Supplements and Skin: The Untold Truth
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This may come as a surprise, but I’m not a fan of most supplements. While the common belief is that modern diets leave us dangerously deficient in nutrients, I’ve seen something very different over the course of analyzing thousands of client cases. In fact, many supplements can actually harm skin health rather than help it.
Let’s break down what you might not know — but should — about the supplements most people take.
Antioxidants
The body creates its own antioxidants, and it does so with impressive efficiency. Contrary to popular marketing, only about 1% of free radicals are damaging. The rest are essential — they help us fight pathogens, process repairs, and maintain normal cell signaling.
When you flood the body with high doses of antioxidants like Vitamin C or E, you risk suppressing those necessary functions. Clinical studies have even shown that excess supplementation with these nutrients can be harmful. That doesn’t mean antioxidants are useless — but in large quantities, they can do more harm than good.
Probiotics
This one is especially controversial: probiotics are not necessary, and in many cases, they’re harmful.
Most people assume taking probiotics “restores” the gut. But your microbiome isn’t built from what you eat — it’s encoded by your DNA. Introducing foreign strains of bacteria via supplementation may temporarily change bowel habits, but they can also lead to more serious imbalances.
I’ve observed that probiotic use can promote candida overgrowth, contribute to H. pylori infections (which often show up as redness around the nose), and actually slow gut healing. For this reason, I never recommend probiotics.
Prebiotics
While often lumped together with probiotics, prebiotics work differently — and unfortunately, many of them still cause problems. Fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, kombucha, and sauerkraut are commonly promoted as gut-healthy. In reality, the fermentation process itself can be irritating and disruptive. I’ve even seen these foods contribute to enlarged pores.
Some prebiotics are selective in how they feed gut bacteria, promoting overgrowth of one type at the expense of others. The best prebiotic I’ve found? Sea buckthorn — especially when it includes the seed, pulp, and fruit. It’s been shown to support the microbiome holistically, without the imbalances caused by fermentation.
Magnesium
Online wellness circles love to talk about magnesium deficiency, but the truth is more complicated. Most magnesium supplements are hard on the gut, especially common forms like magnesium oxide or citrate.
Only magnesium chelate seems to be well tolerated — but even then, most people don’t need it. Too much magnesium contributes to mucus buildup, which can lead to congestion, blackheads, and even acne.
Multivitamins
Another supplement staple that I actively avoid recommending. Here’s why:
- Most synthetic Vitamin A forms promote candida overgrowth, triggering acne and skin flare-ups.
- B12 supplementation can make rosacea and acne worse in many individuals.
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Common “wellness” ingredients like ashwagandha and berberine are frequently included in multivitamins, but I’ve observed negative skin reactions in many cases.
Bottom line: broad-spectrum multivitamins are often full of ingredients that aren’t needed — and many that actively throw the skin off balance.
A Better Approach
A lot of what’s promoted in the supplement space stems from generalizations and outdated science. We need to start looking at the skin as a diagnostic tool. If you’re taking supplements and noticing increased redness, breakouts, or reactivity, there’s likely a connection.
I’ll be outlining my recommended “pro-skin” supplements in a separate piece — or you can contact Osmosis directly for guidance on what really supports long-term skin health.