I’m going to give you all the benefit of the doubt and just say you are killing it when it comes to your skincare routine. You double cleanse at night, use a toner, serums, facial oils, creams, exfoliate twice a week and even do the odd mask here and there, you’re diligent about your mineral sunscreen application and never EVER sleep with your makeup on. You. Are. Amazing! Yet, you do all this and still wonder, could I be doing more?

The answer is yes and no. You’ve got it covered when it comes to topical application of products but skincare is so much more than what you put on your skin. The health of your skin is greatly affected by what you put into your body as well. A new category of products has emerged, nutri-cosmetics. Think of this as if skincare and nutrition had a baby. Ingesting things like collagen, ceramide, β-carotene, astaxanthin, coenzyme Q10, colostrum, zinc, and selenium can greatly improve the health of your skin and even protect against aging.

A study published in the International Journal of Molecular Science, on enhancing the skin through oral administration of natural compounds, explains this more in depth by saying, “Since the year 2000, oral administration of natural molecules and minerals have been reported to improve skin health from the inside layer to the dermal and outer structural and functional skin layers involved in maintaining homeostasis and providing protection against photo-aging via UV-induced damage of DNA, apoptosis, and mutations. The concept of nutri-cosmetics is a novel and applicable term for this mode of administration. In addition, the strong antioxidant properties for many of the natural compounds that have diverse biological and molecular activities guard against the inflammatory response, ROS production, skin pigmentation, dermal wrinkles, and enhancing skin barrier properties especially of the stratum corneum.“

Two posts ago, we spoke of the benefits of antioxidants and the detrimental effects of free radicals. Today we are going to talk about a handful of supplements that support the body and, most importantly to us here on the OE, our skin. I’m also going to be introducing you to my new favorite supplement line, BioPharma Scientific. Over the next few months, I’ll be doing posts highlighting a few of my favorite BioPharma products.

Nutri-Cosmetic Ingredients & Benefits

Here are few nutri-cosmetic ingredients and a little about how they benefit our skin. Conveniently, all four of these ingredients are used in BioPharma formulations.

Zinc - Daily intake of Zinc is necessary since the body has no way to store it long term. This essential trace mineral plays a pivotal role in protecting against oxidative stress and helping with DNA repair, creating new cells and promotes wound healing in the skin.

Selenium - This essential trace mineral doubles as an antioxidant. It has been shown that seleno-proteins are essential for proper keratinocyte function, skin development, and wound healing making it crucial for healthy skin. Psoriasis has been linked to low levels of Selenium. It has also been proposed as a potential treatment for cutaneous melanoma. This is the same antioxidant that’s in my favorite water.

Colostrum - My apologies to any vegans… This “fist milk” produced by all mammals is a complete nutrient source for their young. Bovine Colostrum is a particularly favorable supplement because it’s made up of so many nutrient compounds like Epidermal Growth Factors, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, cytokines and antioxidants. It is fantastic for wound repair, promotes the growth of human keratinocytes which make up 90% of our skin’s outermost layer, and increase fibroblasts in the skin which act as the structure that holds our skin together and are critical for proper wound healing.

Beta Carotene - This precursor to vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Diets rich in β-carotene or via nutritional supplementation have been shown to prevent cellular damage, premature skin aging, and skin cancer. It’s been shown to protect against sunburns, inhibiting free radicals and suppressing the tissue’s response to inflammation. No more sunburns!

Supplements vs. Whole Foods

First things fist… I think the general consensus, on whether to get nutrition from supplements or whole foods, is to definitely get the bulk of your nutrition from whole foods. But when the majority of us are barely meeting our recommended daily fruit and vegetable requirements let alone protein, vitamins and minerals, I think it’s just so much easier to supplement.

I love to cook. When I’m in town, I eat most meals at home and try to eat a variety of foods. But I’m constantly traveling and on the go for work and, essentially, just life itself. It can be hard to continue a healthy routine on the road or even in between commitments on a busy day.

At the recommendation of my amazing acupuncturist during a particularly crazy moment in my life, I tried BioPharma’s NanoGreens supplement. I started during a work trip and really noticed a difference in my energy and just how I was feeling overall.

After doing more research on the company, I found that everything they’re doing really works synergistic with what I’m about over here on the OE, so I reached out. BioPharma was kind enough to send me a selection of their products and I’m enjoying them immensely. I thought I would share a bit about the company and why I’m so impressed with them.

But first, a quick reminder that I am not a nutritionist. I am an esthetician. These are just my personal opinions based on research and anecdotal evidence. I’m nerdy, so I always link studies if you’d like to read about anything more in-depth. If you are being treated by a physician, ALWAYS check with them before adding any supplements into your routine.

BioPharma Scientific

BioPharma’s line of all natural supplements and whole food vitamins are created using physician grade formulas backed by rigorous third party testing. They source organic and non-GMO ingredients from around the world and partner with some of the most innovative companies providing high-quality nutritional supplements. They use technology that ensures bioavailability and optimal absorption of these essential actives. They provide tons of studies on each product’s ingredients and technologies. They even offer a 30 day money-back guarantee, which I thought was pretty cool. I really feel like this company has integrity.

Full disclosure, they didn’t ask me to write this blog post. I could have just made a few instagram posts in exchange for the product they sent but, truly, I wanted to share this with you. As you can see from above, it’s a cool company. I’m really enjoying the products I’ve tried, I feel good and, most importantly, my skin looks good.

They’ve been nice enough to give all of you 20% off your first purchase. Use code Katie20 at check out to redeem your discount.

More Than Good Ingredients

In both skincare and supplements, the active ingredients aren’t the only thing of importance in the formulation. In skincare, just because you have an amazing peptide or organic extract doesn’t mean it will be effective when applied topically. It has to be the right size to be absorbed by the skin. It has to be able to penetrate the lipid barrier, your skin’s outermost protective layer. Otherwise, actives will sit on the surface causing irritation. The same goes with supplements. When you ingest supplements, they have to make their way all the way through the digestive tract to the small intestine to be effective. A lot can happen along the way.

An active ingredient needs to be partnered with a delivery system to allow for proper absorption. Here are a few examples:

Lyposomal Encapsulation - Active ingredients are coated and encased in a sphere of lecithin (in the examples we’re speaking about this comes from non-GMO soy). This fatty substance allows the ingredient to penetrate the skin’s lipid barrier or be protected from the body’s harsh digestion process, creating a protected pathway to where it needs to go.

Small Molecular Size - Size does matter! Your body is really good at keeping good stuff in and bad stuff out. Ingredients need to be incredibly small to pass through both the skin and the intestinal or stomach walls.

BioPharma uses both of these types of delivery systems in their products, ensuring optimal absorption of actives. If you think that’s cool and want skincare to match, check out Luzern Labs. They too use intelligent delivery systems to ensure proper absorption of all their incredible skincare products.

A Few Of My Favorite BioPharma Products