What to take for skin
Graded by the strength of the evidence — strongest first. Nothing here is sold to you.
Zincgrade C— Acquired zinc deficiency is deeply involved in the development of skin diseases including acquired acrodermatitis enteropathica, necrolytic migratory erythema, alopecia, and delayed wound healing, and mutations or dysregulation in zinc transporters are associated with skin manifestations.
Zincgrade C— Systematic review and meta-analysis: people with acne tended to have lower serum zinc levels, and zinc treatment modestly reduced acne lesion counts versus control. Trials were heterogeneous in dose and form, so certainty is low.
Turmericgrade C— Systematic review of clinical studies of turmeric/curcumin (oral and topical) across skin conditions (acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, photoaging, pruritus and others): several studies reported significant improvement in disease severity versus control, but the authors characterize this as early evidence from a limited set of studies needing further confirmation.
Probioticsgrade C— Meta-analysis (21 studies): probiotic supplementation lowered the risk of eczema and atopic eczema in children versus control, with the effect strongest for probiotic combinations and for maternal intake during pregnancy. Benefit is specifically eczema PREVENTION in early childhood — no significant effect on asthma, rhinitis or other allergic outcomes, and this is not a treatment claim for adult skin.
Omega-3grade D— Narrative review: omega-3 fatty acids have plausible dermatological roles (skin barrier, inflammation modulation, photoprotection), but controlled clinical evidence that supplementation improves specific skin outcomes is limited and preliminary.