In our busy lives, we are all trying to find ways to supercharge our results with as little effort or output as possible. We want nail polish that’s top coat, base coat and colour all in one. We want a phone that is also a diary and a camera and a computer. And so, we see that many of our clients come in wanting to supercharge their anti-aging skin treatments – and the answer, is through ingestible skincare products.
Ingestibles are new-ish to the market and were seriously designed for those of us who might be a bit lacking in our diet or struggling to eat the recommended quantities of the nutrients we know we need. Yes, a well-balanced diet can absolutely give you all the nutrients you need to keep your skin and nails looking healthy – but while I try for a well-balanced diet every day, there are typically 3 days in the week where I don’t get to lunch because I’m just too busy, and no matter how well I eat, I simply cannot consume enough of the essential vitamins and minerals that I need in two meals a day. Ingestibles can instead make all the difference.
It’s important to remember that Ingestibles alone aren’t going to fix all of your skin woes for you – they’re definitely designed to act in conjunction with topical treatments. Similarly, if your diet is all over the shop or not great, no facial in the world will save you from the damage that comes from drinking too much champagne or eating fried foods. Diet, stress, alcohol consumption and sleep will all impact your skin health, so first things first – check you’re doing your best in all these areas. When life gets in the way (which it often does), this is where Ingestibles can be a serious boost to your skin.
It’s important to note not all Ingestibles are rated equal, which is why we spend so much time investigating and researching at Museo to ensure that the products we put on our shelves are the absolute best for our clients. We are dedicated to knowing what goes on our skin and take the same care and attention for those products we are putting in our bodies and recommending to our clients. We have seen Collagen Powder formulations, for instance, that literally contained zero collagen. Seriously. Similarly, you want to avoid synthetic sources of nutrients and focus on those that come from whole or natural food sources to reap the best results. So, it pays to pay attention to the detail and check your product – or speak to any of our skin therapists who have done the work for you.
One of the superstars of the Ingestibles movement is anything with true collagen, including powders, tonics and even cookies (we’re not kidding – cookies that are great for your skin!) Collagen offers fantastic bang for your buck as it is one of the major ingredients in your hair, skin and nails. As we age, our ability to produce collagen is diminished, leaving your hair feeling dry and brittle, your skin looking chalky and lines showing more and your nails snapping off. The body can’t store collagen, and so the easiest way to make a difference to the appearance of your hair skin and nails is to add more collagen to your diet. This might be through collagen-rich foods like slow-cooked meats, fish or bone broth (my personal favourite, especially in the cooler months), or if you’re feeling time-poor, through a collagen snack or supplement.
Collagen works best as a complete collagen peptide product or when which includes the nutrients needed for absorption; or when eaten in conjunction with Vitamin C, which also aids in absorption of the collagen into your system. Collagen peptides are better ingested than applied topically, as the molecule is too large to be absorbed during the skin. In addition, including collagen as an ingestible in your skin-care routine can aid in the body’s natural production of hyaluronic acid (which is a natural humectant, meaning it helps attract and store more water in the skin, keeping your skin looking plumper and firmer) and its one of the most effective things you can do to change the appearance of your skin over the age of 30.
In contrast, some nutrients are best applied topically. Take Vitamin C for example – while you can eat plenty of it in a well-balanced, whole food diet, topical applications of Vitamin C can be potent allowing this antioxidant to reduce pigmentation and induce collagen production. However, studies show that ingesting additional Vitamin C can have limited usefulness (specifically for your skin). But as we have already spoken about, making sure that you eat SOME Vitamin C is essential to the absorption of things like Collagen.
The crux of the conversation on Ingestibles vs. topical treatments is that both work best in conjunction with each other. You need to look at your skin goals and work out which areas are best treated with topical treatments and which will benefit seriously from adding an ingestible to your routine. If you combine this with good sleep, a clean-ish diet and lowering your intake of sugar and alcohol, you are sure to be on your way to better skin. If you don’t know where to start, one of our skin therapists would love to help. Book in for a complimentary skin consultation today and let’s help you have your best-ever skin with Museo.