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2023's Top Skin Supplements for a Radiant, Youthful Complexion
Learn how to find the best beauty vitamin for naturally glowing skin.
Advertiser Disclosure
Women everywhere are learning the science behind ingestible beauty and how it works to promote a radiant complexion from the inside out. Science has recently uncovered that your gut microbiome is linked to your skin via the gut-skin axis, which is why our skin and outward appearance can be highly influenced by what we eat and put in our bodies.
So, many high-end supplement companies are beginning to offer naturally-derived solutions that seek to enhance your skin via the microbiome. However, it’s essential to find the right product with the best combination of ingredients without needing to buy several expensive products to achieve the same (or worse) effect. Here’s what to look for in a skin supplement that actually delivers results:
Key Ingredients to Look for in a Skin Supplement
Phytoceramides
Phytoceramides make up over 50% of our skin's composition—essentially the "building blocks" that hold skin cells together. They work to protect the skin while helping lock in moisture and elasticity.
Vitamin A
This potent antioxidant helps reduce the skin’s oil production, allowing dead skin cells to fall away without clogging pores or causing breakouts.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a highly effective antioxidant that aids in collagen production, skin hydration, and may help recover from environmental damage.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps to address discoloration, dark spots, and under-eye circles. This essential nutrient also works to help calm red, irritated, or puffy skin.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E has been shown to help make the skin more durable, improve immune function, and can help to minimize the effects of too much sun exposure.
Not all supplements are created equally. Many brands add cheap fillers, unnecessary additives and ineffective ingredients that not only dilute their potency but could potentially put your health at risk. So, it's imperative to be vigilant when choosing the right skin supplement.
What Ingredients To Avoid
Wheat-Based Phytoceramides
While wheat-based phytoceramides are the most common option on the market today, a recent study has shown that rice-based phytoceramides were more effective than wheat-based phytoceramides in promoting youthful, glowing skin.*
Fillers or Binders
Some supplements use cheap fillers to help bind ingredients together and lubricate the supplement. These binders add no nutritional value and can become toxic to your system.
Generic Ingredients
Many companies opt for generic ingredients that aren't backed by data, meaning the supplement is "watered down" and less effective. Look for patented ingredients that are clinically studied to provide helpful results.
Your Definitive Checklist
Now that you know what ingredients to look for and what to avoid, it’s also important to keep these additional tips in mind when shopping for a skin supplement.
Clinically-Recommended Dosages
Some brands will use quality ingredients, but skimp out on dosages in order to save money. So even if you’re getting the right ingredients, if they’re not in their recommended dosages, you won’t experience the full benefits.
Money-Back Guarantee
It’s always a good idea to invest in a supplement that offers a 100% money-back guarantee that shows the company's faith in its product. Look for brands that offer at least a 90-day money-back guarantee.
Top 5 Skin Supplements of 2023
We've compiled a list of what we've found to be the top five products in this category on the market today.
1. PhytoCera
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Total Ranking
9.9/10
A
Overall Grade
PROS
- Clinically-studied Ceramide-PCD®
- Naturally derived ingredients
- Rice-based phytoceramides
- Vitamins A, C, D, and E
- No artificial ingredients or unnecessary fillers
- 90-day, unconditional money-back guarantee
CONS
- Only sold online
- Exclusively sold in the U.S. & Canada
The Bottom Line
PhytoCera by Hair La Vie ranks #1 on our exclusive list of top five phytoceramide supplements. PhytoCera delivers a naturally derived, gluten, and soy-free formula that helped our Smarter Shoppers report both high levels of customer satisfaction and verifiable results.
Hair La Vie PhytoCera is formulated with patented rice-based, Ceramide-PCD®, along with Vitamins A, C, D and E to help promote tight and smooth-looking skin while also hydrating skin layers. They also have a solid 90-day return policy, that shows they stand behind their products. Earning top marks in the categories of effectiveness and customer satisfaction, PhytoCera is our #1.*
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn More2. Phytoceramides Skin Hydration with Lipowheat®
Total Ranking
9.2/10
A-
Overall Grade
PROS
- Decent 350 mg servings
90-day return policy
CONS
Wheat, not rice-based- Contains fillers
- Some didn't see results
The Bottom Line
Sports Research Phytoceramides Skin Hydration Supplement is our #2 pick on our list of top five phytoceramides supplements, for a variety of key reasons. It is GMO-free, and had a lot of positive customer feedback, but its wheat-based formula produced widely inconsistent results. Some Smarter Shoppers reported that they saw no results at all.
The 90-day return policy is strong, but the LipoWheat® base has been found to deliver less optimal results than a rice-based formula does
in multiple studies. For these key reasons, Sports Research Phytoceramides landed in our #2 spot.*
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn More3. Phytoceramide Complex
Total Ranking
8.8/10
B+
Overall Grade
PROS
Easy to take, once-a-day serving sizes- Solid 350 mg servings
CONS
- Contains binders
- Inconsistent results
The Bottom Line
NusaPure's Phytoceramide Complex comes in a solid third place. Their formula contains a blend of konjac, wheat germ, sweet potato powder, apple, fiber and avena sativa. We also found that this supplement included potentially harmful binders, like magnesium stearate.
While these facts are all of concern to us, we couldn’t help but notice the overwhelming amount of positive feedback other Smarter Shoppers had regarding beneficial results. Users were generally happy with the return policy and customer service help, so we decided to list NusaPure's Phytoceramide Complex as our #3 pick.*
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn More4. PhyGLOW Phytoceramides
Total Ranking
8.4/10
B
Overall Grade
PROS
- Vitamins A, C, D and E
- Decent return policy
CONS
- Contains unnecessary binders and fillers
- Artificial added colors
- Generic phytoceramides from an unknown source
The Bottom Line
The PhyGLOW Phytoceramides Supplement by Lean Nutraceuticals ranked #4 in our top list. We like that it contains four major vitamins, however, it was unclear from their site if it was wheat or rice-based. The supplement is also formulated with magnesium stearate—a binder that could affect overall health in a negative way. It also includes silicon dioxide as an artificial color.
Despite that, many Smarter Shoppers saw the results they were hoping for and left positive reviews. In the end, Lean Nutraceuticals ranked #4 on our list of top 5 picks.*
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn More5. Phytoceramides
Total Ranking
8.2/10
B-
Overall Grade
PROS
- Rice-based phytoceramides
- Vitamins A, C, D and E
- 100% Money-back guarantee
CONS
- Only 40mg of phytoceramides per serving
- Mixed customer results
The Bottom Line
Purely Holistic Phytoceramides rounded out our list of phytoceramides, landing at #5 on our list. The once-a-day supplement is rice-based. And, while this supplement provides an optimal dose of essential vitamins, it only contains 40 mg of phytoceramides, which is way below the recommended serving of 350mg.
Purely Holisitic is also non-GMO and contains no fillers, preservatives, additives, artificial ingredients, Stearates, Silicon Dioxide, and Titanium Dioxide. Combined with 100% money-back guarantee, we placed Purely Holistic Phytoceramides at #5 on our list.*
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn MoreDisclaimer:
We may receive compensation from certain of the companies whose products are featured on this website. As a result, we receive payment when you purchase a product using the links on this website. This website is owned and operated by the same company that has ownership interest in certain products featured on this website. This compensation and our ownership interest may affect how and where products appear on the site, including the order in which they appear. This site does not include and rate all products in each category.
Go back to pageOur Main Sources
Sources used for research purposes. Smarter-Reviews.com are not officially affiliated with these sites.
CITATIONS
- American Academy of Dermatology. https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/dermatologist-shines-light-on-natural-ingredients-used-in-new-topical-treatments-for-hyperpigmentation
- Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-E
- US National Library Of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Short, RW. Department of Dermatology, Malcolm Grow Medical Center, MD, USA. 2007 Jan;32(1):88-90. Epub 2006 Nov 27. PMID:17137484. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17137484