The beauty industry has taken inner beauty to the utmost literal sense thanks to ‘beauty ingestibles’, a concept that’s got everyone from influencers to your always-on-trend friend relishing in its benefits.
But what is the growing industry all about, and why is winter such an important time to learn about it?
Inner beauty takes a literal form
You’d be forgiven for wondering if ‘beauty ingestiles’ meant some sort of edible product that miraculously gave you longer eyelashes or that perfect lip shade you’ve always wanted. However, what the ingestibles actually do is actually a kind of magic all on its own.
What are beauty ingestibles?
Beauty ingestibles are edible supplements with beneficial ingredients for beauty concerns that come in the form of powders or capsules. They enable users to radiate wellness from the inside out and can contain active ingredients such as collagen, hyaluronic acid and various anti-oxidants.
As Toni Carrol, founder and CEO of nutricosmetic brand My Beauty Luv puts it:
“Applying topical products only penetrate the surface cells, whereas ingestibles work from the inside out, providing the body with the proteins, vitamins, minerals and oils it needs.”
Why is winter an important time to indulge in them?
Just as winter is a time for changing wardrobes, the colder, drier air demands adjustments to beauty routines too. “While using the right moisturisers and conditioning treatments are vital for keeping skin, nails and hair hydrated and healthy this season, it’s also important to incorporate ingestibles into one’s winter beauty regime,” Carrol explains.
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The market is booming beautifully
The demand for these products is growing steadily, with the market category projected to be worth around $8.3 Billion in 2030 (Over R130 billion).
“People are more conscious of what they put into their bodies not only for beauty, but health and longevity too,” comments Carroll.
She believes ingestibles form part of a holistic approach to beauty as they are delivered throughout the body, ensuring that every part reaps advantages from the ingredients. “Medical-grade, scientifically-proven, natural ingredients in particular show quick and potent results.”
For example, My Beauty Luv’s Beauty Blast contains nutrients that are particularly needed in winter, including vitamins B and D, beta-glucans, potent antioxidants, amino acids and fibre, amongst others – all of which are essential for helping the immune system fight illness during this cold and flu season in addition to providing a host of beauty benefits. Carroll shares that this elixir can be used to treat a host of skin ailments too.
How can beauty ingestibles help my skin?
Explaining the Beauty Blast, Carrol says that “it brightens and evens skin tone, while protecting against UV damage and promotes procollagen synthesis in skin cells,”
Next on the beauty to-do list
After ingestibles, the next item on the beauty to-do list should be drinking enough water. “Skin and hair suffer the most in winter because cold air contains less moisture,” explains Carroll. “This reduction in humidity causes the body to lose moisture, making skin cracked and flaky and hair dry and brittle. Compounding winter’s drying effects are heaters and fires.” To counter this, she recommends drinking enough water and also structured water in the form of whole fruit and certain vegetables.
Carrol also shines the spotlight on the importance of keeping hair and skin well-moisturised. A great beauty hack over winter months is to use a rich, hydrating overnight leave-in mask – these are becoming very popular and with good reason!
When it comes to healthy winter hair, Carroll suggests extra conditioning for all hair types, as well as leave-in treatments that contain keratin and natural plant-based humectant.
She adds that just because the sun isn’t as harsh as it is in summer, that’s no reason not to use sunscreen. “Everyone should be using an SPF moisturiser on their skin,” she urges. “Protecting the skin and hair from UV rays are key to cellular health and anti-ageing.”
Taking care of yourself is beautiful
“Beauty is related to every aspect of our lives – not just the products we use – so be mindful of giving yourself everything you need to shine from the inside out,” adds Carrol.
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FEATURE IMAGE: @my_beauty_luv/Instagram
