Everything You Wanted To Know About Edible Skincare

From the name itself, edible skincare involves ingestibles — not skincare products that you apply topically (like lotions, toners, and face masks), but ones that you actually consume. The idea is that by ingesting ingredients that are good for the skin, you can actually look after it on a deeper level (via Sundaily). A feature in Coveteur highlights this "inside-out approach to skincare," which can be part of a routine that also incorporates topical applications. Ingestibles go straight into the body, potentially impacting it at a cellular level with active ingredients that it can absorb more easily. Ingesting collagen peptide, for example, allows it to quickly enter the bloodstream, thereby making it possibly more efficient than applying a cream or serum. 

Edible skincare is part of nutricosmetics, which involves supplements designed to promote wellbeing. In a Cosmetics Design feature, Nutribloom Consulting founder Paula Simpson points out that nutricosmetics has become extremely popular in the U.S., particularly among the millennial market. She also notes how this has grown from consumer interest in clean, organic beauty products. With the concept of beauty today being so intrinsically linked with nutrition, wellbeing, and feeling good, edible skincare is all about skin health and how supplements can support it.

Adaptogens, which are fast becoming a big buzzword in ingestibles, are plant-based ingredients that bring your body back into balance (via the Cleveland Clinic). They're added to ingestible products, and are intended to support your body in its reaction to certain challenges (like stress). They can be added to food and drinks, or taken orally as a tincture or capsule. Since stress and skincare are so inexorably linked, adaptogens are connected to the edible skincare world, too. Derived from botanical sources such as ashwagandha and reishi mushroom (via Well+Good), adaptogens are used to target specific skin conditions (like eczema and psoriasis), or for generally quelling inflammation and rehydrating the skin.

The skin is pummelled with a lot of stress, including injuries, illnesses, and even hormonal activity. In addition, pollutants in the environment take their toll on the body as well, increasing the presence of free radicals and compromising the skin's defenses (via Ogee). All of these affect how your skin looks, as well as its overall health. According to Health & Wellbeing, some herbs and roots that could potentially counter this include Siberian ginseng (for tired, aging skin that's dehydrated) and rhodiloa rosea (a plant that grows in Canada which is purported to reduce wrinkles and increase skin firmness).

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally present carb found in the skin, and like collagen, its production slows down as you age. Certain schools of thought connect hyaluronic acid with helping skin conditions such as eczema, as well as wrinkles and other visible signs of aging (such as fine lines). Verywell Health reports on the results of a 2017 study that revealed that when an oral formula of the acid was taken, lines around the eyes reduced in terms of quantity and severity, while the skin looked more radiant and youthful. Another 2017 study revealed benefits in terms of the skin's elasticity, hydration levels, wrinkle depth reduction, and overall texture. 

Meanwhile, researchers in a 2022 study (highlighted in Cosmetics Design) administered a novel sodium hyaluronate both topically and as an ingestible. While the study concluded that more research is required, the results suggest that signs of aging improved. It also noted that while natural hyaluronic acid levels may be present in the dermis of older people, it may not be in the epidermis, which means that the skin is less hydrated.  According to an interview with Dr. Whitney Bowe, author of "The Beauty of Dirty Skin: The Surprising Science of Looking and Feeling Radiant from the Inside Out," in W Magazine, hyaluronic acid can help "when the skin is naturally less able to trap moisture" after you hit your 40s and 50s. 

Many people have heard of collagen, but may not be familiar with ceramides. A lot of ingestibles feature this ingredient due to the fact that they're the building blocks that make up the epidermis. These natural fatty acids lock moisture in and create a barrier, hindering pollutants and free radicals from damaging the skin. 

Phytoceramides come from plants, and because they're not so different from naturally occurring ceramides in the body, they're becoming more prevalent in skincare use (via Healthline). A Mintel report suggests that along with collagen and hyaluronic acid, ceramides are increasingly one of the on-trend ingredients to be taken orally, noting how aging results in lower production and skin that's less robust against negative impacts. Meanwhile, ingestible products with "functional beauty claims" (e.g., beauty benefits, UV protection, etc.) increased between 2017 and 2021 by 78%. 

One product, DEFENCERA, is a powder made from brown rice ceramides (via Women's Weekly). The company claims to provide 24-hour hydration in one sachet, and states that this is "Japan's first and only government-certified oral skin care verified for its safety and effectiveness in preventing moisture from escaping the skin on the entire body." Reportedly, the powder inspires the production of more skin-barrier-protecting ceramides. In 2019, Ceramiracle created beauty bars, combining chocolate and ceramides to create an "ageless delight" (via Lady and the Blog). With the edible skincare space expanding, products with ceramides will likely become more prominent in the near future. 

If the idea of skincare and chocolates combined sounds appealing, then you're in luck, because not only are skincare ingredients becoming edible, they're also being made into bite-sized delicacies, too. 

The growing crossover between beauty and wellness has led to a number of established cosmetics brands and stakeholders entering the edible skincare arena, including renowned beauty entrepreneur Bobbi Brown. According to Harper's Bazaar, the creator (whose eponymous brand has its own wellness line called EVOLUTION_18) set her sights on this industry by becoming a wellness coach before developing supplements to promote better skincare. And in an interview with Forbes, the woman behind the brand highlights one skincare edible that certainly sounds appetizing: Beauty Bites, bite-sized chocolates "infused with beauty foods like biotin, hyaluronic acid, and collagen.

Brown shares that her dream was to create chocolates that not only tasted good, but were also "full of good-for-you ingredients [...] that all work to keep your skin, hair, and nails healthy." Exclusively available at Walmart, these so-called "functional gourmet chocolates," come in milk and dark chocolate varieties, both with peanut butter filling. 

Beginning life as a plant-base beverage company in 2018, Sunwink has quickly gained a following in the wellbeing world. Their Berry Healthy Skin powder is made with acai, goji berries, and amla berries. This is part of a range of wellness products, some of which are available at Target after launching across the U.S. in 2022 (via BevNET). Other products include the Detox Greens powder (which contains celery, dandelion and spirulina) and the Beauty Fruit Punch powder for glowing skin, which contains no artificial sweeteners or additives (featured on TikTok via @sunwink).

Sunwink's powders can be added to hot or cold water, a smoothie, juice, or coffee. The female-owned company aims to bring superfoods to the "beauty from within" movement and the edible skincare space through accessible, sustainable products. According to Glossy Magazine, the goal of co-founder Eliza Ganesh is not just to offer wellness ingestibles at a certain price point, but also to reach ordinary consumers rather than those looking for perfection. Meanwhile, the brand has already gained traction through other outlets such as Whole Foods, and by adding the superfood powders to their line of wellness beverages in 2021 (via BevNET).

While edible skincare and other supplements in the form of ingestibles excite consumers and change the market, other related spaces benefit as well. In the case of topical skincare, there's a growing trend of releasing products that, while certainly not intended for human consumption, can be considered good enough to eat. That's not to say that you'll want to eat your moisturizer, of course. Simply put, it means going for products with food-grade ingredients: a growing market of skincare essentials with components that wouldn't harm you if you were to consume them (via Cosmetics Design).

Ayurvedic skincare has been around for thousands of years, and includes using plants and herbs as ingredients for all-natural skincare products; thus, it mirrors many of today's skincare concoctions made at home (via WebMD). While Ayurvedic skincare products may be topical, the concept is similar to the current food-grade skincare movement in that the focus is on natural ingredients that you put on your skin that you wouldn't be against taking orally. 

However, as with all supplements and herbal remedies, it's always best to check with your physician before using any of these products, especially if you have preexisting health conditions.