Beauty-from-within products have continued to garner interest among consumers over the past few years. Even as we have started to shake off the shadow of 2020, those sleepless nights, stressful days, and (it's okay to admit it) some less-than-ideal habits many of us developed in an effort to make it through have left their mark (On our faces and our hips, to say the least). Now that we're crawling back into the light, many consumers have a renewed focus on healthy aging. This has resulted in a continuous rollout of new "nutricosmetics" products, with significant growth forecasted for the next several years.

Healthy aging has been a growing category for the past decade, and those who have been making the effort are now hoping to look as good as they feel. In addition to plant-based collagen products will be other ingestible supplements with a focus on beauty-benefits: probiotics, ceramides, botanicals, and more are being snatched up as quickly as they launch.

This Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Beauty from Within will provide some insights into the benefits of plant-based collagen, tips on how to build and protect your own collagen, and some major beauty trends that focus on nourishing beauty from the inside out.

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Beauty Collagen Secrets – How to Make That Skin Glow

Collagen protein is responsible for providing the framework for our skin cells, keeping them strong, healthy, and supple. Since collagen protein plays a big role in skin’s strength, elasticity, and even hydration, it’s a no-brainer that collagen has direct links to beauty. We produce less natural collagen as we get older, and when we combine that with environmental pollutants, stress, too much sun exposure, not getting enough sleep at night, etc., - it’s no wonder we often look older than our age.

Collagen supplements have sort of paved the way for the beauty-from-within category. There are two main types of collagen supplements to be found: animal-derived, and plant-based. While both types will provide amino acids, which are necessary for the building of collagen, only the plant-based products will contain botanical extracts and antioxidants that help the collagen builder cells in your body function at their best.

These natural antioxidants, fruit extracts, phytoceramides, and electrolytes can help to nourish the skin from within. using scientifically researched botanical ingredients that truly do support natural radiant skin.

➤ Learn More About The Key Plant-Based Ingredients for Glowing Skin

Saving Your Skin's Collagen – What You Can Start Doing Today

Changes in our skin texture and structure are a normal part of aging.  The impact of UV rays, stress, and other harmful environmental or lifestyle factors often means that our skin ages faster than other parts of our body. Unfortunately, this surface level aging is also the most visible to us and others. 

While it is the visible surface of the skin on which we (and the traditional cosmetics industry) focus, the underlying scaffolding and support network beneath is an even more important contributor to overall skin health. The main structural component of the skin is the protein collagen. Collagen is the most plentiful protein in the body and provides structural strength in many places in the body, including bones, tendons, ligaments, skin, and hair.

The sun is by far the number one aging factor of your skin, causing up to 90% of all visible changes due to aging. While we do require some time in the sun to create Vitamin D, too much exposure expedites the aging of the skin. Unprotected exposure to ultraviolet rays can damage DNA, diminish fibroblast activity, cause oxidative stress, and increase the levels of the enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, leading to chronic skin concerns and premature aging.

Obviously, it is easier to protect healthy skin than it is to rebuild it. That is why a lifetime of good sun care habits is the most important thing you can do to retain your youthful skin. Wearing protective clothing, using sunscreen, getting enough sleep, and eating a diet rich in plant-based superfoods are all helpful ways to promote healthy aging. 

There are also some powerhouse plant-based ingredients that have been shown to work on multiple levels to inhibit harmful enzymes, stimulate fibroblast activity, and provide important building blocks for collagen production.

2020 Nutritional Beauty Trends – Nourish from the Inside Out

Lucky for most of us, bringing out our natural beauty isn’t only about clocking 8+ hours of quality sleep each night. (If it were, I think most of us would be in trouble!) Mastering a natural skin care routine that includes both external AND internal helpers can make all the difference!

There are many beauty-enhancing supplements on the market now that provide an additional boost from within to the lotions and potions we put on our skin daily!

Here are some of the top beauty-from-within trends that came on strong in 2020:

• Probiotics - You may be familiar with the trillions of bacteria living within our digestive tracts, but let’s not forget about the trillions of microorganisms that also take up residence on our skin! While taking probiotic supplements have proven valuable for gut health, they can also be helpful in controlling the types of bacteria that are on our skin!

• Vitamin B12- Also known as Cobalamin, B12 is an essential vitamin needed for red blood cell formation, oxygen delivery to cells, and DNA transcription. We cannot produce B12 on our own, so we need to get it from our diet.

• Fermented Superfoods– Go "Beyond the Kale." Yes, kale, and other superfoods, are mega-healthy for our bodies. When fermented, however, they provide a whole new level if health benefits. Fermented superfoods help to foster a healthy gut microbiome and boost B vitamins, among other things!

• Superfood Superfruits– Especially acai, mangosteen, and pomegranate. These superfruits are full of antioxidants that help to neutralize and eliminate damaging free radical toxins, allowing cells to thrive and live longer. While antioxidants are shown to help protect us from cancer and other chronic diseases, they also help promote natural beauty by preventing early cell death, leading to healthier, stronger, and sturdier cells.
  
  ➤ Learn More About The Top Nutritional Beauty Trends of 2020

2021 Nutritional Beauty Trends – Nourish from the Inside Out

Natural beauty has always started from within. In 2021, there seems to be a global appreciation for the things that make us feelour best… but we still want to look our best!

We now know that in order to have healthy skin, hair, and nails, we require nutritional support - either from the foods we eat or through additional supplementation.

Here are some of the top beauty-from-within trends to look for in 2021:

• Vitamin C -Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps to grow and repair skin tissues and assists the body in natural collagen production. This has a major impact on skin elasticity as well as in the skin's healing process.
  
  
• Dairy-free Diet -In the quest for clear skin, many find cutting out foods with dairy in them do wonders for their overall nutrition and skin health. This food group including butter, milk, cheese, and more increases oil production, which can lead to the clogging of pores, irritating the skin. 
  
  
• Vitamin A -Vitamin A aids in keeping skin hydrated and refreshed. It does this through a process of normalizing skin cell function, which can add balanced moisture to both the epidermis and dermis, the top two layers of the skin. With cells functioning at their best, pigmentation and clarity also often improve. Bonus: vitamin A can impact strong hair growth as well through moisturizing the scalp, keeping hair growing, and healthy. 
  
  
• Zinc -Zinc naturally protects key elements in the skin such as lipids and fibroblasts, and plays a major role in hair tissue growth and repair.
  
  
• Dermaval™ -Dermaval™ is an all-natural blend of fruit and vegetable concentrates full of antioxidants that work together to create elasticity in the skin. Dermaval™ also reduces the destruction of collagen and elastin and enhances antioxidant protection. This helps to actively protect the skin while reducing aging and skin harm from within. 
  
  
• Elderberry –Last year, everybody was looking toward the power of elderberries in an effort to not get sick. In 2021, this same small but powerful berry is in hot demand as an enhancement to natural beauty. This nutritional powerhouse has been used to treat severe acne because of its combination of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 
  
  
• Fiber -Fiber is an incredible dietary additive that can help with digestion and gut health. However, many don't know the incredible impacts fiber can have in looking your best! Fiber has anti-inflammatory properties, so can be helpful with conditions such as persistent rashes and acne.
  
  
• SkinAx2™ -SkinAx2™ is a patented ingredient containing a blend of antioxidants, melon extracts, zinc, and vitamin C. In clinical studies, this potent combination of vitamins and minerals has been found to clarify skin tone, reduce skin imperfections, and boost overall luminosity. 
  
  ➤ Learn More About The Top Nutritional Beauty Trends for 2021

SUMMARY 

We hope that this guide will be helpful in providing some useful information on the latest and most effective beauty from within nutritional products. Within these posts we will share tips about how to help build and protect your skin and collagen and look a little more closely at how some of these powerhouse ingredients can help promote health aging and natural beauty.