The Beauty Vitamin Cheat Sheet
Vitamins are essential for your health and beauty, but choosing the right ones can feel like a task that requires a degree. More importantly, once you finally find the perfect one, how can you tell if your body is actually absorbing it? Below, the best vitamins, minerals and herbs for every health and beauty need.
Hair, Skin and Nails
Tracy says: "Your locks tell so much about your health, so when you're deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, your hair doesn't have optimal shine or bounce. A good multivitamin with active B Complex is best. I say active because we want B12 to have a methyl group attached to make sure we absorb it, just in case we have a detoxification issue. B vitamins help your hair, skin and nails grow effortlessly. Do you have a moon on your fingernails? If not, that can be a sign of B12 deficiency and lack of circulation."
Vitamins to take:
Biotin: The #1 B vitamin for hair growth.
Zinc: When we are deficient in zinc, our hair loses its color, leading to gray hair.
Vitamin D: Opens follicles for hair to grow.
Vitamin E: Gives hair shine, bounce and growth.
Niacin: Increases circulation to allow hair growth.
Magnesium: Gives stronger hair.
Iron: Encourages hair growth.
Herbs to take:
Stinging nettle
Horsetail
Saw palmetto
Aloe
Amla (high in vitamin C)
Basil (improves circulation, strengthens hair breakage)
Burdock root (strengthens scalp and is anti-inflammatory)
Fo-ti
He shou wu
Black sesame seeds
Dong quai
White peony root
Energy
Tracy says: "Energy coming from the core is better than energy that's quick and suddenly disappears. Use these vitamins and herbs for sustained energy."
Vitamins to take:
Active B12
Folic acid
COQ10
Herbs to take:
Reishi
Cordyceps
Rhodiola
Astragalus
Licorice
Maca
Memory
Tracy says: "Each day we want to be able to make a sizable deposit into our memory bank so enhancing it by increasing our omega 3 and taking the following herbs will help."
Vitamins to take:
Phosphatidylserine
Omega 3
Vitamin A
L-Tyrosine
L-Carnitine (burns fat)
Herbs to take:
Lions mane
Ginkgo bilopa
Gotu kola
Bacopa
Sleep
Tracy says: "A few hours of deep restful sleep is better than 8 hours of tossing and turning. Certain deficiencies of vitamins and minerals can interrupt a restful night of sleep."
Vitamins to take:
Melatonin
Magnesium
Vitamin B3
Vitamin D
L-tryptophan
GABA-(Kavinace; helps with anxiety)
Herbs to take:
Valerian
Passion flower
Kava kava
Hops
Ashwagandha
Magnolia
Chamomile
Diet/Immune System
Tracy says: "When it comes to our diet, it's not just about what we put in our mouth, but what we actually absorb and eliminate."
Vitamins to take:
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B6
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Iron
Selenium
Zinc
Herbs to take:
Reishi
Chaga
Cordyceps
Dandelion greens
Legume
