PRET T Y PILLS

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B E H I N D T H E

H E A D L I N E S

THE R ISE OF THE

BEAUTY SU

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C leanse, tone and moisturise – that’s a skincare regime we’re familiar with, but what if a pill could do the work for

you? Such is the promise of so-called nutricosmetics (that’s pills, powders, and ‘beautifying’ chocolate intended to provide cosmetic benefits through improving your health). And sales are soaring, with the market predicted to increase from the £2.3 million it was in 2013 to a massive £5 billion by 2020.

Yet, nutricosmetics aren’t new. The pioneering Imedeen skincare tablet arrived in the UK in 1991. So why the popularity surge now? ‘People want to invest in their appearance the same way they do in their health, and they are exploring supplements that provide aesthetic benefits,’ says Rick Miller, clinical dietician and British Dietetic Association spokesperson.

Dermatologist Dr Stefanie Williams has seen this growth in her clinic: ‘More of my patients are including supplements in their beauty regime as an extra measure to topical skincare, to keep their skin in good shape. Most likely because there’s a lot more talk about it in the media.’

With TV ads, high-profile coverage (liquid supplement Gold Collagen even sponsored the Best Actress category at the 2016 National Film Awards), and endorsement from the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman, we’re hearing a lot more about nutricosmetics – but does the science behind them stack up? Increasingly, yes. A landmark 2015 study found that oral collagen, a common nutricosmetic, helps to slow skin ageing; while a Japanese study found that popular beauty ingredient astaxanthin can lessen pigmentation and sun damage. However, as Miller points out, the research has a way to go: ‘This doesn’t mean they don’t work, but people should be aware that the evidence still needs to be built on.’

But we’re not all sold. Only a quarter of us think our skin, hair and nails can be improved with beauty supplements*. This

WORDS FRANCESCA SPECTER

scepticism is partly driven by how some products are marketed. Kim Kardashian is reported to have received £143,000, for her Instagram video endorsing Sugar Bear Hair supplements. The post prompted comments such as ‘Paid advertising. She doesn’t take those pills’, ‘Another pushed product’, and, ‘It’s just a big scam’.

Meanwhile, 47 per cent of consumers feel ‘priced out’*. Hardly surprising given the cost of some: Elle Macpherson’s The Super Elixir green food supplement is £96 for 30 servings. Do higher prices equal better quality? Not necessarily, says Dr Carrie Ruxton of the Health Supplements Information Service: ‘You don’t need to pay the earth for good quality vitamins and minerals; versions of an appropriate standard are available on the high street.’ These costs are even less justified if your body can’t use them. Dr Ruxton stresses

whatever the cost, they must be taken the right way to work effectively: ‘Fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D and E, need some fat in the diet to be absorbed properly.’

Dangerous territoryAs demand for nutricosmetics grows, the industry remains confusing to navigate. Consumers understand widely used ingredients such as collagen, but fewer (15 per cent*) have heard of peptides, a more niche ingredient, according to the recent Mintel report. Buzzwords

such as ‘macroantioxidants’ add to the obscurity, argues dermatologist Dr Nick Lowe: ‘They’re pseudo-scientific terms, that are misleading for the general public.’

He adds: ‘Like medications, they shouldn’t be able to be promoted as this or that until there’s evidence-based science to prove it.’ This echoes last year’s call for greater regulation on edible beauty products, from The European Consumer Organisation. They argue that ‘beauty claims’ have begun to be conflated with ‘health claims’ and should be monitored in the same way as food health.

The middle wayMany experts agree that, when taken correctly, supplements can be beneficial for beauty. ‘Vitamins A, B and C, and the minerals zinc and selenium, support normal skin, hair and nails,’ says Dr Ruxton. ‘So, consumers can supplement to bridge their everyday diet – as long as they check labels to make sure they don’t exceed 200 per cent of the RDA.’

‘Supplements also prove useful for nutrients that are difficult to get from food,’ adds Miller. He uses the example of co-enzyme Q10, taken cosmetically to tackle the effects of skin ageing, which is most highly available in tongue and heart meats – neither of which feature prominently in the average Brit’s daily diet. Another example is collagen, which is most readily found in chicken feet: ‘A high quality bovine collagen drink can “trick” your skin into increasing its collagen production, which will lead to tissue remodelling, skin regeneration and ultimately a firmer skin with a more refined surface,’ says Dr Williams.

It is important, however, to give these products time to work: ‘We recommend allowing one to three months to begin to see and feel their effects, granted that you’ve been consistent with them,’ says Analy Zahedi, a representative of supplements brand Vitabiotics. ‘Nutricosmetics are here to stay,’ she adds. ‘I recommend them to my patients and take them myself. There are some great products on the market and the research behind them is gathering momentum, too.’

The sale of beauty supplements – or nutricosmetics – is predicted to double in value by 2023. But are we informed enough to make the right choices? healthy investigates

“SUPPLEMENTS ARE USEFUL FOR NUTRIENTS THAT ARE HARD TO GET FROM FOOD ”

{Discover more on the beauty benefits of vitamin B3 at healthy-magazine.co.uk }