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BEAUTY LESSONS:
It’s a legitimate question: Do supplements actually do anything for your complexion? A dermatologist and a naturopath say yes—if you know which ones to try.
Your mother always said that beauty comes from the inside out. No doubt she was referring to your sparkling personality, but it's true in the literal sense as well. The new generation of supplements aims to give you more energy, better skin, and perhaps even a bigger brain. More potent and rigorously researched than the snake-oil ingestibles of the past, these should make you feel as good inside as you'll look outside. So if you didn't believe Mom back then, hear us out now: these are the powders, pills, and elixirs poised to nail that inner-outer beauty thing once and for all.
FOR ENCOURAGING FIRMER SKIN, FASTER
Collagen makes your lips plump, your cheeks bouncy, and your skin healthy—and alas, over time, our bodies' production of it slows down. Enter the collagen supplement, fish edition. "Some studies of marine collagen supplements show they can increase skin hydration, firmness, and elasticity, and improve skin texture when taken over weeks to months," says Jessica Wu, MD, a Los Angeles dermatologist and author of Feed Your Face. She adds that not all, however, are necessarily beneficial. "I advise my patients who are thinking about taking a supplement to check the label or website to make sure that the one they are considering has been clinically tested." Sourced from wild fish skins, Shore Magic Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen has been. Last year, biotechnology researchers determined that this premium-quality powder is 95 percent bioavailable, which means your body can efficiently absorb more of it—and there are even signs that it may help the brain create new neurons.
Gut health is so hot right now, and with good reason: a healthy microbiome is linked to everything from banishing bloat to keeping skin calm, clear, and youthful. Probiotics have garnered the most attention over the past few years, but prebiotics are just as crucial to a well-tended system. "Prebiotics are fibrous foods that nourish the probiotics ('good' bacteria) in your gut and help them flourish," says Dr. Wu. "Think of prebiotics as 'fertilizer' for the good bacteria." The Nue Co. cleverly pairs these two beneficially codependent ingredients in one potent (as in 15-billion-spores-per-dose potent) package. Better still, unlike the version at the health food store, these vegan capsules don't require refrigeration—making them the very stable genius of your supplement lineup.