Goals ›

Hair & skin

Skin, hair and nails.

Strongest evidence: Hyaluronic acid, Collagen and Vitamin D.

Supplements for hair & skin

Each supplement gets the grade of its strongest hair & skin benefit. Open one to see each benefit.

StrongModerateWeakNo trials
SupplementMain effects in studiesEvidenceBenefits studied
Hyaluronic acidHydration +6.4%, Barrier/moisture +10.6%Strong5 of 9
CollagenHealing rate +56%, Scar control +32ppStrong4 of 9
Vitamin DPsoriasis control; +70% PASI, Vitiligo repigmentation; +35%Strong1 of 9
Vitamin ASkin clearer, less acne, Wrinkles/pigment improved, irritation lowerStrong3 of 9
IodineInfection↓; PI -13%, Healing↑; 3 daysStrong2 of 9
ZincBarrier/healing +7pp, Acne/dermatitis reducedStrong3 of 9
ProbioticsEczema ↓, barrier↑, Hydration/texture↑, redness↓Strong1 of 9
ArgininePerfusion+healing, Infections↓,stay↓Strong1 of 9
SilicaMTA: repair +95%, Ca-silicate: bridge/healingStrong5 of 9
Vitamin CPigment/brightening +1.3, Wound/scar healing improvedStrong4 of 9
Showing 10 of 174 supplements.

What hair & skin covers

9 benefits that studies measure, and the supplements with the strongest evidence for each.

Skin health

The condition of the skin as an organ, including its barrier and its resistance to irritation. It is measured by water loss through the skin, by barrier recovery after damage, and by disease severity scores.

91 supplements, 10 strong
  1. Vitamin DStrong, 182
  2. IodineStrong, 101
  3. ZincStrong, 63
  4. NiacinStrong, 46
  5. Vitamin EStrong, 38

Skin appearance

How skin looks: tone, texture, fine lines and evenness. It is measured by rated photographs, by instruments that read roughness and pigmentation, and by wrinkle depth.

49 supplements, 7 strong
  1. Hyaluronic acidStrong, 148
  2. CollagenStrong, 133
  3. Vitamin AStrong, 130
  4. ProbioticsStrong, 88
  5. IronStrong, 27

Skin hydration

How much water the outer layer of skin holds. It is measured by corneometry, which reads the skin's electrical capacitance, and by water loss through the skin.

17 supplements, 3 strong
  1. Hyaluronic acidStrong, 164
  2. CollagenStrong, 37
  3. GlycerolStrong, 34
  4. Vitamin EModerate, 8
  5. Pantothenic AcidModerate, 6

Skin repair

Skin healing after a wound, a burn, sun damage or a procedure. It is measured by how fast a wound closes, by scar appearance, and by collagen in the healing tissue.

47 supplements, 11 strong
  1. CollagenStrong, 144
  2. Hyaluronic acidStrong, 136
  3. ArginineStrong, 66
  4. SilicaStrong, 55
  5. ZincStrong, 45

Skin soothing

Calming irritated skin: redness, itching, stinging and burning. It is measured by rated symptoms and by instruments that read redness.

26 supplements, 4 strong
  1. Hyaluronic acidStrong, 83
  2. Aloe VeraStrong, 40
  3. CapsaicinStrong, 19
  4. Tea Tree OilStrong, 13
  5. Fumaric AcidModerate, 10

Acne

Spots, blackheads and inflamed pores, usually on the face, back or chest. Trials count lesions before and after, and separate inflammatory lesions from non-inflammatory ones because the two respond differently.

9 supplements, 2 strong
  1. PrebioticsStrong, 18
  2. GlutathioneStrong, 16
  3. InositolModerate, 5
  4. Tea Tree OilModerate, 5
  5. LactoferrinModerate, 3

Hair & Nails

The strength, thickness and appearance of hair and nails. It is measured by hair and nail growth rate, by breakage, by strand thickness and by rated appearance.

25 supplements, 1 strong
  1. IronStrong, 21
  2. ZincModerate, 8
  3. Whey ProteinModerate, 7
  4. BoronModerate, 4
  5. SilicaModerate, 4

Hair growth

New hair growing, and existing hair being kept. It is measured by counting hairs in a marked patch of scalp, by the proportion in the growing phase, and by hair thickness.

8 supplements, 0 strong
  1. Saw PalmettoModerate, 4
  2. SilicaWeak, 3
  3. AmlaWeak, 1
  4. BiotinWeak, 1
  5. Fo-TiWeak, 1

Scalp health

The skin under the hair: flaking, itching, oiliness and inflammation. It is measured by dandruff severity scores and by rated redness and itch.

5 supplements, 0 strong
  1. Tea Tree OilModerate, 5
  2. Saw PalmettoModerate, 3
  3. NeemWeak, 2
  4. BiotinWeak, 1
  5. SilicaWeak, 1

Protocols for hair & skin

What studies used, for this goal or for a group of people. Not advice: talk to a doctor first.