Take a one-a-day approach to beauty

By Karyn Repinski

Updated: 9:12 a.m. ET Sept. 14, 2007

Are you taking an inside-out approach to beauty? You know that nourishing your mind, body and spirit enhances your natural glow; what's surprising is that scientists now say it's worth adding supplements to your diet, exercise, and skin routine.

"It's important to also feed the skin internally," says Leslie Baumann, M.D., director of cosmetic dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. "In addition to eating a healthy diet, certain supplements can provide a constant supply of essential nutrients."

Here's the latest on which pills have been scientifically proven to help deliver firmer, more radiant skin and healthier nails.

For strong, pretty nails: Biotin
Age-weakened nails may have met their match in this B vitamin. Several studies, including one published by dermatologist Richard K. Scher, M.D., a professor of clinical dermatology at Columbia University, show that daily supplementation with 2.5 mg of biotin significantly improves nail strength — translating into firmer, harder nails that are less likely to crack or chip. (Another possible benefit that hasn't been studied: thicker hair, which a number of people have reported.) Experts don't know why megadoses of biotin help fortify fragile nails — the idea originated with veterinarians, who give it to horses to harden their hooves.

Although getting nutrients from your diet is most desirable, you'll probably need a supplement to notice a difference in your nails: Eggs and liver, two rich dietary sources, deliver a scant 25 and 27 mcg (or 100 times less than the studied amount), and many multis provide just 30 mcg.

Your Rx: Look for a supplement such as Appearex ($25 for a 12-week supply; appearex.com) that contains 2.5 mg of biotin. Because the vitamin is water-soluble, it won't build up in the body and cause side effects. To be safe, Scher recommends checking with your physician before taking biotin and discontinuing use if you haven't seen any improvement at all after 3 months.

To help prevent aging: Heliocare
Nothing wears out skin like UV exposure, which is why applying sunscreen is the most important thing you can do to safeguard it. But bolstering skin's UV defenses with Heliocare — a potent antioxidant that mops up free radicals produced by the sun — is a good second step. Derived from a South American fern, the supplement has a huge dermatologist fan base: One loyal user, New Orleans dermatologist Mary Lupo, M.D., a Prevention advisor, calls it "a slam dunk."

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"I'm positive it helps," she says. "On a recent trip to Cancún, my husband and I both used sunscreen and took Heliocare one day, and neither of us burned. The following day, we both used sunscreen, but only I took Heliocare — and he burned."

There's strong scientific support for the supplement's skin-protecting ability: It dramatically reduced the incidence of sunburn as well as damage to collagen and elastin, the fibers that keep skin smooth and firm, in two published Harvard Medical School studies. That's because Heliocare is particularly effective against the "aging" UVA rays that most sunscreens don't protect against completely.

Your Rx: Lupo recommends taking one capsule 30 minutes prior to sun exposure if you're prone to sunburn. If you plan to spend an extended period of time in the sun, take another capsule 3 hours from the first ($60 for 60 capsules; heliocare.com).

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