BellaSugar

Would You Eat These Collagen Marshmallows?

BellaSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:00:35 -0700

We've heard about the chocolate that treats acne and the drink that makes you more beautiful, so now what's next? Why, delicious collagen marshmallows (£10, or approximately $14) with pink grapefruit flavor. Vegetarians beware, as this product contains gelatin.

These Japanese collagen "treats," which are not sold in the US, are now available in the UK. The fluffy puffs supposedly work to help your skin look smoother and less wrinkled, even reducing the appearance of cellulite. What's your take on this beauty food? Do you consider it a tasty treat - or just plain nasty?

Yum! This Chocolate Treats Acne

BellaSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:59:20 -0700

Oddly enough, an ingredient that has long been associated with causing acne (turns out it doesn't) is now being used to help alleviate the condition. I think I have died and gone to heaven. Frutels Acne Care in a Chocolate ($38 to $69) is a treatment that works from the inside out, using antioxidants and micronutrients sans artificial ingredients, preservatives, and chemicals to clarify the skin.

While I haven't tried the chocolate-coated sugar-free "candy," eating two to four a day supposedly provides results within two weeks. With the recent launch of Nestlé's Glowelle, along with this beauty water, it looks like the nutraceutical trend is here to stay. Now only if someone could invent an acne-reducing chocolate croissant.

Can a Drink Make You More Beautiful?

BellaSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:04:09 -0700

Those of you who have been reading for a while know that beauty supplements and I don't get along so well. I didn't see any improvement with my Borba experiment, but I'm willing to give things another try. Enter Glowelle, a nutraceutical drink from Nestlé. Promising better skin through drinking its antioxidant-laden formula, Glowelle aims to fight the signs of aging through one packet a day.

Glowelle is pretty pricey - $40 for a seven-day supply, and $112 for a 30-day supply. (Beautyfix's current beauty bag, at $49.99, includes the seven-day box along with other products, so I think it's a better way to go.) Each day's packet contains powder that you mix with water; it includes goji berries and green and white tea extracts, among other nutrients.

After adding the powder to water, you'll have a deep berry-colored drink. I disliked the artificial fruity taste (though, oddly, I like the floral aftertaste) and couldn't finish my glass. Sadly, looking at the ingredient list didn't make me give it another go. The first ingredient is evaporated cane juice, which is another way of saying sugar. (Less-refined sugar, but still.) Since I try to avoid eating sugar as much as possible, I realized that Glowelle just isn't for me. I'm not sure if it improves skin, but considering the high price and not-so-yum flavor, I won't find out. All in all, I'd rather just buy goji berries (tasty!) and drink green tea than add a fake coloring and sugar to my diet.

It looks like yet another supplement FAIL for Bella, but I'm curious to find out if any of you have tried Glowelle - and if you liked it. Flavor is such a personal thing, and I'm sure some people like the taste, so I'd love to read your reviews.

Would You Drink Beauty Water?

BellaSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:15:22 -0700

Although I found my Borba experience to be a dud, I'm still intrigued by the idea of complexion-perfecting supplements. The latest launch is an English water called Beauty. It's a spring water that contains an anti-acne protein said to boost the body's bacteria-fighting abilities.

I doubt Beauty would be able to knock out acne - and even if it could do it, you'd have to drink at least two bottles a day, indefinitely. But the design of the bottle is so contemporary and energetic that I'd probably reach for it instead of Dasani. What about you? Would you drink this stuff?

Doing Drugstore: Nature's Cure Acne Treatment

BellaSugar — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:59:04 -0700

You know how you can go to Walgreens, and the bottom of the shelf has a bunch of unusual products you've never heard of? Well, I saw Nature's Cure Acne Treatment ($9.99), a homeopathic remedy for acne, and thought it sounded a bit quacky. After all, I'd had bad luck with a previous fling with supplements. At the same time, though, I was curious, so I did a little online research and found lots of rave reviews. Sold!

Nature's Cure claims to "tackle internal causes by stimulating your body's natural defenses to help stop acne where it starts." The homeopathic pills include English walnut, yeast, cone flower, wild rosemary, vegetable carbon and frost weed-all in micro-doses which aim to clear up skin. You take two pills a day (one in the morning, one at night) and apply the included benzoyl peroxide cream on zits. Simple. The box promised "results within two weeks," and boy, did I get them. To find out what happened, read more

You know, the pills aren't too terrible. They're flavorless, slightly chalky and chewable. I had great faith in them: Every time I took one, I thought, "Ha ha! Flawless skin will soon be mine!" Chomp, chomp, chomp. I was a pill-popper, and happy to be one. (I tried using the cream, but because my skin is sensitive, it dried out almost immediately.)

Soon, just as Nature's Cure promised, I saw results. Ugly results. Let me tell you, I have never broken out as badly as I did after taking these pills. About a week after becoming a pillhead, my chin erupted into gross, goop-filled pimples. I stuck with the program, though, because I'd read reviews by people who explained that this was just skin "purging" existing junk, and that in a few more weeks, everything would be gravy.

But there was no gravy, only more pimples.

I took Nature's Cure for a little over a month, but then I had to stop. The zits didn't stop coming, and I was tired of waking up every morning to see more blemishes. I headed to see my dermatologist (don't miss my interview with him), and started a prescription program that is working great! But that's another story. For now, I have to say that Nature's Cure merely aggravated my acne. Based on other people's experiences, maybe I'm just a fluke-but this is a final sign that my skin just doesn't respond well to supplements. Anyone else have a more positive experience?

Do You Think Beauty Supplements Work?

BellaSugar — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:30:19 -0700

A new study reports that Brits spend £37 million (almost $75 million) on beauty supplements such as Borba and Perfectil. I've gotta be honest with you: I've tried supplements, and all they've done is aggravate my skin. Some friends rave about them, but I've tried three different brands and haven't seen anything close to the amazing results that were promised. So I want to know: Do you take beauty supplements? Do you think they work, or is it all a bunch of bunk?Source

New Product Alert: Vitabiotics Perfectil

BellaSugar — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 07:00:32 -0700

It's silly, but any product with the word "perfect" in its name is bound to get my attention. Vitabiotics Perfectil ($16.99), already popular in Europe and Britain, is a vitamin supplement that promises to improve hair, skin and nails by providing 22 necessary nutrients. For instance, it contains grape seed extract to fight aging, copper to strengthen hair, and vitamin E to improve hair's strength and shine.

Perfectil is available now, and if I hadn't just started another vitamin-based skincare treatment (which I'll fill you in on shortly) I would probably give it a whirl. What do you think? Is this gimmicky or genius? Finally, thanks to KBella for pointing this out!

Are Hair and Nail Supplements Bad For Your Skin?

BellaSugar — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:20:22 -0700

I feel like it's my duty to tell you guys when there is something I don't love just as much as it is to tell you about something I do love. I have thin hair and I bite my nails, so when I saw these Phytophanere Dietary Supplement for Hair & Nails, $50, I was convinced that this was going to help me out in a big way. Lots of my pregnant girlfriends swear that vitamin supplements have significantly sped up the growth process of their hair and nails and additionally improved their strength. (I'm sure hormones played a part too.)

I began my regimen and started taking these pills for two months. My nails did grow a little faster than usual, but I also began to break out. Little bumpy red zits appeared all over my face!

I decided to call my dermatologist and she told me that I could be having a reaction to these supplements. I immediately stopped taking them and my skin cleared up some. I am not saying they don't work - or that you will break out from them, but this was just my experience.

I thought I'd open this up for discussion. Has anything like this happened to anyone else? Do you care to share any stories where you've reacted strangely to a beauty product? I'd love to know!

GNC Gets Soaked

BellaSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:00:03 -0700

GNC, a brand long-associated with building big bulky muscles for jocks, is exploring its softer side. Recently, the vitamin megastore released Wellbeing, a new line of health, beauty, and fitness products for women, including vitamins, supplements, and three new bath soaks ($15 each).

These dual-acting muscle soaks/bath scrubs contain mineral-rich salts from the Dead Sea, perfect for detoxification, exfoliation, and pre-self-tanning. Each soak also contains a high concentration of essential oils to boost their therapeutic benefits. Baths are one of life's simple pleasures, agreed? But do these new products enhance the experience? Find out when you read more.

Dead Sea and/or epsom salts are my favorite ways to clarify both the body and mind while chilling in the tub, particularly when combined with scents that are more mellow than overwhelming, and more natural than synthetic. GNC's citrus-scented Be-Positive Uplifting Soak and juniper-scented Be-Refreshed Sore Muscle Soak provided just that. The new item is also available in a calming Be-Rested Relaxation Soak - Lavender.

While the salts are a little on the expensive side, as I got only about three to four uses out of each tub, Mr. Bella and I both agreed that the muscle soak was restorative without being too medicinal. "It would be great if you were sick, too," he adds. As for the uplifting version, it did indeed have bright and cheery benefits, along with some skin-softening advantages. At roughly $4 to $5 per use, I'm on the fence about the cost and small quantity of product, but pleased with the results.

Five Complexion Tips From Dr. Murad

BellaSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:00:51 -0700

Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Howard Murad, who shared his advice on achieving healthy skin. And now, through his Inclusive Health Center, he has more sage words about the correlation between how your health and appearance are affected by your emotional state. Here are some of my favorites:

Breakfast: Don't skimp on the most important meal of the day. Eat a metabolism- and appearance-boosting balanced breakfast of grains, whole oats, eggs, and fresh fruit.
Sleep: Get your eight hours in, and "use topical and internal products with ingredients such as melatonin and GABA that add depth to your sleep and your skin’s sleep repair cycle," says Dr. Murad.
Flax seed and fish oil: Not only should you moisturize your skin in the AM and the PM, but take supplements with hydrating essential fatty acids, like flaxseed and fish oil, too.
Three good things: At the end of the day, write down three good things that happened that day. "This is my #1 recommendation to improve emotional self-care," he adds.
Supplements: Take glucosamine, which helps to increase the water content in your body. For production of collagen and elastin, look to amino acids. "Think of your daily supplements as insurance that guarantees you’ll maintain the nutrient levels you need to look and live your best," advises Dr. Murad.

Which of these tips do you use?

Source