Did you know that MSM can help you get clear skin, shiny hair, strong nails, and a healthy complexion? Find out why MSM is nicknamed “The Beauty Mineral,” and how it may help you look and feel your best.

MSM is a bioavailable sulfur supplement. When it comes to skin, nails, and hair, its benefits are due to several different factors, which are explained below. MSM is beneficial when taken by mouth or applied topically to the skin, and best results are seen when both are done in combination.

MSM for Hair and Nails

Have you ever wondered why some people crack eggs into their hair in the shower? They do that because of the proteins in eggs. The most beneficial mineral present in the proteins of eggs is sulfur (which is why rotting eggs and geothermal vents smell alike). Adding MSM powder to your shampoo actually has much of the same effect as cracking eggs into your hair, without all of the mess (and wasted food).

DIY MSM Infused Shampoo

1. Pour your favorite shampoo into a bowl,
2. Vigorously blend in the MSM powder with a whisk (about a quarter cup for a 16 oz bottle),
3. Gently warm the shampoo in a bath of hot water,
4. Wait for the MSM to fully dissolve,
5. Stir it again,
6. Return the shampoo to the bottle with a funnel.

You can now use your shampoo as normal, and save your eggs for the frying pan.

Supplementing your diet with MSM promotes the production of keratin, the main building block of hair. Sulfur is high in the amino acid cysteine. It is the sulfur bond in keratin that gives it its strength, and MSM supplementation boosts the production of keratin by increasing cysteine availability. Keratin has become a buzzword in the hairstyling world because of expensive treatments using keratin formulas that are said to heal damaged hair. These treatments, however, apply foreign keratin, usually combined with toxic chemicals (including formaldehyde). MSM, by contrast, helps the body produce its own keratin, which is a far more effective way of getting healthy locks without putting all of those chemicals onto your scalp. Keratin is also the main protein in nails, which is why MSM can help nails grow faster and stronger.

MSM also boosts the effectiveness of biotin, a B vitamin that is essential for healthy hair. MSM has been scientifically proven to boost hair growth, with researchers finding that the results of a formula of MSM and vitamin C were “comparable to or better than the result in the group treated with minoxidil 5%”, a common ingredient found in hair growth formulas. This does lead to MSM’s only negative side effect as a beauty supplement–making hair grow faster in places where people don’t always want it, which may require you to shave or pluck a little more frequently than you are used to.

MSM for Skin

Like keratin, MSM boosts the production of collagen, the most plentiful protein in the human body and the building block of skin, muscles, bones, and tendons. Collagen is commonly sold in skin creams and supermarket aisle dietary supplements. But like keratin, collagen works best when it is naturally produced by your body, instead of added to it bonded to other chemicals. Collagen production slows with age, so MSM supplementation can be particularly useful for boosting natural collagen production in older people.

MSM also boosts the effectiveness of thiamine, another B vitamin necessary for healthy skin.
MSM is an effective way of treating the causes and symptoms of leaky gut (see our article on leaky gut). While it may seem strange that something happening in the intestines would affect the skin, leaky gut is actually one of the more common causes of skin irritations like rashes, acne, eczema, and other skin disorders.

One of the biggest benefits of MSM is the promotion of cellular permeability, which helps the cells purge themselves of toxins and absorb nutrients. MSM supplementation therefore means healthier skin that more quickly recovers from allergens or environmental contaminants, like chemical household cleaners, that can dry out or damage skin. It also means that MSM can boost the skin’s ability to absorb other nutrients that you may be applying in expensive skin creams or shampoos. MSM also promotes cellular respiration and reduces harmful oxidation. It is a free radical scavenger, neutralizing free radicals that damage skin, and it helps clear toxic buildup.

When applied externally as a cream or gel, MSM promotes elasticity of skin tissues and helps to smooth wrinkles. Applying MSM to closed wounds promotes healing and can smooth out scars (don’t apply MSM to an open wound that is still bleeding, since there is no benefit that exceeds the risk of accidentally introducing bacteria that could cause infection). MSM gel can help minimize skin breakouts related to allergies, and smooth over problem pimples.

MSM can reduce some of the effects of sun damage to skin. It helps soften brown spots of hyperpigmentation by boosting pheomelanin production. While some companies promote MSM as a natural skin whitener, this label isn’t really accurate, since by removing freckles and reducing the effects of melanogenesis, MSM isn’t so much “whitening” skin as it is healing sun damage to the skin. We at Kala Health expressly do not endorse the idea that “lighter” or “whiter” skin is more beautiful in any way. Instead, we believe that people of all colors may find that reversing harmful UV damage gives them clearer, healthier, more beautiful skin, no matter what their natural color.

How to use MSM as a beauty supplement.

When using MSM for skin, nail, and hair health, take at least 2 grams by mouth twice a day. Better results will be found if you take more, up to about 16 grams per day, but start small and work your way up to avoid shocking your system.

You can also mix MSM powder into your favorite shampoos (as discussed above) and into your favorite skin creams. In many cases, MSM will boost the effectiveness of these products by helping your cells absorb their nutrients. In no case is MSM likely to reduce their effectiveness, though it may have a benign impact on texture. Remember that the quality of the MSM is very important, whether you are taking it by mouth or applying it to your skin. Low quality, inexpensive MSM (usually manufactured in China) can range from nearly useless to downright harmful.


Quality PledgeThe Kala Health Pledge for Quality

Here at Kala Health, we make it our business to offer the purest and best supplements available. There will always be cheaper, lower quality products on the market, but our customers keep coming back to us because they know that quality costs. For over twenty years, we have carefully cultivated our reputation for delivering only the highest quality dietary supplements available on the market. Our entire business model rests on this reputation. That’s why all of our MSM products are made with OptiMSM® from Bergstrom Nutrition. OptiMSM, and its animal equivalent, PurforMSM, are the purest and only GRAS-certified MSM products in the world, and they are made exclusively in the USA. When it comes to choosing a supplement for your health, we at Kala Health know that there are no shortcuts. We wouldn’t give a lesser MSM supplement to our families, and neither would we sell a lesser supplement to yours. Check out www.kalahealth.com or MSMPure.com for all of our MSM products available.