5 Super Minerals Your Body Craves For Healthier Skin

There's no shortage of beneficial ingredients, but how do you know which ones are best? Ahead, we break down five natural minerals that harbor the biggest beauty-boosting potential and the best foods to get your fill.

Keep in mind your body doesn't store zinc3, so fill up on foods that are rich in the mineral, like legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs, shellfish, and some meats, to make sure you're hitting your daily requirement. 

While kick-starting collagen production by getting your silica fill from your diet may seem like the way to go—it's found in foods like whole grain bread and pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, bananas, green beans, spinach, mangoes, and even in beer—supplements are actually highly effective.

"One of the issues of getting silica from food is that it's not necessarily bioavailable," says Nicole Paine, RDN, a New York–based registered dietitian. "This means when it’s ingested, stomach acids in your gastrointestinal tract break down the silica, not allowing it to disperse in the body in the most optimal way." And while there are many different forms of silica, Paine explains that taking orthosilicic acid6 (or OSA), the form found in silica supplement FloraSil, is generally recognized as safe and is an easy way to maintain optimal levels of collagen, the building block for healthy skin, hair, and nails.

Dry skin sufferers should definitely consider including potassium in their skin care routine, as its deficiency is often to blame for a lack of skin moisture. Found in foods like bananas and spinach as well as the less obvious white beans, potatoes, dates, and other dried fruit, potassium keeps skin hydrated, assists in new cell production to improve dull skin, and acts as a pH balancer. It also helps regulate sebum production, which means it can help reduce the appearance of scars and blemishes.

According to the World Health Organization, 75% of the population is magnesium deficient, which means that not only are we missing out on this mineral7's migraine-relieving, heart health-improving, and digestion-aiding benefits, we're also depriving our skin of a major ally.

Found in foods like tofu, legumes, whole grains, avocados and (yasss) dark chocolate, magnesium also helps improve skin's overall appearance8 by lowering cortisol levels and stabilizing hormone imbalances. Another beauty bonus? Magnesium's innate shimmer means that applying it in gel form to areas like cheekbones and collarbones makes it an effective natural highlighter.

The information in this article is the opinion of the author and/or individuals quoted and in no way reflects the policies or positions of Flora Health. This is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or nutrition advice.