Beauty supplements: Do beauty vitamins really work?

Some supplements are supported with studies and before and after photographs, but there's no way to control for everything that you may be doing to your skin. "There are no unbiased studies, no randomized, double-blind, people-controlled trials that show that taking a pill will improve your skin," says Kellett.

Are there immediate benefits?
Skotnicki-Grant has patients who report improvement in their skin after taking skin-care supplements, but it's all self-assessment. "I have to ask what somebody wants," says Pat Browne, spokesperson for Nordic Selfcare Institute, a Toronto-based company that represents beauty supplement Imedeen. "If you wanted to take this product and suddenly look like Katherine Heigl, then no, that's not going to happen. I think everybody sees benefit; it just depends on what you're looking for."

Lynde advises using supplements in addition to, not as replacement for, your skin-care routine. "I think [supplements work] to some extent for most people. On the other hand, people may not be attuned to noticing subtle changes. I usually tell people to give it a trial of three months, and in that three-month period, most people will start to notice some change." This isn't a "one bottle will do you, you'll see great changes" kind of deal; beauty supplements range in cost from $30 to $100 for a month's supply, so you have to be willing to make a serious investment.

If you don't have that kind of money to spend, what alternatives do you have? "The problem is you can't really say," says Skotnicki-Grant. "I think if you want to be proactive and take a multivitamin, then maybe take extra vitamin C and E, and if you have the money [for a beauty supplement], you can't do yourself too much harm."

Of course, if you are thinking of taking any kind of supplement, you should talk to your family doctor first, especially if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding or taking other medication. And if you have food allergies, take a close look at the packaging, since some supplements can have fish- and tomato-derived ingredients.

Other ways to take care of your skin
When it comes to skin care, there will always be something new to try, something with a lot of hype. And there are many different ways to approach skin care, from simply staying out of the sun and drinking water right up to more radical approaches like Botox or surgery. "Each of them provides different ways of attacking the problem," says Lynde. "Unfortunately, none of them can make you look like you're 16 again. Everybody is searching for the fountain of youth."

Intrigued by supplements? Here's a sampling of what's on the shelves:
Imedeen Prime Renewal ($128 for 120 tablets)
Genuine Health Perfect Skin ($49 for a two-month supply)
Murad Optimal Health and Beauty Dietary Supplement ($130)
Borba Acai Skin Treatment Gummi Boosters ($25 for 136 gummi bears)
Dr. Brandt Antioxidant Water Booster ($37)

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