is great for your skin. it slows aging, hydrates your skin, prevents breakouts and dark age spots, and reduces UV exposure damage to your skin. All of these things combined will make you look younger. It also helps your hair grow by encouraging cell regeneration and growth.
2. Vitamin B2
Vitamin B2, also known as Riboflavin, is amazing at hydrating your skin. It relieves dry, itchy skin and makes your skin appear younger overall. It also helps build up the lining of your digestive tract, which we’ve already discussed has a lot to do with the appearance of your skin. It helps your hair and nails by nourishing the hair follicles and helping your body absorb iron, which makes your nails stronger. Therefore, you may want to consider adding iron to your beauty routine as well.
3. Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3, also known as Niacin, is great for your digestive system, which again, largely controls the appearance of your skin. Consequently, it’s also good for reducing acne and Rosacea. It helps hydrate your skin and helps reduce the risk of some skin cancers as well.
4. Vitamin B7
Vitamin B7 is one of the best nutrients for your hair, skin and nails, and it’s also known as Biotin. Many women take Biotin to help their hair and nails grow faster and stronger and it’s amazing at doing both. It also moisturizes your skin and consequently makes you look younger.
5. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a staple of many individuals’ diets, but it’s not just for boosting your immune system during cold and flu season. Vitamin C also helps your skin look amazing! It increases the melanin production of your skin, making it appear lighter and making you appear younger. It also helps fight UV damage.
6. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients for your body because it is so beneficial for so many different bodily functions. When it comes to your skin, it helps cell regeneration, and protects your skin from outside elements.
7. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is actually used in a ton of different beauty products from anti-aging creams, to night serums, to body lotions because of it’s many benefits for your skin. It’s anti-aging properties are impressive to say the least, and include increasing smooth appearance, keeping skin firm, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and lightening dark age spots.
8. Vitamin K
Those dark leafy greens aren’t just good for your waistline, they’re also great for your skin. The vitamin K found in these vegetables improves skin elasticity, reduces dark circles under your eyes, and reduces wrinkles. Um can anyone say, “Pass the spinach, please??”
9. Fish Oil
Now most people like the benefits of fish oil on their joints, but did you also know it’s great for your skin? It hydrates your skin and helps the cellular renewal of your skin, making it glow. It also helps strengthen your hair and nails and helps them grow faster.
10. Probiotics
Now this might seem like a strange supplement to include in a list of nutrients that are good for your beauty routine, but trust me on this one. I’ve already mentioned tons of times that your hair, skin and nails are a direct reflection of the function and health of your digestive system. So why not go the extra step to take care of it? Probiotics help build up your digestive tract and flood it with good bacteria that help you not only digest your food, but process the nutrients to be used in the rest of your body. A healthy digestive tract means a healthier body overall.
That’s A Lot of Vitamins!
Now, some of you may be thinking, that’s a lot of vitamins, I can’t take that many in one day, much less afford it! That’s where multi-vitamins come in. Once you know the best vitamins and supplements to take, you can look for them in various multi-vitaimins to get more bang for your buck. Plus, multi-vitamins help fill in other gaps in your nutritional foundation. I recommend finding a whole-foods, organic brand that takes care to use the best nutrients for their supplements.
When you break it down like that, it really isn’t that bad. I take a prenatal (which is my form of a multi-vitamin for now), a fish oil, and a probiotic daily. Right there, you’re covering a lot of your bases and it’s only 3 supplements.
SIDE NOTE: For those of you that are pregnant or breastfeeding, I recommend taking your prenatal and fish oil supplements at night. Even the best of these supplements can make you feel nauseous or give you fishy reflux and no body wants that. Taking them at night gives you great nutrients at a time when your body is working on repairing itself from the day before and helps you avoid the fishy aftertaste.
And there you have it: My complete list of the 10 Best Supplements for Your All-Natural Beauty Routine. Check back soon for great recipes on creating your own lotions and beauty products that incorporate these and other helpful nutrients. As always, if you have any questions or comments about your favorite all-natural beauty products, let me know!