Can You Really Drink Your Way to Better Skin? We Investigate...

Now that it’s become slightly difficult to pop into the derm, spa, gym, or any other sanctuary devoted to making your skin look bomb.com, we’ve turned to alternate options. Drinkable, glow-boosting skincare being one of them. With a slew of digestible supplements and collagen-packed liquids on the market, our interest is definitely piqued – especially when you can order them straight to your door. A small victory in the name of social distancing.

But what exactly do they promise and more importantly, do they deliver? We consulted a few experts via email since face-to-face consults and Q&As are out of the question right now.

Can you really drink your way to better skin? 

“What we put in our bodies has a very powerful impact on our skin, but supplements should be balanced with an overall healthy diet, great skincare, sleep, exercise and of course, sun protection year-round,” explains world-renowned cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Doris Day.

Will supplements make my skin brighter, tighter, and bouncy AF?

“When taken orally, collagen may help skin hydration and elasticity,” says Union Square Laser Dermatology board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jennier Chwalek. “One study found that taking collagen with super-hydrating hyaluronic acid improved the appearance of wrinkles, while other research found that collagen helped relieve exercise-related joint pain.”

What are the top vitamins to look for, with the most skin benefits?

“There are the more obvious ones like vitamins A, B, C (important for collagen synthesis), as well as D and E, all of which are important for skin health,” Chwalek adds. In terms of other drinkable good-for-you things, she suggests green tea because it’s chock full of antioxidants to boost skin health.

Can you overdo it in the glow-getter department?

According to Dr. Morgan Rabach, board-certified derm and co-founder of LM Medical NYC, you bet. “Consuming collagen in the form of a supplement may be helpful to people who don’t get it from animal products (AKA vegans), but collagen is a protein and taking too much at once may cause digestive problems,” she says. “It can also put stress on your liver and kidney.”

Case in point: go easy with this stuff and read suggested dosage labels. Collagen may be great for skin vitality, but you don’t want to be taking it all day every day. Now that you know more on the topic, here are some of our fave drinkable glow-boosters:

Dirty Lemon + collagen, $45 for 6

Keep wrinkles at bay by building up your skin’s natural production of collagen. Sipping Dirty Lemon water (with four grams of hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides) can enhance your glow up, as well as hydrate your body and face.

8Greens SKIN + Marine Collagen, $16

Dubbed “a facial in a glass,” 8Greens new skin-centric tablets promise to infuse your visage with radiance and a megawatt glow, thanks to collagen and biotin. They can also improve acne and surface redness. Gluten and sugar-free, drinking one glass of the green apple flavored stuff is equivalent to consuming 25 stalks of celery, four large zucchinis, 187 lbs of salmon and 4 cups of broccoli. Way easier than juicing all that by hand, too.

DL.MD 13.5.1 Multivitamin, $45

Dr. Lamees Hamdan designed this all-in-one multivitamin (with 13 vitamins and five minerals) as a liquid rather than a pill or gummy, for its 98% absorption rate. “Take one teaspoon in the morning on days that your diet is healthy and varied, and take a second teaspoon in the evening on days you aren’t at your healthiest,” she says. The effect? Increased energy, glowing skin, and halted hair loss. We like where this is heading…

HUM Nutrition Mighty Night $40

Since your skin does the majority of its cellular turnover while you snooze, it makes sense to double up on your efforts pre-bedtime. Packed with a hefty dose of hydrating ceramides, antioxidants (ferulic acid and CoQ10), and Valerian root for sleep support, these vegan softgels promote better ZZZs and skin texture. And they protect from dryness, loss of elasticity, and roughness, which we all need.

Vital Proteins Collagen Glow Shot, $54 for 12

A smarter kind of shot. When you throw back Vital Proteins’ strawberry and lemon elixir, you’re serving your skin seven grams of collagen peptides, 60 milligrams of hyaluronic acid, biotin, and vitamin C. That’s a whole lotta glow in one little vial and they taste delish – double bonus.

Moon Juice Beauty Dust, $38

Trying to kick your anti-aging game into high gear? Sprinkle a little Beauty Dust in your morning smoothie (or bowl) to speed up the process. The adaptogenic blend of Schisandra, Amla, Ashwagandha, Rehmannia, Goji berry and pearl calm stressed-out skin, fights free radical damage, and improves skin clarity at the same time. PS, we love their Blue Your Beauty Bowl: 1 tsp (or sachet) Beauty Dust, 1 rounded scoop Blue Beauty Adaptogenic Protein (or other protein powder), 1 cup unsweetened coconut yogurt and 1 frozen banana blended on high; top with blueberries, chia seeds, coconut flakes, and/or bee pollen.