Beauty Supplement Regulations
It sounds like beauty supplements have major potential, but things become problematic when we look at the claims from companies. Hermoni says that the world of dietary supplements is very different from the pharmaceutical industry when it comes to regulation. "Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, supplements are not meant to cure or treat any disease," she says. "Typically on the label of dietary supplements, we will find a disclaimer highlighting that the statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)." Russak adds that federal law does not require dietary supplements to be proven safe to FDA's satisfaction before they are marketed. "This means there are no strict formulaic regulations or supervision," she says.
Akridge says that in 2000, the FDA stipulated the structure of claims companies could put on supplements, allowing such claims as "Vitamin X helps promote..." or "it helps maintain..." but brands now had to add the following disclaimer: "This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."
Blaisure points out that supplements are still regulated in terms of using "safe" ingredients and that the FDA will test ingredients if they receive a large number of complaints about a product.
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Beauty Supplement Claims
As for the promising claims beauty supplements make, Akridge says it goes back to naming. "The fact that brands call their supplements 'beauty supplements' means that what it contains is known to help support or maintain the health of skin," he says. The issue is, it's very difficult to prove a certain vitamin or mineral will improve any feature when we are constantly eating foods that contain those same compounds. Furthermore, he says that it's typical for a lot of the supplement claims to be based on cases where people had a deficiency in the vitamin(s).
Another issue is that beauty supplement claims might not be based on scientific research. Akridge says that some cases could be based on perception studies where people are asked if they see improvement (i.e. softness, tightness, brightness) to their skin/hair/nails after taking the supplement for a period of time. Additionally, he says that the placebo effect isn't taken into account in a lot of cases. With the placebo effect, people want to believe something good is happening by taking the supplement.
It's starting to sound murky, isn't it? But things are hopefully improving. With the boom of beauty supplements, there has been greater consumer awareness. Hermoni says that this had led to increasing transparency, clinical responsibility and implementing self-regulation procedures in the industry.
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Starting Beauty Supplements
You don't need a prescription to take beauty supplements. They're readily available to buy online and at major retailers including drugstores and even Sephora. That being said, all of the experts recommend consulting a health care professional before taking supplements. It's especially important for those with diseases (including ones not related to skin) or for those who are taking medication and for people who are pregnant or nursing. Blaisure warns that botanicals in supplements can interact with drugs by enhancing or suppressing their effects.
A health care professional will be able to assess all factors of your life, including nutrition, prescription drugs and supplements to decide which options are best for you. "To achieve the best results, beauty supplements should be an add-on to a healthy and active lifestyle and part of an ongoing journey to maintain emotional well-being," Hermoni says.
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Beauty Supplement Considerations
Even if your health care professional gave you the thumbs up, there are some things to consider before popping beauty supplements. Akridge says to think about your diet. If you have a well-balanced diet, supplements might not be necessary. If you're a stressed-out "burning-the-candle-at-both-ends" type of person who has no time to eat, he says you might want to consider supplements.
Above all, remember that beauty supplements are not magic pills. They're not going to make hair sprout five inches overnight nor are they going to make skin glow like highlighter. Hermoni says to think of beauty supplement as one piece of the health puzzle. The experts recommend reviewing your diet to see if there are foods or nutrients you're lacking. Eating more of those can lead to better skin, hair and nails.
And don't expect to see results right away. Hermoni says beauty supplements aren't like caffeine where we get a boost shortly after ingesting it. It can take days to weeks to see the full results of supplements.
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Beauty Supplement Issues
Ingredients and Fillers
All supplements are not created equal. It's important to do research and buy from reputable companies. Russak says that poor quality supplements can be ineffective at best and can actually be harmful at worst. She suggests choosing clinically tested, high-quality supplements that contain nutrients we can digest and absorb.
Make sure you scan the labels of supplements before buying them, especially for what Russak calls "other ingredients" or fillers. Culprits include sugars, sweeteners, binding agents, synthetic fillers and artificial colorings or flavorings. Also, watch out for hydrogenated oils, magnesium stearate and titanium dioxide. Be mindful of fillers that claim to do functions like improve the look or taste of a product or make it easier to swallow.
Wondering what's the deal with all the fillers? Akridge says that quite often, the amount of vitamins would be very tiny and seeing an itty-bitty supplement would likely make buyers feel ripped off. So, manufacturers add inert ingredients (fillers) to make pills a more attractive size.
Taking Supplements
Blaisure says that most supplements are safe, but it is still possible to overdo them. " It's always about balance and what the supplement is targeting," she says. "Sometimes you need extra support but only until the imbalance is corrected. Then it is time to adjust the amounts to a maintenance level."
It's best to avoid problems, but know many of the supplements are water soluble. This means if you get too much in your body, the excess will usually be excreted in urine, Akridge says.
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