5 Science-Backed Milk Thistle Benefits for Skin

The shift towards holistic, non-toxic skincare has made one thing clear: some of the most skin-friendly ingredients aren’t made in a lab, but found in nature. Milk thistle, a purple flowering plant, is one such botanical powerhouse often used in plant-powered skincare. 

Natural skin remedies with milk thistle have actually been around for thousands of years. Our ancestors knew what worked best, and recent scientific studies have validated the benefits of milk thistle for the skin. 

But what exactly is the connection between milk thistle and skin health? Let’s explore this plant’s benefits, why we add it to our products at Phoilex, and how to incorporate it into your skincare routine.

What is Milk Thistle and Why It Matters for Skin

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a tall plant with spiky, purple flowers with white veins native to the Mediterranean. It’s been used as a herbal remedy since Ancient times owing to a bioactive compound called silymarin. Extracted from the plant’s seeds, it’s this silymarin that gives milk thistle its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. 

Milk thistle is often sold in the form of oral supplements (such as capsules, pills, or drops), teas, or as a part of skincare products where silymarin is an active ingredient. This herbal supplement is said to help with liver detox, thereby aiding in the treatment of liver-related skin issues, such as rashes, inflammation, or redness. 

What’s the connection between the liver and your skin, you ask? Lindsay Iftody, Phoilex’s chemist, says that the liver plays a big role in hormone metabolism, detoxification, and inflammation regulation, all of which affect skin clarity and calmness. “Many patients actually report skin improvements indirectly because of milk thistle’s effect on the liver-skin connection,” she says. 

Key Compounds That Impact Skin

In addition to helping your skin through liver detoxification, milk thistle also has some components that make it a coveted skincare ingredient. Here’s a brief overview of its components and what they do for your skin:

• Silymarin: It protects skin cells from oxidative stress and UV radiation by neutralizing free radicals. It also calms down inflammation by suppressing the activity of pro-inflammatory cells.

• Silibin: Silibin is actually a compound found inside silymarin. In addition to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, silibin is also said to protect the skin against injuries caused by chemicals and UV radiation and boost collagen production. 

• Linoleic acid: Apart from silymarin, milk thistle seeds also contain fatty acids such as linoleic acid. This fatty acid soothes irritated skin and helps repair the skin barrier (i.e., the outermost layer of the skin). It also moisturizes your skin by locking in the hydration. 

Let’s look at the milk thistle benefits that make it a go-to botanical in holistic and clinical wellness spaces. 

The Top Milk Thistle Skin Benefits

As a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, milk thistle protects your skin from oxidative stress and calms down reactive skin by reducing itchiness, dryness, and redness. 

Antioxidant Power for Youthful Skin

Oxidative stress refers to an imbalance between the antioxidants and free radicals (unstable molecules that damage your cells) in your body. Left unchecked, these unstable molecules can lead to chronic inflammation, break down collagen and elastin, and cause dryness. This means more frequent flare-ups and signs of premature aging, such as fine lines, wrinkles, and dull skin. 

Silymarin scavenges these free radicals and neutralizes them before they can cause damage to your skin. It also increases your cells’ antioxidant defense, making it a great component for reducing visible signs of aging and hyperpigmentation.

Soothing Redness and Inflammation

The silymarin extract from milk thistle is a mixture of polyphenols, which are potent anti-inflammatory agents. They soothe reactive skin by suppressing the molecules that trigger inflammation. This reduces redness, itching, dryness, and other manifestations of inflammation on your skin.

Since milk thistle addresses one of the main triggers of chronic skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, it helps prevent frequent flare-ups, making it a skin-friendly ingredient for those with sensitive skin.

Acne Reduction and Oil Regulation

Though more research is needed, milk thistle is thought to regulate the production of sebum (i.e., natural oils in your body), which is one of the leading causes of acne. It may also help reduce acne breakouts by suppressing inflammation and fighting oxidative stress. 

A study conducted on patients with acne found that those who took milk thistle supplements experienced a 53% reduction in acne lesions over a 6-8 week period. 

Sun Damage and UV Defense

The sun’s UV rays are notorious for damaging skin health by accelerating aging and causing your skin to become dull and dry. Prolonged and frequent exposure can also cause skin cancer. 

Studies show that milk thistle protects skin from the harmful effects of UV rays by either repairing or killing the skin cells that have been damaged by UV radiation. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties also help protect your skin against premature aging. Silymarin is also known to boost your skin’s ability to repair itself. These skin benefits of milk thistle have also made it a favorite ingredient to include in mineral sunscreens for added photoprotection.

Skin Barrier Repair and Hydration

People with eczema and psoriasis, or those with sensitive skin, often experience damaged skin barriers. This weakening of the barrier impairs the skin's ability to retain moisture, leaving it dry and cracked. It also makes your skin more susceptible to inflammation, which can set off flare-ups. 

The linoleic acid found in milk thistle helps rebuild your skin barrier by stimulating the production of ceramides and other components that make up its outer layer. This prevents moisture loss and boosts moisture retention. Use a gentle moisturizer formulated with silymarin to give your skin the hydration it needs and allow it to retain the moisture.

Internal Support = External Glow: How Liver Health Reflects on Your Skin

The liver, the body's primary detox powerhouse, plays a crucial role in clearing the blood of toxins, bacteria, and other unwanted substances. When your liver doesn’t function as it should, it falls behind on purifying the blood, which means all the toxins that aren’t being filtered out start accumulating in your body. These toxins may then start showing up on your skin in the form of redness, itchiness, dryness, acne, and flare-ups of chronic conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. 

The bottom line is that the liver and skin are more interconnected than you think. So, your skin issues? They may actually be a warning sign that your liver needs some support. This is why silymarin really shines as a herbal supplement: its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties not only help soothe your skin by reducing inflammation, but also aid with a liver detox, helping it function more efficiently. This, in turn, will have a cascade effect on your skin, reducing dullness, breakouts, and inflammation. 

Phoilex’s Liverty Dynamic Drops is a great example of a supplement that provides inside-out healing, calming skin inflammation from within. Formulated with milk thistle extract as one of its primary ingredients, it enhances skin health by supporting your liver’s natural cleansing process.

Soothe your inflamed skin from the inside with Phoilex’s Liverty Dynamic Drops. No steroids, no junk. Just pure plant-based relief.
Shop now

How to Use Milk Thistle for Skin: Topical vs. Internal

Milk thistle can either be taken in the form of oral supplements or applied to the skin through silymarin-powered skincare products. 

Topical Use

You’ll find silymarin used as an active ingredient in many moisturizers, serums, and spot treatment gels for eczema and psoriasis. Applying these products topically to your skin can soothe irritation, inflammation, and itching (especially during active flare-up times) and help hydrate dry skin. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, silymarin-based creams or gels can also help you balance the excess sebum production and prevent breakouts. 

To maximize results, Iftody recommends incorporating silymarin-based formulations into your daily routine by pairing them with a gentle cleanser and a broad-spectrum sunscreen. She suggests choosing skincare products that contain milk thistle along with Vitamin E or C to enhance its protective effects on the skin.

Oral Use

Milk thistle is most commonly available in the form of oral supplements such as capsules, pills, tea powders, or drops (such as the Liverty Dynamic Drops). Ingesting this herbal supplement orally helps calm your skin from the inside by detoxifying your liver, boosting liver function, and targeting internal inflammation. 

When taking milk thistle orally, make sure to use it consistently for best results. Ideally, you’d want to take it at least once or twice a day, in the morning and night after food to help absorb it better. When ingesting drops, to ensure proper absorption, let the drops sit on your tongue for a few seconds before swallowing. 

Iftody recommends finding products that combine milk thistle with any of these other ingredients to boost its liver-detoxification and skin-soothing benefits:

• Dandelion root: Supports gentle detoxification and improves the appearance of dull or congested skin

• Turmeric (curcumin): Complements silymarin’s antioxidant effects and reduces redness and systemic inflammation that shows up on the skin

• N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC): Works with milk thistle to enhance detox and protect liver cells, and helps reduce skin flare-ups that happen due to oxidative stress

• Artichoke leaf extract: Often paired with milk thistle in “liver cleanse” blends, as it helps with fat digestion and detox pathways

• Zinc: Zinc deficiency is often linked to acne and impaired detoxification, so it’s often used synergistically with milk thistle in liver-supporting supplements

• Omega-3 fatty acids: Anti-inflammatory agents that support both liver and skin cell membranes

Iftody says that, ultimately, combining internal and external approaches tends to be the most effective. 

Detox your liver, calm your mind, and soothe your skin with Phoilex’s ReLeaf and Recover Set.
Shop now

What to Expect and Safety

With regular use, milk thistle can lead to clearer skin, fewer acne breakouts, and fewer eczema and psoriasis flare-ups. You may also find that your skin doesn’t become red and dry as often. 

While milk thistle is generally safe to apply and ingest, it’s worth noting that some people may suffer mild side effects such as gastrointestinal issues. So, if it causes any diarrhea, vomiting, congestion, headaches, or bloating, stop using it immediately. You might also be allergic to milk thistle if you’re allergic to other plants belonging to the same family, such as daisies, chrysanthemums, marigolds, or ragweeds. 

We generally recommend consulting your physician before taking milk thistle supplements. This is especially important if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, have diabetes, or take any other medication. 

Why Phoilex Includes Milk Thistle in Its Skincare Philosophy

At Phoilex, we’re committed to promoting healthy skin from within through clean, steroid-free products. Formulated specifically for those with eczema, psoriasis, or dry and sensitive skin, our products are designed with plant-powered ingredients for safer, gentler, and long-term care without the side effects of steroids. 

As an herbal ingredient that helps soothe inflammation at the surface while also internally targeting the root causes of chronic inflammation, milk thistle fits in perfectly with Phoilex’s philosophy of healing from within. 

Discover the gentle goodness of milk thistle with Phoilex’s Liverty Dynamic Drops.
Shop now

Support Inside-Out Healing with Milk Thistle

Whether you want to soothe your flare-ups, help prevent acne breakouts, or protect your skin against UV damage, milk thistle can be the missing ingredient. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and liver-supporting properties calm your skin from the inside out, making it a great addition to your care routine. 

Elevate your self-care routine and calm your skin from within with milk thistle.
Explore Phoilex’s products

FAQs

Does milk thistle make your skin glow?

Milk thistle can support more youthful-looking and glowing skin by protecting your skin against the premature aging caused by UV damage. It also helps with acne breakouts, redness, and dryness, all of which can visibly improve skin clarity, making it glow. 

What happens if I take milk thistle every day?

The benefits of taking milk thistle everyday include clearer skin, a reduction in inflammation, dryness, and redness, fewer psoriasis and eczema flare-ups.

Milk thistle is relatively safe and well-tolerated by everyone, even if taken every day. However, you should avoid milk thistle if you’re allergic to other plants belonging to the same family, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or are worried about it interacting with your other medications. It’s best to always consult a physician before getting started on a milk thistle supplement, like Phoilex’s Liverty Dynamic Drops.