Oral supplements are tricky to navigate because while they are packed with loads of potentially skin-loving active ingredients, it is difficult to prove that whatever you’re ingesting is being delivered to your skin after passing through the body’s digestive tract.
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Case in point: Collagen supplements. Essentially large protein molecules, the collagen content in these supplements, when orally consumed, get broken down into tiny molecules called amino acids. These amino acids are basically building blocks of all protein molecules, and as a result, will be distributed by the body according to where they’re needed the most. For example, amino acids are also responsible for repairing muscle tissues, which in turn helps the heart beat and enables us to remain mobile. As a result, it’s difficult to guarantee that the body will prioritise firming your skin over muscular health.
Similarly, when it comes to supplements that claim to reduce dark spots and even out skin tone, they work by fundamentally providing your body with powerful antioxidants, which then minimise cellular inflammation and in turn, regulate melanin production. Plus, it is also important to bear in mind that the body produces melanin uncontrollably as a defence mechanism against UV rays. And since melanin protects the skin from photo-damage, it explains why people with darker skin tones tend to burn less when exposed to the sun because the higher level of melanin that naturally exist in their skin is a line of defence. But if you are naturally extremely fair, you do not have this inbuilt line of defence and to protect itself, your skin starts sending signals to make melanin excessively and you end up with pigmentation and uneven skin tone.
A word of caution though, even these oral supplements provide an additional shield of protection for your skin, they are not a substitute for topical application of sunscreen, so don’t ever skip out on them.
Here, the antioxidants-packed supplements you can take to equip your skin with powerful antioxidants to fight against harmful UV rays:
