In a recent post, I listed some of my favorite items I'd carry with me so I can care for my hair on the go. While writing that post, I mentioned that I would soon be including silica into my hair nutrition and supplementation regimen. At the time, I knew that silica promoted healthy hair but it wasn't until I started actually researching the properties of the mineral that I really became convinced of its value to my overall health.
So far from my online research, I've learned that silica essentially is available in two main forms. Commercial silica products are usually derived from vegetal or colloidal sources. Horsetail silica extracted from a plant source. This type of silica is readily available, at a reasonable cost, in most health food stores. I first heard of horsetail silica years ago on the hair boards. Back then, the supplement went through the typical "hair craze of the moment" as did many other items. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time but now I am ready and open to receive its many benefits.
You might even remember me mentioning silica as a beauty nutrient when I talked about juicing cucumbers in my video. Because silica is a naturally occurring mineral, some of the food we eat contains silica. However, because our soil is becoming deficient and most of the food we eat has been processed, the amount of silica we receive from our food is minimal. Our bodies need this mineral to function optimally so it only makes sense that we supplement silica in a form that our bodies can readily absorb.
Horsetail
As I mentioned before, horsetail silica is a plant based source of silica and the most widely available. You can purchase in supplement form or you can even buy horsetail tea bags. I was really interested in picking up some horsetail silica extract then I came to find out that all silica is not created the same.....
It seems that the body more readily absorbs silica in colloidal form. This means that the particles are small enough to be absorbed into the body's system more efficiently. You guys already know that I am really trying to focus on supplementing in ways that make sense. Meaning I want the nutrients to be in usable form right away so I can get the most benefit. So when I found out that there are silica sources even more powerful than horsetail, I immediately wanted to know more.
Bamboo
Before researching for this blog post, I had no idea that bamboo is the richest known natural source of silica. Believe it or not, bamboo is comprised of nearly 70% silica. Horsetail, by comparison, is around 5-7% silica. I don't know about you, but if I were replenishing my silica stash, I'd probably reach for the bamboo supplement over the horsetail. I was browsing silica selections at the health food store the other day and found that bamboo had about 420 mg of silica per serving whereas the horsetail contained much less.
***update*** Since writing this post I've introduced bamboo tea in my regimen.
Colloidal Silica
Another alternative source of silica comes from quarts crystals. This type of silica is naturally in colloidal form which means the particles are smaller and more readily absorbed by the body. If you are one the market for silica, you'll quickly realize that most colloidal silicas are more costly than other sources. I think it's because you get more bang for your buck! Next I learned that colloidal silica comes in both capsule and gel form. It was a little harder for me to find colloidal silica capsules in the health food store, and I could only find the gel form online. After reading several great reviews of silica gel that I knew I had to get my hands on it.Colloidal Silica
Fiji Water
So then I found out that Fiji water contains around 91 mg of naturally occurring colloidal silica per liter. According to the website, Fiji water is filtered through many layers of volcanic rock before it's collected and bottled for consumption. This process creates silica infused water naturally. If any of you buy bottled water, you'll realize that Fiji is probably one of the most expensive waters on the market. Before I didn't really get why the price difference. Now I get it. You're not only getting much needed hydration, you're also receiving vital minerals that support your entire body, skin, and (most importantly) healthy hair.
So I purchased some colloidal silica capsules 6 days ago. Each day I've taken one capsule first thing in the morning. I may be completely crazy but I've already noticed a difference in my skin. I feel like my skin is thicker and more plump. Not too long ago, I was checking out my wrists. The first thought that crossed my mind was "why are my veins so obvious?" I hated the way they looked. I'm not sure if the silica made the difference, all I can say is that I no longer have veiny wrists! Add that to the fact that I've been purposefully eating sweets, fried foods, etc without one break out. In order to understand the magnitude of this last statement, you have to understand that if I even so much as sneeze the wrong way, I have to deal with pimples. Another nice result I've experienced is a reduction in the "cracking" and "popping sound" of my joints. I feel more lubricated....I feel (dare I say it) younger.
Even with all the wonderful benefits to the body, my most selfish reason for taking silica is for improved skin and, of course, hair health. Most people who've taken colloidal silica consistently share their positive experience first with strong healthy nails, then glowing skin and stronger hair. In fact, a study was conducted of 55 healthy women who consumed Hubner's silica gel for 6 months. Those in the study experienced increased thickness in their hair by almost 13%. So I took the plunge and ordered the gel form online. My desire is to continue to see massive improvements in the quality and health of my skin and to have the ability to maintain strong, thick, healthy nails that are all the same length. And of course I want to experience quality growth of ultra healthy strands. Thank you, Lord, for creating silica.
Here are some reviews of silica from makeupalley.com
I started out with the smaller bottle of this stuff. I'm not sure the brand, i am too lazy to go check. The first bottle went fast. it only lasted about 2 weeks. Now i'm on my second bottle. It's been about a month and i still have lots left. I take a table spoon a day and i like the taste. The gel turns into an almost fluffy texture when in your mouth. My skin is much nicer looking. Not as oily. My nails are stronger. I noticed new little lashes growing on my lashes. and my brows are growing in nice and thick. My hair seems a bit better. I'm sure in a couple mnonths it will be even nicer from using this. It's hard to say right now because the winter has been harsh on it. Overall i think its a great little miracle worker. I don't know how it works really but it's had nothing but great reviews, and while it doesnt work magic over night, it subtly does wonder for your hair skin and nails.
felgoj on 3/19/2010 2:15:00 PM More reviews by felgoj
My coworker can attest to the fact that when she takes silica (horsetail extract) regularly for a few months, her hair grows faster. I've seen her have gorgeous hair that she grew out from a short bob to long past her shoulders in almost no time (1 season). I started using silica (along with biotin) 1 week ago in an attempt to grow stronger, thicker nails. I forgot that it's good for skin & hair as well, & I'm glad that it is b/c currently I'm desperately trying to grow out a bad haircut by the time summer comes! lol Let's hope the results will be good. So not much has happened in 1 week except: My eyelashes are SO MUCH LONGER! I thought I was imagining things but I compulsively examine my lashes every day & I could swear the other day my lashes looked different -- longer & curly at the ends (my ordinary lashes never curled on their own). I don't wear mascara every day, so knowing that my lashes look puny with mascara on, I applied mascara today to check the length & it's official -- my lashes really grew longer in 1 week. The difference is so obvious. Nothing else in my skincare routine or daily habits changed except for the addition of biotin & silica to my diet. I have to credit them both & will continue using them together (as long as biotin doesn't cause me any bad acne breakouts). I take biotin once a day (5mg) & silica twice a day (both Vitamin Shoppe brand) with food. I'm so amazed at this unexpected result! I hope to get similar results with my hair, & will update after a month or two to allow for some hair/nails results (which obviously will take longer than lashes ....but who knows! lol). Now I know the real value of silica & I wish I believed in its powers sooner. UPDATE: I'm 2 weeks into this & I noticed my pores have shrunken! I always had giant oily pores that have been a major source of embarrassment & disappointment. Two men in my life have also asked me why I have holes in my face (ugh!). My skin now looks velvety smooth without any makeup & my pores are no longer obvious - my pores look normal! YAY I thank silica & biotin for this. I wish I discovered this a lifetime ago. continued >>
This product is amazing, I use the Hubner brand and experienced ridiculously fast nail growth, clear skin, and stronger/thicker hair. My hair has been dry, thin and basically crappy my entire life.. Its very dry despite constant conditioning, a healthy diet etc, and never grew. Now the baby hairs around my forehead are literally 5 inches long (the BABY HAIRS), when they used to be only a centimeter! As for the rest of my hair, it's getting better, Ive only been using it 2 months. My nails grow so fast that I trim them, and 3 days later, they're back to the same length, its crazy. I dont know if this will work for everyone, but it's been awesome for me, and I recommend that people try it for at least 2 months to see if they get good results! Where I buy it, it's $30/bottle CDN, but I get it from a small, local health food store, and you may find it cheaper at other places. Happy hair growing =)
I had first found out about Silicea through many advertisements in health food stores. It was probably not untill a year later I had decided to purchase it when I noticed how lacklusture my hair had become, perhaps through too many uses of my straightening iron and the bi monthly hair colourings. Of course I still use topical hair creams and lotions, to be honest I knew that if I wanted nicer hair I would have to chop off my ratty ends and suppliment my diet. In addition to the not so pleasent state of my hair I had my mothers weak, brittle nails and moderate hormonal acne. This is when I decided to purchase Silicea. I had read up about Silicea before purchasing because I was abit scared of putting this in my body. The Hubner Brand Silica website states "Silica gives strength and support to all connective tissue, tendons and ligaments, skin, hair and nails. Silica supports the absorption of calcium in the human body. It is essential to the human body, it is found in lungs, intestines and blood." So simply I suppose, silicon is needed in a lot of the parts of our body and this is an aqueous solution made of oxygen and silicon. It is reccomened to be taken once daily, a tablespoon mixed into your favourite drink. I did so, I first mixed it in with water, and to be honest whilst there is no taste whatsoever I found little bits of gel still floating around no matter how well I would mix it, I would feel them slide down my throat and it wasn't the most pleasent experince. So I started taking it with orange juice, and couldnt tell the gel apart from th juice no mater how hard I tried. My mother takes this with a glass of milk as silicea helps absorption of calcium and she doenst find the bits of a gel a problem. After about two weeks, I noticed my nails and hair were a little bit better, but again being honest, it was probably not the strength of result I was hoping for. But I had also had subsequently being applying the gel to any pimples I had before going to bed, using a cotton tip soaked in the gel, and I had found that my skin was so much better. I was so surprised, having acne for the last six years having tried everything from over the counter prescriptions to homeopathy, I was so surprised a simple natural compound worked so well. It has cleared up 90% of my pimples, and now I only dab the occasional spot and it is litterly gone the next day. There is a little bit of tightness and redness which may occur whislt the gel is on your skin. You may also feel a slight tingle after about 10minutes of the gel being on your skin. I get this sensation whilst my mother doesnt, but it is only superficial, do not be scared, do not wash it off it helps dry the pimple naturally and I find also prevents scaring. I still drink the gel when I feel that I am getting a few pimples due to eating too much sugar or that time of the month, it works beautifully. I had continued drinking the gel for 2 months after my initial purchase, The overall condition of my skin was lovely, I cant really decsribe it, I guess I would have to say healthy. The dryness around my knees and elbows had healed up and skin was more radiant. I had found my fine hair to have less breakages and I allowed it to grow longer as I had wanted to for a while. I couldnt really tell any effects on my nails as I had got acrylic nails shortly after, but they do grow quite fast. Now the product itself, as I have said to me there is no taste or smell, although the sales lady told me there was a metally taste, I have noticed no such thing. The gel is a clear thick mixture. Be sure to always keep this in the fridge after opening and shake the bottle very well before adding the gel mixture to your drink of choice or before applying it to your face. This mixes in any particles that have seperated. I initially purchased this from a healthy food store in QVB for 45AUD but have being buying it from Chemist Warehouse for around 30AUD ever since. I recommend it to alot of my friends with acne and other skin conditions, it has helped a handful of them greatly and I cant encourage people enough to try it. Its natural and relatvly cheap considering the amount of money people spend on pimple mediactions which contain harsh chemicals which may dry out your pimples but are causing havoc to your skin and body. oh yes, have repurchased and will always repurchase. I wish everyone the best of luck with this product :)
I'd experienced nothing-short-of-miraculous hair regrowth (my hair had been thinning for a while) with BioSil capsules, then I switched to Flora Silica because it was half the price and lost all that new growth )= I've just restarted my BioSil regimen and will update in a few months.
illeyad on 7/25/2009 1:39:00 AM More reviews by illeyad
Silica is one of the best beauty supplements out there. For those who don’t know Silica is not to be thought of as ‘plastic silicone’ it is classified as a natural mineral found in the earth known as Silicon Dioxide. It is known for assisting in calcium absorption during bone formation- therefore it is known for helping mend bone fractures. Silica studies have revealed that it can prevent osteoporosis. It can also promote the health and healing of your connective tissue. As healthy and wonderful as this sounds, I am sure you are more interested in it’s beautifying properties! I originally bought this supplement for the promise of healthier nails and hair after Biotin turned out to be a failure for me. For those who do not know, Biotin is known to cause break outs in acne prone skin. I wanted an alternative and came across Silica tablets at my local GNC for $18 per 90 soft gel tablet bottle. After 6 weeks of use, I am pleased to report I have suffered no break outs and have finally achieved my stronger, less flexible mid length nails. A huge change from the original brittle, breakable, pealing nails I had. Although I must admit, Biotin had done a better job adding a little thickness to my nails where Silica only made them a tiny bit thicker, but much more stronger. However, healthy nails were not the only benefits I achieved, I noticed my skin appeared more dewy and glowy. After some research I found out that Silica promotes skin health and collagen renewal. It also is credited towards fetal growth, bone health, dental health, capillary health, speeds healing, such as sprains, bruises, and cuts. I am extremely pleased with this product and highly recommend it to anyone who is not 100% happy with Biotin, or had bad results from it. Research reveals that the most potent form of Silica is found in the product- Biosil, a more natural form. It is twice the price, however it is considered the best because it is all natural and comes in a potent liquid form that is more readily obsorbed. Happy Shopping!
I'm going to get some! The cracking of the knees is getting embarrassing!
ReplyDeleteI gave my husband 1 silica tablet, 1 liter bottle of Fiji and Nordic Naturals Omega-3 for his achey knees. Today, he told me his knees are feeling much better. Give it a shot!
ReplyDeleteYou had me sold until I did my own research. It appears that crystalline silica can be quite hazardous when ingested, as it can contribute to lung cancer. Do you think inhaling the silica gel may pose as a risk? Or am I talking about the wrong thing? ( I hope I'm wrong because I really anxious to try this!)
ReplyDeleteHi Nora,
ReplyDeleteI did a quick search online about crystaline silica and learned that it's not in the same form as colloidal silica which is what the gel is. Also the silica found in Fiji water is colloidal also. Some of what I read was related to breathing in the silica due to exposure in the air (or in hazardous work environments). Because crystaline silica is granular, I think the particles, when breathed into the lungs, create a negative reaction.
We aren't being exposed to the same form of silica in the same way as is someone inhaling it in the air. This is meant for human oral consumption. The colloidal silica goes into the blood stream where the body can benefit from it.
how long do you plan on using the silica supplement? Will you be taking breaks to prevent overdose of the mineral in your body? I read somewhere that it is a trace element so I'm assuming that much of it is not needed... Also what about breastfeeding? Is it okay to consume while nursing? Also which brand is better in your opinion hubner or nature works? Are they both the same and will either gel do the same?
ReplyDeleteCould I just empty out a powder capsule and pt the contents in my drink ( I have a hard time swallowing pills)
Also taking the gel and drink the tea, does that not lead to overdose which can then cause irreversable liver/kidney failure?
Sorry about the numerous questions but I am very excited!
@ Anon-I plan on incorporating silica, in one form or another, for the rest of my life since it's vital to the body's functions and we loose more of our natural reserves as we get older.I alternate between silica gel and bamboo tea. We loose a certain amount of silica each day through the natural process of elimination. Yes, silica is a trace mineral, like calcium it's also said to help support our bones as well.
ReplyDeleteAs your doctor if it's ok to add silica to you diet. If the pills/gel is too much for you. You could try the tea is it's a much easier to consume and not as grainy as the gel.
what ratio do you use for the tea and the water, and how long should I steep it for? I just bought some bags from you and I'm wondering how many cups of tea should 1 bag make.
ReplyDeleteAlso how much tea do you consume a day to get the full benefits?
@Anon: With the tea bags, I fill up my cup and re-steep several times. Since bamboo is such a fiberous plant, I figure that several steepings might help break down the plant so I can get more benefits. I alternate between the tea and supplements, my new growth texture is looser and my nails grow stronger.
ReplyDeleteIs the bamboo supplement you posted a colloidal form of silica? If bamboo has the highest amount of silica, is it the best form to take or do you suggest the Hubner silica gel?
ReplyDelete@Anon-I think the silica found in the gel is from natural source. It's got a grainy texture to it which leads me to believe it's from a crystal or something similar. Bamboo silica is derived from the bamboo plant which is naturally the highest plant source of silica. They're both great forms of silica, they just come from different sources.
ReplyDeleteHi, what brand of colloidal silica capsules did you take?
ReplyDeleteI've taken Hubner's capsules in the past. Currently I take Body Essential capsules, especially while I'm traveling. I found the Hubner's capsules to be more effective. Maybe because perhaps that was when I first introduced concentrated silica into my routine.
ReplyDeleteFood Grade Diatomaceous Earth is over 85% Silica, and very cheap.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your research on silica.I wanted to try it for one month before commenting. I bought the Hubner silica from Amazon and I finished the bottle. I have already repurchased on Amazon. Here is my review: it's very simple to take. I was nervous when I first saw the gel but once I mixed it with my juice I couldn't taste anything. Within 2 days I notice dramatic nail growth. My nails were also strong and hard to split. I was already taking Maxihair nail vitamins for 4 months but I think this gel made it much more effective. I noticed that my hair is much thicker. I have been yearning for thicker hair. I have been wearing my Texlaxed hair in cornrows under a wig for 2 months. My last wash (last week) was the first time I was literally tired from braiding. I usually make 4 rows this time I had to make 5. As far as my skin, I keep getting compliments on how clear it is. I already drink 5+ bottles of water a day and never got a 2nd look. The lines on my forehead are not as defined as they were before the silica. I love waking up each day because I have a glow I haven't seen since I was in high school. I am using this gel for life. It is pricey. $28 for a month supply. After this month if I continue to see results I will just invest in a 6 month purchase. I have read where older women have taken this silica 20+ years and said it was worth it. I can't see that far into the future but my future is looking very good with this silica.
ReplyDeleteNice Information! I personally really appreciate your article. This is a great website. I will make sure that I stop back again!.
ReplyDeleteI would like to appreciate your work and would like to tell to my friends.
ReplyDeleteI use crystalline silica and find it better than all the other silica's. I'm going on 56 and I keep most my hair growing and shinny. I take 3 pills 1st in the morn. for years....oh well it helps
ReplyDelete