Sundaily: “What is ingestible skincare?”

This guest post is courtesy of Sundaily, one of our favorite skincare supplement brands. Their tasty gummies are a simple way to give your skin the help it needs to combat environmental stressors like sun and smog. Just like Hero, Sundaily is committed to skin health – through products designed to protect and repair your skin from within with plant-based antioxidants. Here, they lend their expertise so we can all understand what ingestible skincare really means.

For a primer on ingestible skincare and beauty, we’ve brought in Dr. Emilia Javorsky, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Sundaily. As a trained dermatology researcher, Dr. Javorksy spent seven years at Harvard Medical School working on skincare innovation… and when it came to start her own company, ingestibles were her go-to. Plus, they’re gummies!

Considering her background and experience, who better to help us understand what the heck ingestible skincare even means? Read on for her authoritative take on this buzzy category.

What are the basics?

Ingestible skincare is exactly as it sounds: any product we eat or drink that cares for our skin. These products are growing in popularity, and the term encompasses everything from collagen supplements to probiotics for skincare and, of course, Sundaily’s own skincare gummies! As we put it, ingestible skincare focuses on helping your #skinfromwithin. Instead of working on the surface, where most topical products are applied (and stay), ingestible skincare works from inside our bodies to provide the support our skin needs.

The facts are this: 90% of avoidable skin aging is caused by free radical damage from the sun, stress, and smog. And while modern life means you can’t avoid these daily stressors, you can fight back. Instead of staying on the surface, ingestible products like Sundaily’s antioxidant-rich gummies work from the inside out. Since free radical damage takes its toll on our skin at a deeper level, it’s crucial that our skincare get there, too. That’s why our approach is #skinfromwithin.

How can I tell if an ingestible product will help me?

Like any skincare solution, the benefits of an ingestible skincare product depend 100% on the quality and efficacy of its active ingredients. To figure out whether an ingestible product will help you, here are a few key questions to ask:

1. Was this active ingredient ever tested in humans? You’d be amazing by how few have! Start with PubMed as a way of seeing what literature is out there, or ask your dermatologist.
2. If it has, were the results positive, controlled, and peer-reviewed? Just because something has been tested doesn’t mean it’s better than the alternative. Dig a little deeper to see if it moved the needle.
3. If the ingredient was shown to be effective, is the dose in the study the same as the dose in the product? If a study looked at a 100mg daily dose, that 5mg product probably isn’t going to deliver.

While everybody’s body is different, these are a few key questions that should help you separate products worth your time and money from those that are just fancy marketing.

What are some examples of great ingestible products?

I’m certainly biased, but I’d start with our two products: The Base Layer and The Back Up.

The Base Layer protects your skin from the aging effects of UV light, smog, and stress. Powered by two antioxidant-packed botanical ingredients (Polypodium Leucotomos Extract and Vitamin D3), The Base Layer prevents free radical damage, smooths skin texture, and reduces redness and irritation with 4-6 weeks of consistent use.

The Back Up repairs your skin and reverse the visible signs of skin aging. Featuring the powerful carotenoid Astaxanthin, The Back Up minimizes lines and wrinkles, plumps and hydrates skin, and reduces the appearance of age and sun spots with 4-6 weeks of consistent use.

No matter how much we want perfect skin, it’s unrealistic to eliminate environmental stress from our lives. Instead, we can fight back with ingestible solutions featuring active ingredients that have been shown to be effective in humans, and delivered in a way that we’ll really stick with the habit. That’s exactly what Sundaily was created to do, and that’s why our gummy format is our secret weapon. It’s only daily habits that we stick with which can help our skin… and gummies are an easy habit to keep!

What are some examples of ingestible products to pass on?

There’s tons of excitement around ingestible products, but unfortunately most hip ingredients are unlikely to help your skin much. Here are a few to pass on:

1. Mega-doses of biotin: While biotin deficiency can result in skin issues, it’s pretty uncommon, and easily diagnosed by your doctor with blood work. Unless you know you’re biotin deficient, steer clear… especially since the FDA has warned that large doses can interfere with other medical tests!
2. “Ingestible retinol:” This is a fancy way of saying Vitamin A. Again, a lack of Vitamin A can affect your skin… but very few people are deficient in it, and there are WAY better ways to get it in your body. Try a sweet potato or some broccoli and call it a day.
3. Vitamin C: Same as Vitamin A. Don’t waste your money. Eat some citrus!

Another common ingestible skincare ingredient is collagen or collagen peptides. While there’s some modest data that it can help your skin, it’s likely a poor use of your dollars. If you’re taking it primarily for the skin benefits, you’re probably better off investing elsewhere.

What else should I know about ingestible skincare?

Any time you’re going to be starting a new supplement routine like ingestible skincare, it’s wise to talk to your doctor first. Some medications have surprising interactions with other ingredients - and we can’t be expected to know them all! It’s always a good idea to keep your doctor part of the conversation.

As well, the right topical products should definitely still be part of your routine! The most evidence-based options out there are sunscreens (especially mineral-based if you can) and retinols. And for those days when breakouts happen, we love Hero’s Mighty Patch, hands down the best way to quickly shrink whiteheads. It’s so much better than traditional spot treatments formulated with harsh ingredients, which can often leave you with angry, irritated skin

Lastly, if you’re looking for a place to start with ingestibles, I won’t apologize for pitching my own company, Sundaily. We’re committed to products with real science that are super-delicious, and I think you’ll love them just the same as our 1000s of happy customers and retail partners like Goop and Credo Beauty. Check us out here!