Beauty pills? No, healthy diet is probably better for your skin

BEAUTY supplements that promise younger, firmer, glowing skin may be a waste of money, a study claims.

A balanced diet, sunscreen and not smoking are more likely to protect your skin, say British Nutrition Foundation researchers.

As well as iodine, zinc and vitamins A, C, B2, B3 and B7, many supplements contain added ingredients such as green tea, pomegranate extract, fish oil, collagen and coenzyme Q10. While these exotic additives can beneficial as part of a healthy diet, there is only limited evidence that they provide any benefit when used in supplements, the scientists say.

In the review Nutraceuticals And Skin Appearance: Is There Any Evidence To Support This Growing Trend? they said a healthy diet and lifestyle is much more likely to provide the effects consumers hope to gain from costly skin supplements.

BNF nutrition science manager Ayela Spiro said: ‘As consumers can spend hundreds of pounds a year on oral beauty supplements, we felt it was important to investigate the association between the ingredients in these products, and the signs that we associate with skin ageing, such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity and moisture.

‘While there is a body of research on the science of skin ageing, evidence for the benefit of nutraceuticals to skin appearance is currently not strong enough to draw firm conclusions.’