7+ Best Supplements for the Skin to Get Rid of Wrinkles

To have skin that is healthy and well-nourished is the first important step on the way to general wellness. Let’s describe in detail what are the best supplements for the skin of various types and what can be done to improve various skin conditions.

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1. The Best Collagen Supplements for the Skin

Tissues use collagen — the most abundant type of protein in your body — as a building material. Although there are as many as 28 various types of human collagen, the most common variety present in the skin belongs to type I collagen, while type III collagen holds second place. Collagen is extremely important for wound healing and it is essential that you help its synthesis by the body.

There are several ways you can boost your collagen production. The first one is to include various collagen-rich foods in your diet:

bone broth
skin of fish and chicken
gelatin
pig knuckle
beef

The second one is to make sure that you receive enough vitamin C (more about it below) which plays a vital role in collagen synthesis.

The third one is to use food supplements that contain hydrolyzed (or, simply speaking, ‘predigested’) collagen. A recent 2021 review demonstrates that the use of hydrolyzed collagen for at least 90 days can reduce skin aging, improve its elasticity and hydration, and smooth out wrinkles.

You can buy the best vitamins and supplements for the skin on iHerb, the world’s leading health products online store. Here is one of the highest rated collagen supplements that comes from a reputable brand:

Pure Collagen, Types 1 and 3, 200 grams by Doctor’s Best

Powdered form
Each serving contains 6.6 grams of collagen (types I and III)
Hydrolyzed form to improve bioavailability
The powder needs to be mixed with water or juice and drunk on an empty stomach half an hour before a meal

2. Vitamin C

One of the best supplements for skin repair, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a powerful antioxidant that protects all cells of the body from free radicals. The importance of this vitamin can be illustrated by the fact that nicotine depletes vitamin C levels in the blood which leads to the dry yellow skin that smokers are known for. What’s more, vitamin C is a major cofactor in collagen synthesis, which is essential for skin repair.

There are several forms of vitamin C you can use:

ascorbic acid that can cause indigestion if taken in a large single dose;
ascorbates (salts of ascorbic acid such as sodium and calcium ascorbate) that minimize gastric side effects. Still, both ascorbic acid and ascorbates are rather quickly excreted from the blood via urine;
liposomal vitamin C or ascorbic acid placed inside a minuscule capsule of fat. This form remains in the bloodstream for a very long time; in contrast to the above-mentioned forms, almost the entire amount of liposomal vitamin C is used by the body.

Daily intake of vitamin C as recommended by the United States Academy of Sciences is at least 75 mg for adult females and 90 mg for adult males. If you smoke, you need to get an additional 35 mg/day to offset the harmful effect of nicotine.

If you only have a limited budget, here is a high-quality sodium ascorbate product that doesn’t cost much and will last for a very long time:

Sodium Ascorbate Powder, 227 g (8 oz) by NOW Foods

Easy to divide powder form
The manufacturer advises that you use ½ level teaspoon to get 1,670 mg of vitamin C. In reality, this quantity is 18 times as high as your real daily need
To achieve a stably high concentration of vitamin C in the blood, take several crystals (a twentieth of a teaspoon or even less) several times a day
Pharmaceutical grade

If you can allow spending a bit more, here is, arguably, the best vitamin C supplement for the skin on iHerb:

Liposomal vitamin C, 500 mg/capsule by Dr. Mercola

Dependable brand
180 capsules — enough for half a year of use
Highest possible bioavailability

3. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is one of the best supplements for skin healing that is also important for the health of the immune system and vision.

Such animal foods as beef and chicken liver contain large quantities of this vitamin. As for the plant sources, numerous red, orange, and yellow vegetables and fruit (such, for example, as bell pepper and carrot) contain precursors of vitamin A called carotenoids. Unfortunately, only a small share of carotenoids is normally absorbed by the body, so, if your diet is low in beef, vitamin A deficiency may develop. This condition was tied to susceptibility to skin inflammation and infection.

When choosing food supplements with vitamin A, keep in mind that this vitamin is fat-soluble and needs to be taken in the form of oil-filled softgels for better bioavailability. Here is one of the best vitamin A supplements for skin inflammation on iHerb:

Vitamin A, 100 softgels, 10,000 IU per softgel

Dependable yet affordable brand
Organic olive oil is used as a carrier oil
High doses of vitamin A can be toxic. Do not exceed the recommended dose of 1 softgel per day

4. The Best Supplements for Skin Acne

If your oil glands start to produce too much oil, pores get clogged and bacteria start to multiply inside them. As a result, you get various kinds of pimples or, medically speaking, suffer from acne.

Severe cases of acne often require the use of potent antibiotics and chemical varieties of vitamin A called retinoids: you will need a doctor’s prescription to buy most of them. On the other hand, mild to moderate cases of acne can be treated using over-the-counter supplements and medications like Adapalene.

Adapalene

Once a prescription medicine, Adapalene is a retinoid that, compared to other compounds of the retinoid family, has fewer side effects such as skin irritation. It is recommended that pregnant women avoid it as it (theoretically) can cause damage to the development of the fetus. What’s more, just like other retinoids, Adapalene can make your skin more sensitive to the UV component of sunlight: apply it over the affected spots in the evening and use sunscreen when going outdoors during the day.

Here is one of the best gels with Adapalene on iHerb:

Adapalene Gel, 0.1 %, 15 g by Differin

Do not use it more frequently than once daily and limit your sun exposure
Fragrance free
If irritation occurs in the first weeks of use, it is very likely to lessen with continued use of the product
Well-researched compound

As Adapalene is more chemically stable than other retinoids, it can be used together with another efficient acne-treatment compound called benzoyl peroxide.

Benzoyl Peroxide

A 1990 study (as well as numerous others) demonstrated that benzoyl peroxide is a powerful medicine that can markedly improve the symptoms of acne; what’s more, benzoyl peroxide gets even more effective if used together with other compounds.

Typical side effects of the medication include skin dryness, redness, and burning. If you have never used benzoyl peroxide before, start with small quantities of the gel/cream and only apply it once daily until there are no symptoms of irritation. Slowly and gradually increase the number of daily applications to two or three times a day.

Here is one of the most popular products with benzoyl peroxide on iHerb:

Daily Deep Cleanser, 118 ml by Differin

Contains benzoyl peroxide (5%)
Causes less irritation compared to similar products
Reduce your sun exposure to a minimum and use sunscreen
Widely-used and extremely well-researched compound

5. Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is an essential component of the skin (as well as neural and connective tissues of the body). This compound has numerous important functions: it protects your cells from oxidative stress, promotes wound repair, and keeps the skin well-hydrated.

On average, there are about 15 grams of hyaluronic acid in the human organism; every day a third of this quality is fully used and needs to be re-synthesized. Unfortunately, amounts of hyaluronic acid that can be produced by the body usually go down with age, which results in wrinkles and skin dryness. Thus, various products with hyaluronic acid can improve your skin hydration and will be of help in smoothing out wrinkles.

Allergic reactions to topical products and food supplements with hyaluronic acid are very rare.

Here is one of the best hyaluronic acid serums for topical use on iHerb:

Hyaluronic Acid Firming Serum, 30 ml by NOW Foods

Dependable brand
Additionally features green tea leaf extract and aloe leaf juice

And here is one of the best food supplements for skin hydration with hyaluronic acid:

Hyaluronic Acid by Jarrow Formulas

Trusted brand
60 mg per capsule
Enough for a month of use (if you use the recommended dose of 4 capsules per day)
Naturally derived

6. Coenzyme Q₁₀

Coenzyme Q₁₀ is a powerful antioxidant that is essential for people, all animals, and even most strains of bacteria. Although it is routinely synthesized by the body, the production of CoQ₁₀ involves as many as 12 genes, and even slight mutations in any of them can lead to coenzyme Q₁₀ deficiency.

CoQ₁₀ was extensively tested for its ability to delay signs of skin aging, improve symptoms of hyperpigmentation and boost protective properties of sunscreens. Research proves that CoQ₁₀ is one of the best supplements for skin tightening with anti-aging properties.

Here is a highly popular CoQ₁₀ face cream:

Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream, 48 g by Eucerin

Additionally contains vitamin E and beta-carotene (vitamin A precursor)

Fragrance- and alcohol-free
Can be used under make-up
Can reduce fine lines and wrinkles after 5 weeks of use

Oral dietary supplements with coenzyme Q₁₀ are usually well tolerated: you can use them alongside topical creams.

CoQ10, 100 mg per softgel by California Gold Nutrition

Dependable brand
360 softgels will be enough for a year of use
Vegetarian, gluten- and soy-free

7. Fish Oil

Fish oil contains two important omega-3 acids called DHA and EPA. DHA is essential for the health of the nervous system, retina, and skin, while EPA is known to reduce inflammation. Not only does fish oil improve the condition of your skin, but it is also extremely beneficial for your general health.

Only buy fish oil products that directly indicate their DHA and EPA content — the higher it is the better.

Here is one of the best fish oil supplements for skin care on iHerb:

Elite Omega 3 by Carlson Labs

Extremely high DHA (600 mg/serving) and EPA (800 mg) content
Lemon-flavored; does not have an unpleasant fishy aftertaste
Enough softgels for 4 months of use
Contains very low amounts of total fat and cholesterol and won’t clash with your diet
Highly reputable brand

8. Multivitamin

Numerous multivitamin/multimineral supplements often claim to contain all necessary compounds and micronutrients required for your health. While this claim might be true in principle, there is often a catch: some of the vitamins/minerals might be present not in their most bioavailable form or their dosage might be too small to do any good. Let the buyer beware: let’s take a look at one of the best multivitamin supplements for skin care and brightening and weigh up the pros and cons of it.

Alive! by Nature’s Way

Pros:

60 softgels: enough for a month of use
Vitamin A in a highly bioavailable form (retinyl palmitate)
Vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid
Bioavailable vitamin E (an antioxidant that in combination with vitamins A and C is beneficial for the skin)
Contains biotin (vitamin B₇) which is important for the health of the skin, hair, and fingernails
Contains hyaluronic acid and collagen
Additionally contains numerous microminerals (such as copper, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc) as well as vitamin D₃ and B vitamins. All of them are important for general wellness and can help your skin in an indirect way.

Cons:

Ascorbic acid is not in its most bioavailable form. You might want to separately buy the above-described sodium ascorbate powder or (even better) liposomal vitamin C
The low dose of hyaluronic acid: only 30 mg per daily serving. You will get up to 8 times as much using the supplement we described above
Extremely low quantity of hydrolyzed collagen: 75 mg per daily serving. Using the above-described collagen supplement you will get 88 times (!) as much per single serving
Does not contain coenzyme Q₁₀ and omega-3 fatty acids: you will need to purchase them separately

As you can see, while multivitamin formulas might help you reduce the number of bottles with vitamins/bioactive compounds in your fridge, they definitely cannot replace all of them.

Even the best supplements for the skin won’t be enough if you don’t lead a healthy lifestyle: quit smoking, avoid alcohol, exercise regularly, keep in mind the importance of personal hygiene, and stay protected from the harmful UV rays. Take care and see you!