Man, don’t you wish there was a pill that will magically give you perfect skin and hair? Why does beauty have to always be such a faff? Sadly, there isn’t a tablet that will have you Beyonce-beautiful in two minutes flat (even if you’re Beyonce herself) but there are certain supplements to give your beauty regime a boost (just make sure you check with your GP before you start supplementing, or they could do more harm than good to your beauty wellness!)
According to Jessica Wu, MD, Los Angeles-based dermatologist and author of Feed Your Face, fish oil, though it sounds – and tastes – gross, have such excellent anti-inflammatory properties that it can help calm your skin and reduce and prevent breakouts. There’s a hormone that has been associated with oil production and clogged pores, but fish oil works to decrease this hormone. Plus, if you suffer with dry skin or eczema, fish oil can replenish your skin’s moisture. Your stomach absorbs this nutrient better in liquid form, so Wu recommends taking one to two teaspoons 10 minutes before eating breakfast.
Every time you have your period, you lose a lot of iron. Not only can this affect your well-being in more serious ways, such as inducing anaemia, but it can also be harmful to your hair. Wu explains, ‘Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of thinning hair in otherwise healthy women.’ Therefore, she suggests that you eat plenty of iron-rich foods like leafy green vegetables, and/or take an iron supplement or a multivitamin that contains iron. While we’re on your crowning glory, a pro-biotic supplement may be able to save you from that embarrassing, itchy dandruff. Wu notes that some studies have shown these supplements to soothe and balance a scaly scalp.
Sun protection is all-important in your beauty regime (even though the allure of gorgeously tanned skin can make you think otherwise). Sun damage – apart from increasing your cancer risk – can age your skin and give it unattractive pigmentation, and so you need to certainly slather on the sun cream! Plus lycopene, whether as a supplement or taken from tomatoes, can help to protect your skin against sun damage. Wu comments, ‘There are lots of studies on how eating tomatoes can help you fight sunburn and sun damage. We think that that may be because tomatoes have a high level of lycopene antioxidant, and you can get lycopene supplements.’
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