English Version | Inside out

20 Jul 2022
By Mariana Silva

We’ve always heard that true beauty comes from the inside. Nutricomestics, a sector that is revolutionizing the Beauty industry, is the most recent evidence showing that. Some believe that the future will consist of ingesting our skincare routine.

We’ve always heard that true beauty comes from the inside. Nutricomestics, a sector that is revolutionizing the Beauty industry, is the most recent evidence showing that. Some believe that the future will consist of ingesting our skincare routine. 

Nutricosmetics. A blend between nutrition and cosmetics, not only in the lexical sense but, above all, in the combined power they provide. In recent years, the Beauty market has seen a sudden rise in the number of supplements that in this sector found a place to stay. As nutrition started to merge with cosmetics, we began talking about the possibility of consuming collagen, instead of (or in addition to) adding this ingredient to face lotions. The result turned into an innovative segment, with high demand demonstrating that supply had perhaps been lacking for too long. But is this a change that is here to stay or just a trend that followed the wellness movement that now dominates our society? And if nutricosmetics manages to pass the test of time, how will it shape the way we think about Beauty? Let's say it's time to take the red pill - that is, if we can step away from the cosmetics industry for a moment and enter a parallel reality with Matrix - and find out what lies within this trend.

Although it is widely used by brands and industry professionals, the word nutricosmetic is not present in European Union legislation. For this reason, there is still no legal definition that can be put forward whenever we use this concept to define a Beauty product. However, there is an agreement among professionals as to what this sector encompasses. In the words of Ana Pinto, nutritionist and anti-aging nutrition specialist, nutricosmetics “is a term used by the cosmetics industry to designate products (food supplements) that are formulated and marketed specifically to prevent and treat aging processes and promote beauty. These are substances that have antioxidant effects, which reduce the formation of free radicals in the body, improve the appearance of the silhouette, skin, hair and nails.” As for their format, the nutritionist tells that "these products can be administered in capsules, in powder or through foods, such as bars, juices, soups, gummies, among others.”

In 2021, the global market of Beauty supplements was evaluated in more than three billion dollars by the American consulting agency InsightAce Analytic. This value is estimated to exceed 8 billion dollars by the end of this decade. The nutricosmetic sector had already been experiencing considerable growth since 2010, at the same time as the wellness movement was beginning to spread, but it was as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that supplementation reached a wider and more diverse audience. In the report published by the consulting agency Grand View Research, there was, between 2019 and 2020, an increase of 6,4% in the worldwide consumption of wellness supplements in the Beauty market. From 2022, the annual growth is expected to be around 4,8%. Among the various types of supplements available, there is a particular increase in the demand for vitamins C, D, and zinc, given their immune system-boosting properties. But the industry doesn't stop there. There are supplements dedicated to hair growth and nail strengthening. There are supplements that promise to work as an anti-aging ally. There are supplements to sleep better, eat better, and ultimately live better. The promises are endless, but not all of them go beyond the label.

What we are about to say next may seem obvious, but it is important to understand what is advocated within the nutricosmetics sector. The truth is that the way we consume a certain ingredient has an impact on the way our body uses it. This can be clear in the Beauty industry, because, if we take the example with which we opened this text, we know that our body will not react in the same way to the presence of collagen applied topically - such as in a face cream - as it will to collagen that is ingested via a powder mixed into our morning drink. However, we need to consider the role of an even more important factor than our skincare routine: our diet. An insufficiently varied diet can result in nutritional deficiencies (or, in some cases, excesses) that will immediately show themselves in our skin. Ana Pinto states that she is a “fan of ‘less is more’”, which means that she starts by adapting the diet of her patients, in the hope of filling the gaps found, and supplementation is only the following step. “The goal is to study the symptoms, do blood tests or exams (...) and verify the nutricosmetic or food supplement necessary for each case,” the specialist clarifies. Thes patients themselves should be aware of common symptoms that could alert them to possible deficiencies. Among these, the nutritionist highlights “tiredness, lack of attention and focus, hair loss, dry and harsh skin, and brittle nails. One could say: tell me what you eat and I'll tell you what kind of skin you have. Or now, in its more modern version: Tell me what supplements you take, and I'll tell you what kind of skin you might have.

At the end of the day, there is a space in our routine for the consumption of nutricosmetics, but it is essential that they are adapted to each case. “The benefits of supplementation depend on the health of each person,” explains Ana Pinto. "A person who has dysbiosis, intestinal hyperpermeability, and other pathologies that impair absorption will probably not benefit as much from one supplement or another.” In addition, “nutricosmetics should not be used by people who are hypersensitive to any of the components present in their formula, in pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding.” For this reason, the nutritionist leaves us with what will be the only advice common to all consumers: "[these supplements] Should not replace a healthy and balanced diet and should be ingested with the indication of a medical professional. The best is to have a consultation with your doctor and nutritionist and, through tests, understand which supplementation is ideal for your body, in what dose and frequency.” Before you try to run away from the issue, let's make it clear that Dr. Google - although very helpful at times - does not fall within the spectrum of health professionals who show the ability to advise us on this journey. And the same can be said for many of the commercials we are bombarded with on a daily basis. “The wave of self-supplementation is growing, and advertising for many supplements promises true miracles, but not everyone needs the same vitamins and minerals, in the quantities marketed in these products,” Ana Pinto states.

Many may be familiarized with the negative consequences we can suffer when we rely solely on our common sense to diagnose and/or treat, for example, skin problems. How many times have you taken into your own hands the mission to find a miracle serum that could prevent acne disorders, rosacea, or hyperpigmentation? After analyzing all those times, how many of them had the expected effect? Now let's compare these results with the success rate in solving skin problems after a consultation with a dermatologist or a nutritionist. Of course, all of these services come at a cost, but in the end it is likely to be considerably cheaper to use a service that is effective from the start, rather than spending time and money on experiment after experiment that may cause more problems than solutions. Given the potential (and consequent dangers) of supplements, professional monitoring becomes even more important, or, as the nutritionist puts it, “to ensure the effectiveness and safety of your skincare routine, it is essential to invest in dermocosmetics, nutricosmetics and a balanced nutrition.”

More and more we realize that good skin is not only made of miracle creams. When it comes to nutrition, Ana Pinto believes in the power of a “balanced diet, with essential macro and micronutrients, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods,” such as “a varied diet, with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables.” Nutricosmetics, however, are be an additional step, in the nutritionist's words, only to be applied "if needed." And when they are actually needed, after a medical diagnosis, “the doses and schedules must be respected,” just as they were prescribed. Lastly, the specialist explains that “the results are not immediate, and it takes a few months of treatment to start seeing the first effects.” This is a method that focuses on improving our skin from the inside out, so its outcome will be different from the one that comes when we apply a simple serum. Even though the latter may provide an instant glow, it is likely that this same glow will be gone by the end of the day. On the other hand, with a balanced diet and the right nutrients, you can have glowing skin for many, many years to come. And no cleanser, no matter how powerful, can erase the Beauty of healthy skin.

Translated from the original on The Sunny Vibes Issue, from Vogue Portugal, published July 2022.Full stories and credits on the print issue.

Mariana Silva By Mariana Silva

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