I’m Kayla. I test stuff for a living, but I also test stuff because I’m vain and curious. This winter, my skin looked flat. My nails were peeling. My hair felt blah. The front camera was not kind. So I ran a little “looksmaxxing” experiment with supplements I could buy at the store.
Turns out, I’m not the only one; here’s another 90-day dive into looksmaxxing supplements if you want a side-by-side play-by-play.
It wasn’t magic. But some things really helped. Some didn’t. And one gave me breakouts—ugh.
Let me explain.
My Starting Point (Not Cute, Just Real)
- Dry cheeks and tight skin by noon
- Little chin bumps near my period
- Nails that split when I opened soda cans
- Hair that didn’t shine, just sat there
I’m in my 30s. I sleep okay, but not great. I drink coffee. I wear SPF, most days. You know what? I wanted a small glow-up that didn’t feel fake.
What I Took, How I Took It, and What I Felt
I kept it simple. I set a 90-day window, and I took progress selfies on Mondays with the same bathroom light. Here’s the stack that stuck.
1) Collagen Peptides (Vital Proteins)
- Dose I used: about 10 grams in my morning coffee
- Why I tried it: skin bounce, nails, and maybe hair
- What happened: by week 3, my nails stopped peeling. I could carry grocery bags without a split. Skin felt bouncier, like a tiny trampoline under my cheeks. By week 6, I noticed baby hairs near my temples. Not a new hairline, just fuzz. I’ll take it.
Tiny gripe: it adds a creamy taste. I liked it in coffee, not in tea.
2) Fish Oil (Nordic Naturals)
- Dose I used: 2 softgels with breakfast
- Why I tried it: calm redness and help dry skin
- What happened: lips didn’t crack as much, and my cheek redness eased a bit. Not gone, just less angry. Also, my knees felt smoother on stairs, which was a surprise side win.
Annoying part: fish burps. Putting the bottle in the freezer helped.
If redness is linked to blood-pressure spikes for you, the author of HTN looksmaxxing tracked some impressive double wins.
3) Vitamin D3 + K2 (Thorne)
- Dose I used: 1000–2000 IU with food
- Why I tried it: winter gloom makes my face look tired
- What happened: I felt a little brighter and less “gray.” Hard to measure, but it showed in selfies. My skin didn’t look as dull on Monday mornings.
Note: I checked my usual multivitamin first so I didn’t double up.
For a more aggressive tweak that still leans hormonal, check the blow-by-blow in this PSL trial.
4) Creatine Monohydrate (BulkSupplements)
- Dose I used: 3 grams after lunch, daily
- Why I tried it: gym performance and a softer, fuller face
- What happened: a tiny bit of water weight, yes. But my cheeks looked fuller. Not puffy—more “well slept.” In photos, my face looked less flat. My workouts felt better too. That probably helped my posture and mood, which also shows on your face, weirdly.
Some people shortcut that fuller-face goal with PSL looksmaxxing, but I wanted something legal, cheap, and gym-friendly.
5) Zinc Picolinate (NOW Foods)
- Dose I used: 15 mg, three times a week, with dinner
- Why I tried it: monthly chin bumps
- What happened: the big, sore ones came less often. Still got a few, but less drama. If I took zinc on an empty stomach, I felt queasy. So food is a must.
I wouldn’t do daily zinc long term. That didn’t sit right with me.
6) Magnesium Glycinate (NOW Foods)
- Dose I used: 200–300 mg before bed
- Why I tried it: better sleep for better skin
- What happened: I fell asleep faster. I woke up looking less puffy. Sleep is free makeup, honestly.
Note: too much can upset your stomach. I learned fast.
7) Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin C (Sports Research)
- Dose I used: as the bottle said, once daily
- Why I tried it: dryness
- What happened: small help. My skin felt less tight by late afternoon. Not a huge change, but enough to notice under makeup.
What I Stopped Taking
- Biotin (5000 mcg): I tried it for a month. My nails did not change much, but my chin got bumpy. I cut it, and the bumps chilled out. Collagen did enough for my nails anyway.
- Saw palmetto: gave me a headache. Not for me.
If you want receipts on why Biotin can be a double-edged sword, the 30-day report on using Looksmaxxing.org advice breaks it down.
Regular-Person Proof
- Week 4: my mom asked what highlighter I used at brunch. I wasn’t wearing any.
- Week 6: my friend Mia said, “Your skin looks… calmer?” I heard that twice that week.
- Week 9 selfie: cheekbones looked a hair rounder from the creatine. I kept that one.
I didn’t get a movie-star jawline. But I looked like me, on a good sleep streak.
Side Effects I Actually Felt
- Fish oil: burps unless I froze the softgels
- Zinc: nausea without food
- Magnesium: too much equals bathroom time
- Creatine: slight water weight; I didn’t mind it
If you’re dabbling in timing tricks, the candid take on edging in looksmaxxing is worth a skim before you start experimenting.
Everyone’s body acts different. I checked labels so I didn’t stack the same vitamins twice.
What I Paid Each Month (Rough Numbers)
- Collagen: $25–35
- Fish oil: $20–30
- D3/K2: $15–25
- Creatine: $15–20
- Zinc + Magnesium + HA/C: about $30 total
Call it $100-ish for the full kit. You can cut it in half and still see changes. The cost-per-glow math lines up eerily well with this longer 90-day looksmaxxing.org breakdown.
The Routine That Felt Easy
- Morning: coffee + collagen; breakfast with fish oil and D3/K2
- Midday: creatine in water
- Dinner: zinc on Mon/Wed/Fri
- Night: magnesium before bed
I set phone alarms for the first week. Then it felt normal.
Tiny Tweaks That Helped the Supplements Shine
- Protein at meals (I aimed for a palm-size serving)
- A big water bottle on my desk
- SPF every day, even if it’s cloudy
- Fresh pillowcase on Sundays (less cheek drama)
- Peek at this 60-day Looksmaxx field test for more easy-win habits
Out of sheer curiosity, I also ran my progress photos through a [looksmaxxing AI](https://www.sharpman.com/my-week-with-looksmaxxing-ai-online-what-helped-what