Silica is one of the most abundant minerals in nature and, paradoxically, one of the least present in nutricosmetic supplements. It doesn't have the media profile of collagen or the antioxidant narrative of astaxanthin, but its role as a structural cofactor in skin biology is relevant enough that its absence in a formula is a gap difficult to justify.
What is silica and what role does it play in skin biology?
Silica —silicon dioxide (SiO2)— exists in the body mainly in the form of orthosilicic acid (Si(OH)4), which is its soluble and bioavailable form. It is concentrated in connective tissues, especially in collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycans. It acts as a cofactor in the hydroxylation of collagen and elastin —the process that stabilizes their three-dimensional structure— and is involved in bone mineralization and cartilage synthesis.
Specifically in the skin, orthosilicic acid stimulates type I collagen synthesis in dermal fibroblasts, according to in vitro studies by Reffitt et al. (2003). It also has a documented role in the synthesis of keratin —the structural protein of hair and nails— which explains why many studies on oral silica include hair and nail parameters in addition to skin.
Bamboo as a source of silica: why it is superior to mineral silica
The bioavailability of silica critically depends on its source. Mineral silica —powdered silicon dioxide— has very low bioavailability because it is not soluble in the digestive environment. Bamboo silica (Bambusa vulgaris), which comes from the extract of the plant's nodes, contains silica in an organic form with higher solubility and bioavailability than mineral silica.
LEVIAL includes bamboo with 75% silica (18.75 mg of silica per vial), ensuring that the silica present is the organic form with the highest absorption potential. This is not a minor detail: including mineral silica on a label is technically honest but functionally questionable if its bioavailability is almost nil.
Evidence on oral silica, skin, hair, and nails
Studies on oral silica for skin and hair parameters are limited in number but consistent in direction. Barel et al. (2005) conducted a randomized controlled trial with 50 mg/day of orthosilicic acid for 20 weeks in women with photodamaged skin and showed improvements in skin roughness and hair parameters. The study by Wickett et al. (2007) documented improved hair strength with orthosilicic acid supplementation for 9 months.
Why few supplements include it at functional doses
The answer is primarily cost and complexity: quality bamboo silica is more expensive than mineral silica, requires standardization of the active content, and its benefit does not have the same communicative impact as collagen or astaxanthin. It is an ingredient that "does its job quietly" but, in a well-constructed nutricosmetic formula, fills a gap that few products address.
