The Top 5 Superfood Supplements for Radiant Skin
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There's a reason why foods like avocado, turmeric and cacao are used in skincare products: Food affects our skin health. Ideally, we're eating these foods on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, due to our busy, modern day lifestyles, we can't always get all these incredible foods through diet alone. That's where supplementation can help.
The following are the top supplements for radiant skin, all made primarily from foods - specifically, superfoods.
What Are Superfoods?
Superfoods are, simply put, super! They're foods that go beyond delicious taste to provide extra benefits for health. The nutrients found within superfoods can potentially help prevent disease, increase immune function, reduce inflammation, promote luscious skin, and more. Superfoods are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and nutrients, which all contribute to these incredible health benefits.
How Superfoods Affect Skin Health
Specific phytochemicals, antioxidants, and vitamins found within these foods can promote optimal skin metabolism, decrease the risk of wrinkles, increase elasticity, and protect the skin from environmental stressors, like damage from the sun, according to research.
To keep that effervescent glow, consuming a superfood can be more beneficial than taking an isolated nutrient, like vitamin C. The superfood provides multiple nutrients, which all work synergistically to optimize skin's wellness. For example, kale is rich in carotenoids, vitamin C, and glucoraphanin, which all contribute to dazzling skin.
The 5 Best Superfood Supplements for Your Skin
These supplements are made mostly of superfoods that have been ground into powders. The bioavailability of the nutrients in powder form are just as effective as eating a whole food and more ideal than consuming just an isolated nutrient.
1. Blue Beauty by Moon Juice
This lovely, subtle, adaptogenic powder can protect the body from oxidative stress and prevent accelerated aging. It even has 7 grams of plant-based protein from the brown rice protein, chia seeds, and blue spirulina in its mix. Additional ingredients include ashwagandha, rice bran solubles, amla berries, and stevia (for sweetness). Spirulina is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, B-vitamins and antioxidants, such as phycocyanins, which fight free radicals and prevent skin damage.
Serving Amount: 1 scoop (10 grams). Add to your favorite smoothie or milk of choice.
Cost: $50 at moonjuice.com
2. Real Greens Skin Effervescent Tablets with Collagen & Biotin (Fresh Apples) by 8Greens
This supp is a tablet that easily dissolves in water. It's packed with a ton of greens for resplendent skin. Ingredients include matcha, broccoli, aloe vera, kale, spirulina, turmeric, spinach, collard greens, peppermint, alfalfa, citric acid, safflower oil, sorbitol, cornstarch, and stevia (for sweetness). Each tablet provides 16.7% of the day's biotin, which improves skin hydration and appearance.
Serving Amount: 1 tablet (4.5 grams). Add to water.
Cost: $15 at 8greens.com
3. Skin Radiance by The Organic Pharmacy
Nourish the skin and promote tissue repair with this pill. Ingredients include rose hip, acai berry, bamboo, bilberry, goji berry, gotu kola, and other added nutrients. Bamboo is rich in silica, which strengthens and protects the skin while giving it a lovely glow.
Serving Amount: 2 capsules. Just swallow with water in the morning while eating your breakfast.
Cost: $60 at theorganicpharmacy.com
4. Superstar by MIJA*
Beautifying minerals and omega-3-rich plants that revitalize the skin's elasticity while keeping the cell walls plump and hydrated. Ingredients include matcha, moringa, goldenberries, goji berries, camu camu, lucuma, chaga mushrooms, avocado, hemp seeds, chlorella, cacao, nutritional yeast, lychee, ginger, turmeric, honeydew melon, and stevia (for sweetness). Lucuma, camu camu, goldenberries, and goji berries are packed with vitamin C and other nutrients supporting collagen formation and hydration.
Serving Amount: 2 teaspoons (5.6 grams). Add to warm or cold water, a smoothie, or liquid of choice.
Cost: $78 at mijanaturals.com
5. The Skin Elixir by WelleCo
Premium powder in a capsule form to support skin regeneration, firmness and elasticity. Ingredients include barley, pomegranate, papaya, turmeric, green tea, acai, acerola, broccoli, spinach, aloe vera, black pepper, and other added nutrients. Green tea is packed with nourishing flavanols that decrease the skins roughness and increase its elasticity.
Serving Amount: 2 capsules. Just swallow with water and take with food during breakfast or lunch.
Cost: $55 at welleco.com
*Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, is co-founder and formulator of MIJA and has been labeled as an expert in beauty supplementation.
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