Supplements I Take Each Day for Skin, Anti-Aging

• Dr. Azadeh Shirazi is a California-based dermatologist.
• She takes five different supplements daily to keep her skin smooth and glowing.
• They include a daily multivitamin, vitamin D, and nicotinamide.

As a dermatologist, Dr. Azadeh Shirazi Know the secret to glowing, smooth skin. This La Jolla, California-based doctor knows that for truly healthy skin, it’s not just what you put on your skin that matters, but what goes into your body.

That’s why she takes several supplements every day, both to benefit her skin and to prevent aging. Some of them also have other perks, like improving bone strength and reducing the risk of skin cancer, she told Insider.

Siraj shared the five vitamins he takes daily for his skin.

vitamin D

Siraj takes a multivitamin that already contains vitamin D and vitamin E, but takes additional supplements of each.

When she had a blood test three years ago, her vitamin D levels were low. As Shirazi tried to avoid the sun to protect her skin, she started taking the following: vitamin D A supplement that also has anti-aging effects.

Vitamin D supplements not only reduce the need for prolonged sun exposure; hurt the skin and leads to skin cancerHowever, Dr. Shirazi said it can slightly lower the risk of melanoma in women with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer. 2011 survey.

She also emphasized that the older you are, the more you can benefit from vitamin D supplements. She says this is especially true for adults over the age of 70. mayo clinic.

“As we age, our skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D from sunlight, and our kidneys’ ability to convert vitamin D to its active form also decreases,” Shirazi says.

vitamin E

Shirazi said he also takes both vitamin D and vitamin E to increase bone strength. vitamin E It has been shown to provide some protection against bone loss in postmenopausal women.

“Our bones provide the scaffolding that supports our skin,” she says.

Especially for women heading into their 40s and 50s. Decreased estrogen levels lead to increased bone lossSiraj said additional supplements are very important.

nicotinamide

The only vitamin that Shirazi takes twice a day is 500 mg. nicotinamidea type of vitamin B3 that is currently popular in the skin care world, she said.

“It helps improve the skin’s barrier function by increasing ceramides, the glue that binds skin cells together and strengthens the skin barrier,” Shirazi said.

As a result, it acts as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory supplement, helping to reduce redness and inflammation caused by skin conditions such as acne and rosacea.

Another perk is potential skin cancer prevention. 2015 survey They found that people who already had skin cancer and took nicotinamide twice a day had a 23% reduction in the incidence of new skin cancers.

Siraj said this is because “nicotinamide helps replenish the skin’s DNA repair enzymes” and reduces sun damage.

by National Institutes of HealthMost Americans already consume more than the recommended intake of niacin (the common name for nicotinamide) through their diet.

resveratrol

Shirazi takes resveratrol, a plant compound found naturally in many foods, including grapes and peanuts.

Like nicotinamide, it has antioxidant properties and “also helps brighten the skin and improve elasticity,” Shirazi said.

Resveratrol is also a popular supplement in the anti-aging field. david sinclairThe Harvard biologist and anti-aging researcher takes resveratrol supplements daily.but Research is mixed As to whether these supplements actually work improve longevity.

multivitamin

Finally, Shirazi takes a women’s multivitamin daily. She has been taking vitamins containing “all the essential vitamins” for the past 20 years.

Zinc in particular “has a lot of anti-inflammatory properties and improves many skin conditions such as rosacea, acne, and eczema,” Shirazi told Insider.

The formula she uses also contains vitamin A, which “helps improve skin texture, reduce fine lines, and boost hyaluronic acid levels,” she said.

Vitamin A “also helps with acne by increasing cell turnover, reducing collagen breakdown, evening skin tone, and regulating sebum production,” she says.