Beauty Q&A: What’s the Deal With Beauty Supplements?

At the crossroads of wellness and beauty, you’ll find beauty supplements — a host of ingestible products claiming to beautify from the inside out. They’re typically delivered in pill, powder or smoothie form and promise everything from hair growth to brighter, smoother skin.

Before the “clean” beauty movement went mainstream, beauty ingestibles looked a little different but were no less popular. From the mid-aughts onward it seemed like everyone was taking biotin or some version of it. Soon after, everyone was obsessed with hair growth gummies and pills (who can forget the Sugarbear Hair influencer flood?). And now we’ve shifted toward liquid collagen mix-ins and powders that pair well with oat milk matcha lattes. Even though they may have changed delivery methods, the message is the same: Beauty starts from within, and you can eat or drink your way to better skin.

So does it actually work? It depends. Like any product, beauty or otherwise, effectiveness varies from person to person. And while beauty supplements often contain good-for-you antioxidants, many of these ingredients are available in foods you’re already eating. If you’re eating well, drinking lots of water and have a skin care and makeup routine that works for you, chances are ingestible beauty supplements won’t instantly turn you into a glowy, poreless version of your current self. It’s also important to note that these products (even when rigorously tested) aren’t FDA approved, and therefore not subject to the vetting process of other ingestible products, like medicine. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t try them, just that it’s important to do your own research before adding it to your routine.

The cold hard facts don’t quell our incessant curiosity about these pills and powders, however, and doesn’t erase the hordes of fans who swear by adaptogens and the like. To get the scoop on all things ingestible beauty, we spoke with the founder of DOPE Naturally, Sylwia Wiesenberg, whose products address everything from energy levels to achieving a glowy complexion.

 

 

 

 

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“Ingestible beauty is about generating the beautification process from within,” says Wiesenberg, who sees ingestibles as an opportunity to supplement nutrients missing from your diet. It’s important to note that not just any ingestibles will do. When choosing a supplement, Wiesenberg emphasizes looking for quality ingredients and not falling in love with packaging at first sight. This is largely due to a brand’s tendency to list the buzziest ingredient first, no matter it’s concentration. To combat this, she recommends reading the ingredient list on the back, where product order denotes the amount present (i.e. if collagen is the last ingredient, then there’s probably not much in the formula!). It’s important to also be mindful of added sugars and artificial flavors, which can significantly increase caloric intake. She also recommends looking for organic or potent blends that aren’t diluted with cheap filler, which can reduce the efficacy of the product, as well as knowing the benefits of the individual ingredients. In other words: do your research, and don’t be lured into buying a supplement on packaging alone.

When looking for a supplement, Wiesenberg has a few ingredients that automatically disqualify a product, and others that suggest it’s worth your coins. Any added sugars, caffeine, flavorings, preservatives, gums and stabilizers are a no-go while superfoods (like turmeric), botanicals, herbs, adaptogens, amino acids and antioxidants make a product worth a second look.

Ready to add an ingestible to your routine? DOPE Naturally Melonaid is an antioxidant-packed powder you can mix with your favorite smoothies or sip with a glass of water. Its star ingredient (along with other powerful ingredients) is watermelon seeds, which are said to tone and rejuvenate the skin. Other options include Moon Juice, a popular adaptogen brand, known for its instagrammable packaging and cute product names (I’ll take two servings of Beauty Dust, please!), as well as Sakara, whose beauty chocolates are touted for their ability to “improve skin elasticity, texture and texture.”

Would you try ingestible beauty products? Let us know in the comments below!