The beauty supplement industry is booming, but can a pill provide you with what you really need to make your skin, hair and body that much better? With so much misinformation out there, we decided to set the record straight and give you the real truth behind these magic pills.
1. Popping a pill makes dieting obsolete.
False: Just because you choose to take a supplement of some sort, doesn’t mean that you can forego following a healthy diet. Supplements are designed to be ingested in tandem with a healthy diet, but not in replacement of one.
2. It can take some time to see results.
True: Simpson says that it can take anywhere from four to six weeks of taking a beauty supplement daily before you start to see a difference. “Beauty supplements work best over time. Skin cell turnover typically occurs every four to six weeks, so if you are using a good formula, you will begin to see results around then. Some products have clinically shown quicker results (but this is the general timeframe).”
3. Supplements can’t reverse past damage.
False: We’re not saying that a supplement isn’t going to take away every last sign of past damage entirely, but it will help. If you couple taking a supplement with a professionally recommended skin-care plan, you’ll see the most improvement. A supplement on its own can help with hydration, cell protection and free-radical damage to help diminish future damage, too.
4. Beauty supplements don’t work.
False: Supplements work when they’re used properly. “Nutrition is the foundation toward optimal health (including your skin). With age and poor lifestyle choices, skin metabolism and immunity become sluggish, and diet alone may not be enough,” explains Simpson. And, that’s where beauty supplements come in. “They’re targeted for skin health and can bridge the gap in nutrient deficiencies. Unlike topical products, these supplements work systemically in the body and promote healthy skin throughout.”
5. All beauty supplements work the same way.
False: Just like how different beauty products work differently and are formulated differently, the same holds true for beauty supplements. “Although there are some products that focus more on marketing and less on efficacy, there are companies and manufacturers that go to great lengths in research, product development and quality standards to bring high-quality products to market,” says Simpson. “I always recommend doing some background research on the product you are considering. If the claims sound too good to be true without clinical proof, they probably are.”
