Many people struggle with dry, brittle hair, dull skin, and weak nails. Exposure to sunlight, wind, and other environmental stressors, along with aging, can cause anyone to look older than their years. But there is a solution.
Stimulate healthy hair, strong nails, and radiant skin with nutrients that nourish from within to:
- Strengthen hair and nails
- Restore hair, skin, and nail structure
- Stop hair loss
- Promote shiny, thick, sustained hair growth
- Protect and nourish youthful, radiant skin
Do you wish your hair, skin, and nails had a more youthful appearance? There are natural ingredients that can fight oxidative stress, slow the effects of aging, and prevent the damage that makes you look older than you feel.
Radiant Skin Needs Protective Compounds
As the largest organ of the body, our skin is also subject to the most potential harm. The negative effects from exposure to sunlight, wind, and even blue light sources like smartphones and computers add up over time, leading to dull, prematurely aged skin. All this combined with the effects of aging on collagen, and it’s no wonder so many people want to refresh their appearance.
Maqui Berries and Aronia Berries—Youthful Skin Superstars
In order to restore a more youthful appearance, I recommend two powerful sources of beneficial anthocyanins, maqui berries and aronia berries. Among antioxidant compounds, anthocyanins are some of the most effective, and the hardest to get from diet alone in quantities that will be noticeably effective.
Maqui (Aristotelia chilensis) berries, native to Chile and Argentina, have incredibly high concentrations of protective polyphenols, including anthocyanins, that develop in reaction to the intense sunlight and oxidative stresses the plants face during their growth. These same compounds also produce the characteristic dark color of the fruit, an indication of its defensive abilities, which fortunately work for us as well.
Delphinidin is one of the most important anthocyanins in maqui berry. It is responsible for both the fruit’s deep purple color and its strong health benefits. Delphinidin quenches damaging free radical activity much more effectively and efficiently than even other strong antioxidants. In fact, maqui berry may have as much as seven times the antioxidant ability of acai berries, another well-known source of free-radical-fighting compounds.
Delphinidin helps prevent damage from ultraviolet (UV) rays because it reduces COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) inflammation caused by sun damage, which can be one of the causes of skin cancer. We tend to think of COX-2 activity as only related to muscle soreness or arthritis pain, but it can cause other serious issues, too. Delphinidin also preserves the length of telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes (often explained as something like the plastic ends of shoelaces that prevent them from unraveling). Oxidative stress can accelerate the wearing down of telomeres, and by extension, accelerate aging. But scientific research reported that in just four weeks, delphinidin from maqui berry slowed telomere shortening by 52 percent.
Anthocyanins from maqui significantly reduced markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study with participants aged 45 to 65 years—exactly the age when the effects of sun exposure and free radical damage begin to show—and when most people want them reversed.
Another placebo-controlled clinical study with women aged 27 to 57 found that maqui berry delphinidins improved skin collagen in just eight weeks, and significantly decreased reddish spots and uneven skin pigmentation in just four weeks.
Likewise, aronia (Aronia melanocarpa) berries are packed with anthocyanins. Scientific research shows aronia also defends skin from damage and premature aging, and the actions of enzymes that attack and weaken supportive collagen.
Key Vitamins and Minerals
Essential vitamins and minerals are as crucial for healthy hair, skin, and nails as for every other body system. A lack of these important nutrients can lead to dull skin, dry hair, and brittle nails. Vitamins A and E, and the B vitamins (particularly biotin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid), are required for the metabolic processes that build strong hair and nails and keep skin firm and youthful looking.
Silica for Lustrous Hair, Strong Nails, and Amazing Skin
While silica is a mineral, the supplemental form I recommend is a botanical ingredient obtained from a plant known as spring horsetail (Equisetum arvense). This form of silica is extremely soluble and virtually 100 percent bioavailable. It is especially helpful for collagen.
Collagen is the main structural protein in your body’s skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues. Strong collagen fibers contribute to firm, vibrant, supple-looking skin.
Silica helps give collagen resilience and allows it to bind water for better hydration, ultimately giving your skin a more youthful appearance. Silica also strengthens nails and makes hair shiny and lustrous.
Additional Critical Nutrients
Miliacin from millet seed oil extract fuels hair regeneration and growth and activates the body’s own repair mechanisms to heal skin and reduce inflammation.
Clinical research shows that cancer patients taking millet seed oil extract and receiving chemotherapy saw significantly lower percentages of hair loss compared to those in the chemotherapy-only group. Another clinical study in postmenopausal women with hair loss found that miliacin from millet seed oil extract improved the overall condition of hair, relieved scalp dryness, and restored hair growth and shine in just three months.
Strengthening sulphurated amino acids: Sulphurated amino acids simply means that these supplemental forms of cysteine and methionine contain sulfur, which allows them to readily form bonds with the structures of hair, skin, and nails.
L-cysteine protects hair follicles from oxidative damage, stabilizes keratin levels, and interacts with zinc to strengthen hair structure.
L-methionine builds keratin, making it critical for hair growth, strength, and shine. But this amino acid can be depleted due to hormonal changes, including menopause, so supplementation may be necessary.
Build Your Beauty from the Inside
True beauty starts from the inside—in who the person is and what is in their heart. But I also believe that to help reflect that inner beauty and vibrant health, the right nutrients are an absolute must. When you nourish your hair, skin, and nails every day, you’ll appreciate—and notice—the difference.