Can Drinks Deliver Beauty Benefits? | Renewal MD
Do so-called “beauty beverages” provide you with any health benefits? Experts seem to have some conflicting answers with regards to the hundreds of food and drink products that claim to improve your appearance and defy the effects of aging on your skin.
A Healthy Diet Is More Effective
The best way to have healthy skin is by eating a healthy diet that includes high amounts of raw fruits and vegetables, proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains, and staying hydrated with lots of water.
As you get older, your skin becomes more porous. Fruits and vegetables hydrate and deliver nutrients, and, when supplemented with water, become an effective health and beauty regimen on their own. You can also try “over-the-counter” beverages such as green or black tea, water with lemon, or sparkling raspberry soda, which all have proven scientific benefits.
Beauty Beverages Can Supplement a Healthy Diet, Not Replace It
According to Los Angeles dermatologist, founder of Murad Skincare, and associate clinical professor of dermatology of UCLA, Howard Murad, “I have tried to put adequate amounts of supplements in drinks, but they aren’t palatable at the levels required to see benefits. Plus, to make a supplement drinkable, you need to add preservatives, emulsifiers, and sweeteners.” He continues that supplements can be a good backup plan for healthy eating.
Other experts say that certain nutrients can help the skin, but that drinking them in liquid form will not yield the same results as a healthy diet. New York nutritionist Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, author of “A Nutritious Life” and “The O2 Diet,” says that any beauty beverage should be consumed in addition to water, and should only be consumed if you ensure that it contains less than 15 grams of sugar.
Topical Application May Be Better
Since your blood flows through the subdermal fat that makes up 80% of your skin, it is possible that a “beauty beverage” could deliver easily absorbable nutrients that benefit your skin directly. And while supplements in a powder or a liquid may be absorbed quicker and more effectively than those in food or pills, experts say that topical applications may be the best method to get nutrients right to your skin. Francesca Fusco, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, says that, “When applied directly to the skin, ingredients like vitamin C, vitamin A, and peptides show better results, and faster.”