The concept of dunking your face into a pot of miracle-age-serum-something-something is fairly standard – and for a lot of people, there are psychological benefits as well as physical ones. Not everyone can look like their beloved celebrity or admired Rossetti painting, but they can at least feel as if they are attractive – and with modern day living and active communications being what they are, there will be someone out that that can truly see the beauty that we potentially have.
It’s not a reassurance for everyone however. We want to feel beautiful around beautiful people, despite media myths and misleading legends.
There are alternatives to the face-dunking beauty creams however that come in the tiny form of a pill.
Dove’s Spa Strength Within, the creators of the first anti-ageing supplement have taken “you are what you eat” to a new level, with a cocktail containing an array of soy isoflavones, lycopene, vitamins C and E and omega-3 fatty acids. After five years of testing, two clinical trials were set up involving 272 women over a period of 14 weeks.
The outcome was that the skin was supposedly plumper and smoother, with reduced wrinkles and even stemming the discomfort of crow’s feet.
“Face creams don’t work as they don’t penetrate deep enough to generate a real physiological change,” says Dr Daniel Sister, a French cosmetic doctor and anti-ageing specialist. “As we age, the body is less effective at extracting key nutrients from what we eat. If you add to that the fact that food quality may be low, and our need for a large quantity of amino acids from proteins for optimum skin care, here’s where supplements can help with their high concentrations of key ingredients.”
Not everyone shares this sentiment however. Bridget Benelam, a nutritional specialist, says otherwise, believing that the concept of anti-ageing or “youth supplements” to be something of a myth.
“If you consume a varied and balanced diet with oily fish, whole grains and brightly coloured vegetables, this can provide you with essential vitamins and minerals, those needed for healthy skin. A supplement can never recreate this complex mixture of nutrients and natural compounds.”
She warns that the supplements, if taken in heavy dosages, could lead to unnecessary, toxic reactions, which may overall damage your health, rather than take care of the things that you genuinely want.
Whichever side that you believe, the youth-supplement has taken off by storm, advertising good health, youthful glow and if anything, lasting beauty.