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skin health from the inside out: 'we can't supplement our way to cover a bad diet'
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this article was produced by the healthing editorial team with the support of a grant from aquaomega. while aquaomega made the production of this article possible, they did not have any editorial influence or control over the content, including review prior to publication.
your skin is your body’s largest organ and offers a window to your health. whatever’s going on inside you can show up on your skin; a persistent rash may point to an autoimmune disorder, and dark patches around your neck could be linked to insulin resistance or diabetes.
so, paying attention to your skin is much more than just aiming for a vibrant glow and clear complexion.
dr. alex daghelian, naturopathic doctor at the
pain and wellness centrein vaughan, ont., sees patients looking for help for all kinds of reasons, but she takes note of their skin as part of the assessment.
“what a lot of people don’t realize is that skin is so multifaceted, just like naturopathic medicine is, where we’re not just addressing one symptom. we want to make sure we’re looking at many different aspects of your health and seeing how it’s impacting your skin,” she says.
what’s most important for your skin?
healthy skin habits are also good for overall health: physical activity, hydration, stress management, sleep, nutrition, and supplementation.
what does she do for her own skin health (she definitely has a glow!)? her top tip is sunscreen application.
“when it comes to visible signs of aging, sun damage is such a big component of that. every single day we’re exposed to the sun and we’re exposed to radiation from the sun even in the winter months. so rather than only using it on days you go outside or if it’s sunny, use it daily. those small things are going to catch up to you in 20 or 30-plus years,” she says.
“i can give you every single supplement on the market. i can do acupuncture. you can do all the cool treatments out there that are really great for anti-aging. but if you don’t use sunscreen, you are almost losing money or you’re putting investment into things that would probably work better if you had been using sunscreen.”
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it’s never too late to start using sunscreen regularly, so choose one you enjoy wearing, because using it consistently every day is the most important part.
strength-train for skin elasticity
another personal insight is strength-training, which she’s been doing two to three times a week for more than 10 years. while strength training has many benefits, it also supports skin elasticity and the upper dermal structure and improves dermal thickness, referring to the dermis, the supportive layer of skin beneath the epidermis.
the dermis typically thins with aging and exposure to the elements over time.
researchers in japan looked at the impact of both aerobic exercise and resistance training in a study published in scientific reports in 2023, finding that aerobic exercise stimulates collagen while resistance training has the added benefit of improving dermal thickness.
“for skin health especially, i want to make sure that we use all the different tools in the naturopathic toolbox,” she says.
while supplements can augment skin health, the best starting point is nutrition, where you’re aiming to get as much value from food sources as you can. for example, there are essential omega-3 fatty acids that you would get from fish and micronutrients from chicken or beef. but if you’re eating a lot of processed foods, you’re losing out on nutrition.
“we can’t supplement our way to cover a bad diet,” she says.
“the body loves consistency. so that’s the same thing with my nutrition as well. am i getting enough protein every single day? am i eating enough? am i getting my healthy fats in? am i having regular bowel movements every day that are complete? and to be honest, also the consistency of it too.”
when you’re taking care of your skin, the approach is much more than following a skincare product routine (although that’s part of it).
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get enough fibre for your body
when she breaks down the roles of food components, fibre is a major player that people often overlook.
“many of my patients that have acne tend to also be constipated, so detoxification pathways are not working optimally. so we’re talking about eating more fibre. so
foods that are high in soluble and insoluble fiber. most people are not getting enough fibre per day. everyone’s talking about getting a lot of protein in, and not as many people are talking about the fibre component. and 95 per cent of my patients will be deficient in fibre.”
foods that are high in soluble and insoluble fiber. most people are not getting enough fibre per day. everyone’s talking about getting a lot of protein in, and not as many people are talking about the fibre component. and 95 per cent of my patients will be deficient in fibre.”
women need a minimum of 25 grams of fibre per day, and men need 38 grams. dietary fibre, available in fruits (raspberries are particularly high), vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts, supports gut health, reducing inflammation, strengthening the skin barrier and helping regulate hormones and blood sugar.
research published in the journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition in 2025looked at the impact of plant-based fibre consumption throughout the winter season. participants showed restored skin hydration and improved skin elasticity.
as well, nutrition has been linked to better wound-healing, reduced hospital stays and complications after surgery, so consider the protective role it has in daily skin health.
a team led by australian researchers in plastic surgeryfound that omega-3 fatty acids, like those in fatty fish, nuts and seeds, for example, boost immune function. and vitamins a, b, and c and zinc positively influence healing stages. zinc is found in oysters, red meat, seeds and legumes (lentils, chickpeas and beans).
“the legumes and nuts and seeds categories, most people are not getting enough of at all because they provide fibre, protein, b vitamins, things like that. you can buy a supplement that has fibre in it,” she says, “and we can get protein through protein powder, but then we’re not getting all of the other micronutrients that we get from foods like chicken or beef or fish that you normally would get.”
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protein supports skin renewal
protein promotes cell regeneration. while we hear a lot about the role of protein in protecting bone mass and bone density as we age, the skin constantly renews itself and the amino acids from dietary protein fuel the production of new cells. it also supports skin hydration, which is important for anti-aging.
another key component of skin health is collagen, which gives skin firmness and resilience. adequate dietary protein supports collagen production, and the wellness industry has numerous products to boost collagen through topical application and oral supplements.
with the range of supplements available, consult the evidence before you buy and talk to a health-care provider to make sure they are suitable and won’t interfere with any medications.
supplement with collagen and vitamin d
“collagen is a great one where there is
good research for helping with skin elasticity and moisture. we don’t have that long term, 20 to 30-year data to compare someone who took collagen versus someone who didn’t, but at the end of the day, it’s very accessible, and you get a little bit of extra protein in your day by having it.” you can put it in your coffee, which covers up the taste.
biotin is another popular supplement that has evidence for improving nail strength, but it’s one you can readily get from dietary nutrition, like eggs, avocado, sweet potato and salmon.
and if you haven’t heard about the importance of supplementing vitamin d, know that this nutrient is critical for skin.
“being deficient in vitamin d is going to impact collagen production and the loss of collagen that we get as we age. so, i will recommend at least being on 1,000 ius of vitamin d per day, or if we do blood work, we check their vitamin d status and then we can figure out what’s the exact dose that they should be on.”
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