While most of us are familiar with skincare and beauty regimens, and likely have one of our own, not many of us have an edible beauty regimen. That’s right, you can eat your beauty boosters too.
Turns out there are perks to not only applying your products topically but also major benefits to ingesting key ingredients to promote healthy skin, body, and mind. “Our beauty routines should ideally be centered around promoting our bodies’ internal health and highlighting our features”, says Carolyn Yachanin, Founder of Copina Co, a line of plant-based collagen boosters. “Edible collagen-boosting ingredients like organic tremella mushroom extract, bamboo leaf extract, hyaluronic acid, amla berry, and grape seed extract are all safe to consume.”
With that being said, it doesn’t automatically mean these consumption-friendly ingredients exactly taste like french fries. “Potent matcha herbs, botanical, and adaptogens can sometimes have a harsh, bitter taste on their own,” Yachanin tells us. Mixing these with ingredients like coconut milk, matcha, cacao, lucuma, cinnamon, and monk fruit, make the experience much more enjoyable.
So why should we consider an edible regimen? The older we get, the more water and collagen we lose. Both of those are essential to healthy skin — and the loss of those important ingredients leads to accelerated aging — so it’s important for us to consistently promote collagen building and increased hydration from the inside out. It might feel like an added step to your laundry list of existing products but trust us, the result is worth it.
Here are our top picks to boost you from the inside out and ones you’ll actually want to eat:
1. Moon Juice Beauty Dust ($38)
This beautifying adaptogenic blend of Schisandra to promote skin clarity, Amla to protect skin from oxidative stress, Ashwagandha to reduce stress and Goji to nourish skin, targets stress and accelerated aging to improve skin clarity and help protect the skin from free radicals. The tart, berry flavor pairs well with matcha, water and lemonade, or add to any smoothie. It’s also gluten-free, non-GMO, and caffeine-free. Just sprinkle a teaspoon of this slightly sweet and tangy dust in your beverage of choice and you’re good to go.
2. Copina Co. Cacao Calm Beauty – Plant-Based Collagen Booster ($30)
Speaking from personal experience…this stuff is DELICIOUS. It’s also vegan, keto-friendly, and paleo-friendly, packed with adaptogens to promote collagen synthesis, Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate the skin, Ashwagandha to de-stress & calm, Cacao to boost mood, Bamboo Extract, and Amla to support hair, skin, nail and joint support and Tremella Mushroom Extract to enhance skin elasticity…just to name a few. The combo of cacao powder and added cinnamon gives the supplement a yummy chocolate-inspired taste. Add it to smoothies, acai bowls, mocha lattes and so much more.
3. Kora Organics Noni Glow Skinfood ($55)
Kora offers a potent, nutrient-dense superfood supplement for your daily beauty and wellness benefits, inside and out. The key ingredient here is Noni – native to the South Pacific Islands, Noni is a powerful superfood and antioxidant containing more than 100 vitamins and minerals, including high amounts of Vitamins A and C. The supplement has a smooth and delicate fruity taste with no added sugar, artificial colors, artificial flavor or preservatives. Just empty a singular dosage into 4-6 ounces of water, juice, or any type of milk and shake or stir until blended. You can also pop it into your favorite smoothie daily.
4. Beekeeper’s Naturals B. Powered Superfood Honey ($40)
This therapeutic blend of royal jelly, bee pollen, propolis, and raw honey is designed to support those heavy, low energy days. The best part? You can use it internally AND externally. Try a spoonful on those sleepy mornings, napless afternoons, and before intense workouts, or drizzle over lattes, smoothies, yogurt, toast, pancakes…honestly anything. True honey lovers know honey is good on anything. This super-power product is also paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and natural.
*Fun Fact: for a restorative face mask, mix one full spoonful of B.Powered with a splash of water. Apply to freshly cleansed skin. After 15 to 20 minutes, rinse off and bask in your natural glow.
5. Sakara Life Beauty Chocolates ($45)
Clinically proven to improve skin moisture, texture, and elasticity in 2 weeks with a plant-based collagen boost, these scrumptious Beauty Chocolates are formulated with dark Cacao: a potent source of antioxidants, Ceramosides™ Phytoceramides: plant-based, gluten-free ceramides blend derived from wheat and clinically proven to improve skin, and only 1g of Coconut Sugar: a low-glycemic sweetener. These one-of-a-kind Beauty Chocolates bring new ceramides to the skin cells via the bloodstream, helping the complexion retain moisture, smoothing wrinkles, and protecting collagen.