How Do Hair, Skin, and Nail Vitamins Work? A Closer Look

Hair, skin, and nails. Three features that, in many ways, define our look. It makes a lot of sense that people look for simple, convenient ways to support them, but it also makes sense to want to understand how hair, skin and nail vitamins work.

Nature Made prides itself on a science-backed approach to supplementation, and we can help you make an informed decision when choosing a supplement to support your inner and outer beauty. Discover how hair, skin, and nails vitamins can support your beauty from within with our expertly formulated supplements.^†

What Are Hair, Skin, and Nail Vitamins?

Nature Made offers Hair, Skin, and Nail Supplements in a variety of forms, but you may want to familiarize yourself with which vitamins exactly fall under the beauty support umbrella. This includes the essential vitamins biotin, vitamin A, and vitamin C, as well as the minerals copper and zinc.^†

Each of these nutrients plays a unique role in our body, and our body cannot produce them internally. While filling your diet with nutrient-dense foods is the best way to get essential vitamins and minerals, factors such as food availability, busy lives, and specialized diets can make this difficult. Supplements can help address potential nutritional gaps and provide a convenient way to incorporate essential vitamins and minerals into your daily routine. Ready to learn more? Here is how these essential nutrients can support your beauty regimen.

5 Key Nutrients and Their Benefits

First, we need to understand how hair skin and nail vitamins really work. Let’s break down five key nutrients, what they do, and how you can get them through nutrient-dense foods and dietary supplements.

Biotin

Biotin, or vitamin B7, is an essential vitamin that is commonly found in eggs, nuts, and whole grains. Like all B vitamins, biotin plays an essential role in cellular energy metabolism, helping to convert the food we eat into energy that our cells can use to perform their regular functions. Biotin is found in many beauty supplements, as it supports healthy hair, skin, and nails. Nature Made's Biotin Softgels provide 1000 mcg of biotin in a convenient daily form.^†

If you are wondering whether biotin helps hair growth, understand first that biotin does not stimulate new hair growth, but it does help support healthy hair as you age.^†

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that supports healthy skin. You can get vitamin A from foods that are rich in beta-carotene, like carrots and sweet potatoes. Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, which means it’s a compound that turns into vitamin A internally. You can also get pre-formed vitamin A from animal products like beef, fish, and milk.^†

Vitamin C

If you’re a fan of citrus fruits, here’s some good news: Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that supports collagen synthesis, a protein that serves as a building block for our skin. Vitamin C is commonly found in citrus fruits like oranges, limes, grapefruits, and lemons, along with strawberries and bell peppers. Nature Made offers a variety of Vitamin C Supplements, such as our Vitamin C Extra Strength Gummies and Vitamin C Chewable Tablets. Vitamin C is also included in our Hair-Skin-Nails^‡ Gummies.^†

Copper

Copper, it’s good for more than just pennies and plumbing. It’s also a vital mineral that’s essential for collagen synthesis and skin support. Don’t start stripping streetlights just yet: the copper we get in our diet comes mostly from food for skin health like nuts, seeds, and shellfish.

Copper is included alongside four other essential nutrients as part of Nature Made’s Hair-Skin-Nails^‡ Softgels to support healthy skin.^†

Zinc

Think you know every mineral on this list? Zinc might just surprise you. Zinc is an essential mineral that helps support healthy skin. It plays a role in the vital functions of over 100 enzymes in the body and supports antioxidant activity to protect cells from oxidative stress.^†

You’ll mostly find zinc in seafood, lean meats, legumes, and some fortified cereals. You can also find zinc supplements like our Zinc Tablets and Zinc Gummies at Nature Made.

How Do These Vitamins Really Work?

The essential vitamins and minerals found in our hair, skin, and nail supplements provide the body with the nutrients it needs to support our beauty from within. But that means you can’t just take a supplement once and expect to see results: Supporting your hair, skin, and nails requires consistent support; the body needs a regular intake of nutrients stay supported.^†

We recommend attaching your beauty supplement routine to a regular mealtime to help you remember to take them every day, giving your body the nutrients it needs to support your wellness goals. It's also important to know that supplements work alongside a balanced diet filled with nutrient-dense food.

FAQs About Hair, Skin, and Nail Vitamins

Here are some common questions about hair, skin, and nail vitamins and supplements, and their answers.

Q: Are hair, skin, and nails vitamins safe for daily use?

A: Always consult with your primary health care provider before starting or changing a supplement routine and be sure to follow the suggested use printed on the packaging for proper dosage and timing.

Q: Who should take these hair, skin, and nails vitamins?

A: These supplements are specially formulated for adults interested in supplemental support for their hair, skin, and nail health.

Q: Can I take hair, skin, and nail vitamins with other supplements?

Consulting with your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you assemble a well-rounded supplement routine.

Q: Does biotin support nails?

A: Nails are made out of a protein called keratin. Biotin is a cofactor in keratin synthesis.^[1] Our Extra Strength Biotin 2500 mcg Softgel may help support healthy nails.^†

Q: What are the side effects of biotin?

A: Biotin does not have an established tolerable upper intake limit (UL) because there is no evidence that biotin is toxic to humans at high intakes. However, biotin can interact with certain medications and interfere with lab testing, so consult your doctor about biotin supplementation if you are taking any medications or are expecting lab testing.^[2]

Q: What does vitamin E have to do with skin health?

Vitamin E is an essential vitamin and is the most abundant fat-soluble antioxidant found in our skin. Vitamin E is found in the dermis and epidermis, which are two primary layers of skin. We get vitamin E in our diet from nuts and seeds, as well as vegetable oils. You might also find vitamin E in fortified foods like breakfast cereals. Nature Made offers Vitamin E Supplements in various forms and dosages to suit your preferences, and it is included in Zero Sugar^▲ Hair Skin Nails Gummies.^†

Q: How to hydrate skin?

Skin hydration is affected by a number of aspects, including keeping hydrated with adequate water. Nature Made also offers Skin Hydration + Ceramides Gummies, which contain a clinically studied ingredient containing Ceramides^◆ to support skin hydration in 15 days and help with skin smoothness & firmness as you age, for adults with dry skin.^†

Make an Informed Choice for Your Hair, Skin, and Nails

When looking for hair, skin, and nail support, check the label for biotin, and if you’re interested in supporting your skin health, look for vitamin A, vitamin C, copper, and zinc. These nutrients each play unique roles in supporting your beauty.^†

Biotin supports healthy hair, skin, and nails. Vitamin C supports collagen production, which is a key component of healthy skin. Zinc supports healthy skin, and copper supports collagen synthesis and skin support.^†

Nature Made Hair Growth Lustriva® Softgels support thicker, fuller existing hair in 12 weeks with Lustriva®, an ingredient clinically studied in women, made with biotin and other compounds.

It’s common for beauty routines to focus entirely on creams and topical applications and forget the importance of inner support. Consider adding beauty supplements to your daily routine as part of a whole-body beauty plan to support your beauty from within—shop our expertly formulated hair, skin, and nail supplements and beauty supplements today!^†

References:

1. Patel DP, Swink SM, Castelo-Soccio L. A Review of the Use of Biotin for Hair Loss. Skin Appendage Disord. 2017;3(3):166-169. doi:10.1159/000462981
2. National Institute of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Biotin. Nih.gov. Published January 10, 2022. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-HealthProfessional/

‡Supports healthy hair, skin & nails^†

**studied on crow’s feet in women ages 35-55

§in women

◆Clinically Studied Wheat Seed Extract

▲ Not a low calorie food