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Brides / Brian Kopinski
Brides deserve to feel confident and beautiful on their wedding day and in addition to getting pampered and groomed in the days leading up to the big day, working on their nutrition can take their beauty regimen to the next level. There are so many beauty supplements on the market that it can be overwhelming to know which is a bust or which is a must. When it comes to the best beauty supplements for hair, skin, and nails there are thousands of products out there making all sorts of claims and it’s important to do your research before taking something that you might not actually need.
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It is important to note that a supplement alone will not improve or optimize hair, skin, and nail health; a diet of colorful fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of water should be the foundation of any beauty regimen. “Beauty supplements are nutrition 2.0. and there’s no quick fix, magic pill or magic wand”, explains registered dietitian Sarah Becker. “Instead, supplements can be a great sidekick and compliment to your diet”.
Below is our list of the best beauty supplements for healthy hair, skin, and nails.
Best Overall: Pure Encapsulations Hair/Skin/Nails Ultra
This multi-supplement is designed to support skin elasticity and hydration, healthy hair and nail strength and thickness. One serving provides high amounts of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, zinc, folate, biotin, niacinamide, copper, and manganese. In addition to potent doses of vitamins and minerals, this blendalso includes collagen, polyphenols, and CoQ10, which acts as an antioxidant. We love that products from Pure Encapsulations are gluten-free, non gmo, and hypoallergenic, making them a great choice for most brides.
Price at time of publish: $47
Type: capsule | Age Range: 18+ | Dosage: 2 capsules| Certified: gluten free, non gmo, dairy free, soy free
Best Budget: Rainbow Light Women’s One Multivitamin
At first glance, a sticker price of $48 might not seem like a budget buy, however one bottle at this price provides 150 servings, which is roughly 25 cents per day for a nutrient-packed multivitamin. Although this product is not marketed as a hair/skin/nail supplement, it is full of all of the vitamins and minerals that are necessary for maintaining and building healthy hair, skin, and nails. As a bonus, this multivitamin contains digestive enzymes and probiotics to support gut health which in turn supports healthy, clear skin. Rainbow Light’s Women’s One has been third-party tested by consumer labs, is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Price at time of publish: $48
Type: tablets | Age Range: 18+ | Dosage: 1 tablet | Certified: gluten free, vegetarian
Best Drugstore: Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin & Nails Formula Coated Caplets
Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin and Nails supplement is an affordable and robust supplement to add to your beauty regimen. Think of this supplement as a mini multivitamin containing the nutrients most studied to support hair, skin, and nail health. In addition to vitamins and minerals, this supplement also contains a hair-strengthening herb, horsetail, and inositol which may help with hair growth. We love that this product contains no artificial colors or flavors, and is free from sugar, milk, lactose, gluten, wheat, and shellfish.
Price at time of publish: $18+
Type: coasted caplets | Age Range: 18+ | Dosage: 3 caplets| Certified: gluten free
Best Splurge: WELLBEL Women Clean Supplement for Hair, Skin, and Nails
Wellbel is a physician-formulated supplement with vegan ingredients designed to support hair, skin, and nail health. In addition to containing vitamins A, D, B12, folate, biotin, and the mineral selenium, this supplement contains a proprietary blend of beauty-supporting herbs and ingredients like horsetail powder, saw palmetto, and methylsulfonylmethane and these ingredients are included based on peer-reviewed evidence-based research studies. This product is pricey, however choosing a subscription plan will help keep costs down. There’s also 90-day refund policy if you are not totally pleased with the product and its effects.
Price at time of publish: $168 for three months
Type: capsule | Age Range: 18+ | Dosage: 3 capsules| Certified: gluten free, non gmo, vegan
Best for Nails: Ritual Essential for Women
For the most part, the same nutrients are needed to support hair, skin, and nail health however when it comes to nail health specifically, iron, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and adequate consumption of protein are especially important. Ritual’s Essential Multivitamin for Women provides 44 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for iron as well as a low dose of magnesium, and 330 milligrams of DHA (an essential omega-3 fatty acid). This supplement does not contain any protein, so it’s important to add optimal amounts of protein to your diet for smooth, strong nails.
Price at time of publish: $33+
Type: capsule | Age Range: 18+ | Dosage: 2 capsules| Certified: gluten free, non gmo, USP verified
Best for Hair: Nutrafol Women Hair Growth Supplement
Nutrafol is a physician-formulated supplement designed to promote hair growth within three to six months. This supplement was developed to target the six root causes of hair thinning and shedding such as hormones, stress, poor nutrition, aging, lifestyle, and metabolism. In addition to vitamins and minerals, Nutrafol includes a variety of herbs, polyphenols, amino acids, and ingredients like collagen to provide optimal nourishment for hair growth. This product is more of an investment so before you commit, make sure you do your research—and that can mean with your own body. “Before choosing a supplement, I recommend micronutrient testing to see if you are actually low on nutrients,” sugggests registered dietitian Marissa Meshulam. “And then you can determine what’s be best for you.”
Price at time of publish: $80+
Type: capsule | Age Range: 18-44 | Dosage: 4 capsules| Certified: non-gmo
Best for Skin: Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega 2X
“Glowy skin comes from within,” notes Becker. “Fatty acids like omega-3 are a skin powerhouse, helping to improve skin hydration, reduce blemishes, and protect skin from harsh UV rays.” For this reason, a potent fish oil supplement is our top choice for skin health. All of Nordic Naturals products are made from wild-caught fish, are non-GMO and are third-party tested, surpassing the strictest international standards for purity and freshness.
Price at time of publish: $63+
Type: soft gel | Age Range: 18+ | Dosage: 2 soft gels| Certified: non-gmo
Best Collagen: Ancient Nutrition Unflavored Collagen Peptides
Collagen plays many roles in supporting hair, skin, and nail health. It works with elastin and hyaluronic acid to support the skin’s elasticity, moisture, and volume. It also helps make up the protein keratin which is responsible for forming hair, nails, and the outer layer of your skin. Unlike many other collagen brands that are made from a single source of collagen, Ancient Nutrition’s collagen peptides include two different sources of collagen, which means consumers are getting exposed to a wide range of collagen types (there are 28 different types of collagen which help different issues such as joint stiffness, fine lines, and hair strength). This product has been third-party verified by Consumer Labs and is free of gluten, soy, dairy, and added sugars.
Price at time of publish: $19+
Type: powder | Age Range: 18+ | Dosage: 2 scoops| Certified: non-gmo and free of gluten, soy, and dairy
Best Powder: Garden of Life Raw Organic Perfect Food Green Superfood
Becker recommends an organic, concentrated greens powder as a helpful supplement to a regular healthy diet. Greens powders can also be thought of as a mini multivitamin—they don’t take the place of eating actual greens, but will fill in the gaps if you are not a big vegetable eater. This powder is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and contains digestive enzymes and a probiotic to support optimal gut health. Consumer Labs has verified this product for purity, quality, and potency and it is free of added sugars and artificial sweeteners.
Price at time of publish: $32+
Type: powder | Age Range: 18+ | Dosage: 1 scoop| Certified: non-gmo, gluten, organic
Best Vegan: MegaFood Skin, Nails & Hair 2
Megafood is obsessed with quality, all of their products are vegan, non-GMO, tested for over 125 chemical substances, and made without nine allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, and sesame. One serving contains a high dose of biotin, vitamin E, vitamin A, and vitamin C—all important vitamins for maintaining hair, skin, and nail health. This supplement also contains selenium and zinc, two minerals that play a role in skin and hair integrity.
Price at time of publish: $33
Type: tablets | Age Range: 18+ | Dosage: 2 tablets| Certified: non-gmo, vegan, gluten free
What To Look For in Beauty Supplements
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Quality: Supplements are a bit like the Wild West, anyone can bring a supplement to market without proving safety or efficacy so it is very important to do your research when buying a new product. Meshulam recommends to “always make sure you’re getting something that is 3rd party tested,” which means that there is someone certifying that what the company says is in the product is actually in the product. She adds that it’s also important to “always double-check that the ingredients don’t interact with any other medications or supplements you are on before starting.”
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Dose: When it comes to supplements, more is not always better. Some products will contain over 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamins and minerals and if you don’t have a diagnosed deficiency or are already taking other nutritional supplements, a super high dose of a nutrient may have unwanted effects. Says Meshulam, “the main thing you want to assess is ‘is this product safe for me?'”
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Claims: Beauty supplements will often have attractive claims on the bottle such as “ radiant skin”, “long shiny hair” or “strong nails” and while you might see some of these results, know that a supplement alone will not solve skin, hair, and nail issues. “Focus on delicious and nutritious real whole food, minimize processed and added sugar and inflammatory oils, and add more anti-inflammatory foods to your diet,” advises Becker. “A good rule of thumb? The more color on your plate the better”.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do beauty supplements take to work?
The length of time that it takes a supplement to work varies from person to person. Results may be seen faster if someone is taking a supplement for a known nutrient deficiency however if there is no known deficiency, it may take longer to see noticeable results. “It can take three to six months to potentially see any change,” says Becker. “It’s important to note that consistency and quality are key”.
Do beauty supplements actually work?
The answer to this totally depends on a bride’s desired outcome. If hair loss, weak nails, or dry skin is a result of a deficiency, taking a nutritional supplement will likely help—however the research is not necessarily there to support the use of a beauty supplement. “A lot of these formulations are new and sometimes it takes years for the science to catch up,” explains Meshulam. “There is emerging anecdotal evidence that supports them, however we don’t have many long-term, large-scale trials. Many of the trials that companies share are based on a small number of participants, which means we can’t apply them to the general population”.
Why Trust Us
As a Registered Dietitian, Sydney Greene takes supplement recommendations seriously and when working with every client, especially brides, she knows how important it is to feel amazing. Every product has been researched and vetted by her against clinical research, product reviews, and third-party testing websites. These are products she would not only feel comfortable recommending to her clients, but would also take herself if needed.
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Sarah Becker is a registered dietitian and has a master’s in nutrition. She works with clients in person and virtually at Indigo Wellness Group in Stamford Connecticut.
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Marissa Meshulam is a registered dietitian and has a master’s in nutrition. She is the founder of MPM Nutrition in New York City.
Up Next: The 10 Best Collagen Supplements for Wedding Prep
Read the original article on Brides.
