Supplements for beauty and skincare have become more popular in recent years.
What types of products are discussed within this area, and which are beneficial versus unnecessary? Our biomedical expert and product expert Erik summarizes:
- I would say that certain essential vitamins and minerals are discussed a great deal, and they can certainly be relevant and effective if there is a deficiency. In these specific cases, certain effects have been demonstrated.
In most cases, there is a lack of good evidence that additional supplementation with certain vitamins or minerals can produce noticeable effects if the intake is already adequate, and if a supplement is used to increase the levels even further. Biotin is an example that falls into this category, where more than necessary can be regarded as unnecessary.
It becomes more interesting when we start discussing skin quality and elasticity, where certain products and substances that do not belong to the essential nutrients can produce results. These are therefore substances that we absolutely do not need to consume, but which can nevertheless produce desirable physiological effects. Protein peptides in the form of hydrolyzed collagen and antioxidants such as astaxanthin and flavanols from the cocoa bean are some examples. In these cases, it is important to ensure that the dosage and concentration correspond to those used in the studies that have been conducted and that, of course, have demonstrated an effect.
