Drink and eat your way to beauty: a how-to guide to nutricosmetics, trending with people who want to glow from within
Supplements you swallow containing ingredients such as probiotics and collagen target gut health to improve your complexion. We talk to experts about how they work, and pick four nutricosmetics for you to get started
Beauty trends come and go but one that shows no signs of abating is nutricosmetics: ingestible products designed to improve how you look, from a smoother complexion to thicker, stronger hair.
While similar products have long existed in places like Japan – Fancl, for example, has been peddling drinks with ingredients such as collagen and bee pollen for years – they are set to grow in popularity thanks to the current trend of wellness and healthy living.
“Our customers have been taking supplements such as vitamins and minerals for years, but now that they are more educated, they are interested in products that work deeper from within the body,” says Lianna Man, vice-president of wellness and beauty at Lane Crawford. “Ingestibles go straight into the system and many of the ingredients are more effective when taken internally versus topically.”
One of the leaders and pioneers in nutricosmetics is Australian brand The Beauty Chef, which was founded in 2012. Founder Carla Oates’ personal experiences with bad skin and eczema inspired her to create a series of powders packed with natural ingredients intended to promote inner and outer health.
“When it comes to having a gorgeous complexion, what you eat affects your skin just as much, if not more, than the creams and serums you use,” Oates says.
“My philosophy has always been that beauty begins in the belly and that digestive health is the key to healthy, clear skin. The gut is where 70 per cent of our immune system lies, it’s where we metabolise hormones, make detoxifying enzymes and nutrients, neutralise pathogens and make neurotransmitters – so much of what goes on in our digestive system can impact our skin.”
