Edible Beauty: The Best Vitamin Supplements of 2021

Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves—I tend to wear mine on my forehead, in the corners of my eyes, and sometimes around my mouth. Anything keeping me up at night—whether it’s stress, work, or the remnants of a bottle of Tignanello consumed that evening—will unavoidably show up in some form on my skin the next day. Interestingly enough, it’s never acne that manifests. It’s a more sallow, lackluster complexion and usually invites empathetic “You look tired today,” observations from friends.

Pre-pandemic, I went in for my yearly dermatology check-up. It’s the one medical annual I actually anticipate—an opportunity to quiz the hell out of my no-nonsense dermatologist. As I attempted to engage him in yet another game of skin Jeopardy, he turned to me, irritated, and said point-blank: “Look, nothing you will ever put on your face topically will match up to what you do internally. Drink water, sleep, and get good nutrition. Take good supplements that work while you eat well, too—that actually really helps.”

His words have been on my mind for months now. But to be frank like my trusty doctor, slow-cooking vegetables and juicing several times a day takes time. Supplements don’t—and the majority of the ones below contain some of the most crucial elements to long-term skin health, like zinc and vitamins A and C. Below, you’ll find the most effective and cutting-edge ingestible beauty products released in 2021—all of which will complement, not over-complicate, a beauty routine. (Keep in mind: When it comes to ingesting inside-out beautifying products, bioavailability—or the proportion of nutrients entering the bloodstream—is quickest when in liquid form, followed by gummies, cellulose capsules, and hard pills.)

What’s unique about this super-absorbent powdered supplement is the proprietary technology ERC8, which contains a delivery system that effectively transports the active ingredients to the body quickly, allowing them to be fully absorbed. This produces the most impactful results compared to other supplements, which builds up active ingredients in the stomach that are then excreted. The ingredients works intensely to reactivate your skin’s cell regeneration, promote hydration, and give a vibrant texture to your complexion. The first component is the 25 billion probiotics that promote clear skin, while the second ingredient, Lactoferrin, doles out necessary iron nourishment to combat dullness while also giving crucial immune protection.

A powerful boost that addresses collagen loss—which can be the culprit behind sagging skin, brittle hair and nailsm and even poor sleep quality—Holi(Mane), developed by Agent Nateur founder Jena Covello and leading functional medicine practitioner Dr. Will Cole, is a fast-absorbing, odorless, tasteless, heatable marine collagen powder that revitalizes skin, hair, and nails.

As any educated skin expert will attest, if you’re starving yourself with a fat-free diet to fit into a slinky cocktail dress, stop right there. The results can be disastrous. Not only will your metabolism slow down, your immune system will weaken; you may fit into your size 26 jeans, but your face will look dull and lifeless. It’s a well-documented fact that a healthy diet brimming with essential fatty acids helps maintain healthy hair, nails, and, of course, glowing, smooth skin. The founders of Fatty15 developed a specific pure powder, vegan, fatty acid supplement that nourishes the body with those particular essential fatty acids (pentadecanoic acids). Our bodies do not generate this odd chain fatty acid naturally (it’s usually consumed through dairy or fish) and it’s necessary for a number of reasons: to assist with cellular breakdown, strengthen our mitochondria function (anti-aging) and help even out our metabolism. In addition to enhanced hair, nails, and skin, other near-term benefits of Fatty15 include improved sleep, energy, and mood.

For those constantly on the go with no time to spare, this years-in-the-making daily supplement provides robust immune health. With the backing of extensive scientific research, the scientists behind Basis, the groundbreaking supplement that combats cellular aging, have created the first and only two-system immune product to not only support your daily immune function but also target the effects of immune aging.

Take one pill 20 minutes before bed for visible results that yield hydrated skin and stronger hair and nails. This sounds far more pleasing than juicing unsavory greens all day to have a healthy complexion. Obviously, one must always factor in the basic tenets for healthy skin (less alcohol and smoking, more water and sleep) but this supplement really has an intelligent combination of elements to help your skin look hydrated and smooth. The formulation, launched earlier this year, is clinically proven to address signs of aging and wrinkles with a combination of Meaningful Beauty’s signature super antioxidant melon extract, and proper doses of biotin and silicone for your skin, hair, and nails.

Here’s an uncomplicated way to support your skin’s suppleness and texture and while also providing proper hydration that targets areas prone to winkles—especially around the eyes. Yana Daily Collagen Shots, which has fans in Winnie Harlow, Halsey, and Willa Fitzgerald, contain a concentrated, gluten-free blend of collagen peptides, antioxidants, vitamin C. and biotin, the wonder vitamin that promotes smooth skin, strong hair and nails. The nourishing liquid contains organic pomegranate and açai juices and can be added into smoothies or taken by itself.

Nothing compares to the joy of good sex, which benefits the mind, body, and soul. However, there are inevitable stages of a woman’s life that complicate the ability to seek sexual pleasure (no matter how much we try to visualize Brad Pitt in Moneyball). It’s not due to just stress, but also birth control, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause. This year, Goop Wellness formulated a supplement to bring the “DTF” element back into our lives. The supplement combines three tried-and-true holistic ingredients: Libifem Fenugreek, a long relied-upon alternative medicine herb to boost sexual arousal; Shatavari, an Ayurvedic adaptogen that supports female health, and saffron extract.

For centuries, cultures all over the world have used turmeric for its well-document healing properties. In this last decade, Western medicine has finally joined the bandwagon. Curcumin, turmeric’s active ingredient, is used in these Vitaldiol supplements to help lower your body’s inflammation from stress and diet. But what stands out here is the turmeric being combined with CBD to alleviate tension and assist in surging levels of endogenous antioxidants in the body.

Get your minerals and vitamins without having to gag on some gnarly green juice. 8Greens has come up with an appetizing answer to eating your way to beautiful by launching this year the Daily Greens Gummies line. This product provides a high dose of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to better your energy, mood, and nourishment. Two to four gummies a day contain as much vitamin B6 as 16 cups of raw spinach, riboflavin as ten cups cabbage, and pantothenic acid comparable to eight cups of broccoli.

It’s been well-documented that an astounding number of women are entering perimenopause and menopause much earlier than in decades before. Perhaps it’s the onslaught of stress or purely genetics, but this hormonal passage is, for the most part, far from enjoyable. While there are many women who have gone the medicinal route for relief (hormone therapy), there are many still who would prefer a holistic alternative. Womaness has tapped into this demand by creating Me.No.Pause. The hero ingredient in this formulation is pycnologenol (or European pine bark) which has shown in studies to help reduce the unpleasantries that come with hormonal changes such as night sweats, hot flashes, and drops in libido levels. High-grade ashwaganda is paired here with bacognize to address mood fluctuations.

We’re always reluctant to jump on the celebrity beauty product bandwagon, but given the visible results the W editors experienced after using products from the J. Lo skincare line, these supplements will surely not let our skin down. Launched today, Inner Love is a daily vitamin providing 100 percent of your daily essential vitamins and minerals; it also has components focusing on fighting oxidative stress (vitamins C, A and E), support for collagen production (copper and manganese) and hydration (olive fruit extract). These supplements will provide skin with much-needed elasticity and hydration.

A curated blend of ingredients formulated by 111 Skin founder Dr. Yannis Alexandrides fortifies the gut and helps tighten and brighten skin from within, using the ingredients glutathione, licorice root extract, and phytoceramide complex. These key components assist with skin radiance and detoxification, setting out to show visible improvements with fine lines, wrinkle depth, and skin dullness when taken daily and consistently.

An ideal natural solution for those who live with emotional stresses, which inevitably manifest on skin—as well as those who simply don’t have the time (or the appetite) to ingest the recommended ten daily portions of vegetables. Launched in February of this year, Age Defier uses pure plant-based ingredients that the body can easily process. The 100 percent organic, no filler, no synthetic capsules contain potent antioxidant amla, cacao, blueberry and, grape to help slow the process aging process brought on by stress, physical exertion and environmental toxins.

More than just a rudimentary collagen powder, the building blocks in this formulation help skin glow with vital electrolytes to aid with skin hydration, probiotics for complexion clarity and immunity, as well as 20 essential amino acids to help skin maintain texture, resilience, and elasticity. The powder created by naturopath Dr. Talib also contains strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant elixirs such as turmeric, lucuma, amla and Coq10, all of which help strengthen the skin barrier, improve skin hydration, calm the skin, and even help to reduce scar tissue. This cocktail acts as a game-changer for the gut microbiome, too—giving optimal health from within.

Blur Potion is a straightforward antioxidant supplement to help to fade stubborn pigmentation, even out skin tone, and restore the skin’s elasticity. This product contains French pine extract, oligopin—which studies show is effective in reducing melanin deposits—and grapeseed extract. When taken orally, the latter is effective in lightening UV-induced pigmentation.