Vitamins and supplements have always run a plenty in our house. Mom has a bit of a mini vitamin shop set up that lives in our kitchen. So when I went on the hunt for vitamins for hormonal acne, I did so with an open mind and I found a lot of information! These days my supplement routine is very much streamlined. I’ve tried a lot, ditched a lot and found a handful of things that truly work for me. And today, I want to share all of that with you.
My disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I’ve played personal guinea pig to many holistic treatments but this is not medical advice. I’m sharing my experience in hopes that you can feel empowered to explore new ideas and bring up options to your own medical team. We don’t know what we don’t know. But I can tell you what I’ve found has worked consistently and what I wish I’d stopped spending money on sooner.
What I’ve Tried
I’ll be 100% honest and say that one of the things that comes with my jobs is being pitched and sent A LOT of supplements. At one time, I welcomed them into our home. But eventually, I found certain things suited certain needs for me personally. I’ve also purchased a lot in the pursuit for finding the right vitamins for hormonal acne. And there are a few things I’ve taken that mom loves and takes still. Let’s go through the list:
Flo Living Supplements
Seed*
Halo Beauty Kiwi Skin Booster
Garden Of Life MyKind Women’s Gummies
Advanced Collagen Supplement
Deva Vegan Multi-Vitamin
Throne Research Cal-Mag Supplement
Persona
Riza Women’s Health Herbal Supplement
DIM
What I’ve Ditched & Why
Flo Living Supplements
I really wanted the Flo Living supplements to be the answer to my hunt for the best vitamins for hormonal acne. And for a time, I thought they were working. But after about a year of taking them, I realized that things just weren’t really changing on the acne front. For me, the entire reason I wanted to balance my hormones was my acne. Which TBH is a much longer chat that I’ll be sharing next week on the blog.
But I also found that there was only really 1 thing that came in the supplement pack that I couldn’t just get somewhere else: the detoxifcation support. It includes: vitamin C, vitamin E, biotin, zinc, selenium, molybdenum, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, L-Leucine, High-Gamma Mixed Tocopherols, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric and Grape Seed Extract. And while I appreciated the full spectrum of supplement support I was getting, I eventually found that A. it didn’t fit my budget and .B I was stuck paying for a load of supplements including a probiotic I didn’t want because I’d already found Seed. While I imagine that they did help me get my nutrient levels back on balance, they weren’t the cure I was looking for.
Halo Beauty Kiwi Seed Booster
I honestly have nothing negative to say about these. And truthfully, I didn’t take them long enough to be able to see a difference as far as wrinkles go. Again, my original approach was to find the best vitamins for hormonal acne and these didn’t help or hurt. But I would be curious to come back to them in the future to see how they impact wrinkles and overall skin health.
Garden Of Life Raw Iron
I love this iron supplement. Should I ever decide that I want a more plant based diet again, I would absolutely include it. Before recently adding red meat back into my diet, my body was giving me sign that it was majorly lacking iron. This supplement did a great job at helping to support my system. But once I adopted Ritual into my diet, I stopped taking this one.
Garden Of Life myKind Women’s Gummies*
I’m a big fan of Garden Of Life’s products. Thus far I’ve enjoyed every one I’ve tried. I’ve taken these gummies on and off over the years. Mom takes them regularly and I’ve converted a few friends. They are a great multi-vitamin option without the added refined sugar. And if you struggle to swallow pills, they make taking vitamins a lot easier! For me, it ended up being my focus on maintaining consistent blood sugar that had me removing these from my supplement routine. If I didn’t manage to remember to take them with a meal, I’d end up randomly spiking my blood sugar which wasn’t my goal. Love the quality and the product. They just didn’t end up suiting my current needs.
Advanced Collagen Supplement
When it comes to collagen, there’s often a lot of expectations. I started taking it for my hair & skin. But inevitably, I opted for a more food based form rather than a pill. I love collagen for helping to strength my nails, making my hair healthier and supporting my gut health. But it’s important to do research on the kinds of collagen you’re taking and what you’re actually getting in a supplement. This particular one was more a of budget buy that didn’t necessarily have a strong impact. However, after almost of year of using collagen in my protein balls, smoothies and coffee, and I can tell a difference (more deets below).
Deva Vegan Multi-Vitamin
I’ll add this to the “there’s nothing wrong with it but I don’t take it anymore” pile. There’s a few vitamins that many plant based diets lack simply because it’s hard to get them in such high quantities. This was the vitamin I took on and off for about 4 years during my plant based phase. Truthfully, there’s nothing wrong with it. But since I first discovered this, other supplements have come on the market that suit me better. I’d say I out grew this one/just needed something different.
Throne Research Cal-Mag Supplement
I’m a big fan of adding magnesium into my personal supplement routine. I struggle with restless legs when I don’t walk enough. But because I don’t always take it consistently, I find I need something that’s a bit more fast acting than this one when I’m looking to calm my legs quickly. Love the concept. Just didn’t find that this form worked for me.
Persona
I often see the personalized vitamins marketed around the internet world. And so many people love them! However, I haven’t found that they are my cup of tea. Here’s why: I don’t love the extra waste. When I started doing empties for youtube and the blog, I got a good look at how much stuff I was throwing away. It’s a bit insane. So while it’s nice to have segmented vitamins for morning and night, I’m not comfortable with the excess waste.
I also found that I prefer curating my own vitamins based on what my body is telling me. If that’s not your jam, totally understandable. Inevitably, there wasn’t anything wrong with the curated vitamins. They just ended up not suiting my particular needs.
Riza Women’s Health Herbal Supplement
Again, I bought this when trying to clear my hormonal acne. Are we sensing a theme yet? I did a round of acupuncture to see if it would help and this was suggested. I can’t say I’ve noticed a difference on the acne front. However, I would be curious to see how it did long term with helping ease period symptoms. I also enjoy the fact that it’s a liquid rather than another pill to swallow.
DIM
When I finally stopped taking the Flo Living supplements, I decided to try DIM as a substitute for the estrogen detox support. Based on my results from my Everly Well’s Women’s Health test, I knew that my body needed a bit of help flushing out the extra estrogen every month. Again, I found it didn’t help but it didn’t hurt. To really get my hormones balanced and to feel my best, I needed to handle my stress. So while this supplement may have helped some, it wasn’t the solution I’d hoped it would be for me.
What I Take Today
Now I’m a big believer in using vitamins and supplements in conjunction with your goals. And while I really only take 2 things regularly, there are a few I add in as needed. So here’s what I’m currently taking & loving:
Seed
I’ve been talking about Seed for what feels like years now. I fell in love and was converted 2+ years. It’s a probiotic + prebiotic that helps support gut health. And it’s truly the only probiotic I’ll take because they have the science to back it up. I take mine at night so that my stomach has a chance to really calm down & digest while I sleep. If I accidentally eat something that bloats me, this is my cure all. I’ve converted many friends. It’s that good.
Ritual
I will 100% own that I was influenced on this one. I love being able to support female founded companies. Plus, Ritual has all the things in it that I’m personally looking for in a vitamin: iron, omega 3s, biotin, magnesium (can help naturally fight depression & anxiety), vitamin D and more. I love that it all comes in a science backed vitamin and helps streamline my supplements (and budget).
Now MSM
My mom has been praising the benefits of MSM for years. And after listening to the founder of Oskia talk about how it was major in her recovery from a serious knee injury, I started to implement it a bit more in my own supplement routine. As I’ve increased my running, I’ve found I reach for this a bit more to aid in recovery and support my overall joint health. Thanks to several years of standing awkwardly on set, my hips are a bit out of whack. And I’m all about preventative care that also aids in recovery. MSM to the rescue!
Natural Vitality Natural Calm Calcium Plus Magnesium
I’ve been using Natural Vitality for years but I never seem to share it on social media. Mostly because I tend to reach for this at night when I’m struggling to sleep and want something to help quickly. It’s also great at helping to naturally calm anxiety. I don’t take it all the time. But I do find that it’s the first thing I reach for when I can’t sleep. Additionally, I’ve found it’s a great travel essential that doesn’t have the linger impact on my body like melatonin. You can pack your own portioned out serving or buy the travel packs and you’re good to go!
Garden Of Life Elderberry Gummies
I’m incredible thankful that investing in my health the last few years has meant that I’ve rarely been sick. *KNOCK ON ALL THE WOOD* But when I travel, I like to make sure I’m extra prepared. Of course with Covid-19 going on, these are a bit harder to get ahold of than before. But they are my go to when I’m looking to boost the Vitamin C in my diet and make sure my immune system is prepped for whatever comes my way.
Collagen
(Vital Proteins Marine Collagen / Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel / Vital Proteins Matcha With Collagen)
Now while I no longer take a specific collagen supplement, I do think it’s worth noting the ways I consistently add it in my diet. Both my nails and hair have gotten significantly better in the last year. And while I know that’s based on my lifestyle shift, I also know that collagen has played a role. I use collagen powders in a few ways:
In My Protein Balls – I make a batch of these once a week as a quick grab and go meal/snack
In My Coffee – I’ve done an entire post on how to super charge your coffee. But when I want a lighter breakfast, I’ll opt for a bit of marine collagen to keep me fuller for longer.
In My Pancakes – I love making my 3 ingredient banana pancakes with banana, eggs & primal kitchen collagen fuel. Super easy, minimal ingredients and I’m getting loads of protein
In My Matcha Latte – I recently discovered Vital Protein’s Matcha and I love it. I’ve been tweaking my morning drink choices but I love that with this matcha I also get the hair, skin & nail benefits.
Alright friends. I’ll be sure to update this should it change/as I discover new things. But for now, I think we’ve covered it all! Whether you’re on a journey to create a healthier life or looking for vitamins for hormonal acne, I hope this helps! Until next time. Xoxo, Savvy
