Lianna Albrizio, Assistant Editor03.17.22
When it comes to achieving optimum benefits to skin care routines, what consumers are putting on their skin is just as important as what they are putting into their body.
The same goes for collagen-restoring and other anti-aging products.
Ingestible beauty brand Vida Glow was founded by entrepreneur Anna Lahey in 2014. The initial launch was in her native Sydney, Australia. Later, the brand debuted in China and the UK. This month, Vida Glow expands into the US.
The launch comes at a perfect time. The $4 billion ingestible collagen market is expected to reach $6.5 billion globally by 2025. That means Vida Glow has plenty of room to grow.
“I created Vida Glow because I wanted to share the real results of collagen,” said Lahey. “Now, we’re paving the way forward in every sense, from the products we formulate to the markets we reach. As we expand, we are taking the opportunity to evolve Vida Glow and cement ourselves as the international leaders in ingestible beauty.”
Brazilian-born Lahey named the brand “Vida” for the Portuguese word “life,” synonymous with health, and “glow” after the skincare benefit coveted by many consumers. Of equal importance is the presence of collagen—the main structural protein found in skin responsible for making it look bouncy, smooth and youthful.
As early as age 30, collagen production begins to slowly diminish, causing the skin to become thinner and drier. With time and environmental damage—the main culprits being sun overexposure and poor lifestyle choices including low-quality sleep, smoking and drinking—neglected skin health can eventually lead to the formation of unwanted wrinkles, dark circles and sagging skin.
As a supplement to a topical skin care routine, Vida Glow offers ingestible products that are said to visibly help stimulate collagen production, strengthen and grow hair and nails, diminish inflammation and eliminate undereye circles, among other skin care benefits. Another product is a powder that melts on the tongue. It is recommended for use by Gen Z-aged consumers to help defend against premature aging.
Natural Marine Collagen
The brand’s range includes Vida Glow’s Natural Marine Collagen. Made from sustainably-sourced fish skin, the hydrolyzed collagen peptide powder provides essential micronutrients to stimulate collagen production. The brand is governed by the Global Good Agricultural Practice (G.A.P.). These EUREPGAP standards helped producers comply with Europe-wide accepted criteria for food safety, sustainable production methods, worker and animal welfare, and responsible use of water, compound feed and plant propagation materials.
More than six million units of the collagen supplement are sold annually; the company says it is the No. 1 marine collagen brand in China and Australia.
Lahey first discovered ingestible collagen while in Japan 10 years ago where it was being used in fitness clubs and restaurants. In fact, her server had asked her if she wanted it infused in her soup.
“I’d never heard of collagen at the time, so I was like, sure!” recalled Lahey.
Laheny’s girlfriend told her it was was good for hair, skin and nails.
“So I tried it, and it tasted like nothing. There weren’t any flavored options,” she said.
When Lahey inquired at a local pharmacy about collagen supplementation, she learned that the practice had a long history. But she took the information with a grain of salt before taking a deep-dive into its benefits.
Working with a team of in-house formulators, scientists and an innovation team, Lahey launched Vida Glow—interestingly enough, on her wedding day in 2014.
The brand’s first product, Natural Marine Collagen, is a powder (available in peach, pineapple, blueberry, mango and flavorless) that can be mixed into a full glass of water, coffee or tea, and is best imbibed twice-daily at breakfast and before bedtime for women ages 35 and older. The recommended use for women under 35 is one serving a day, according to the company.
Using a natural hydrolyzation and proprietary enzymatic process in France, Vida Glow’s Marine Collagen is broken down from collagen in its rawest form from a molecular weight of 300,000 Daltons to as low as 2,000 Daltons. Through this process, the amino acid content of the pre-hydrolyzed fish materials—made from the skin of wild caught and farmed open water fish bred for human consumption—enhances the absorption process to 90%. (The lower the molecular weight of the collagen, the higher the absorption rate and the higher the efficacy.) According to the company, within 30 seconds of consumption, the Natural Marine Collagen powder passes the stomach’s lining and is absorbed and distributed via tiny blood vessels through the collagen matrix beneath the skin, which consists of the epidermis, or the surface epithelium of the skin, the dermis and the hypodermis or the subcutaneous tissue.
According to Lahey, tangible results are seen at the eight-week mark among consistent users. In a double-wide placebo-controlled trial, wrinkles and fine lines were decreased by 50%, while elasticity, firmness, and hydration improving up to 91%.
Anti-Glycation Supplement
With a focus on extrinsic aging, Vida Glow also offers Anti-G-OX, a daily antioxidant supplement containing essential nutrients that help protect healthy skin against premature signs of aging caused by environmental offenses such as UV light, smoking, poor diet and environmental pollutants.
While topical skin care products work to correct skin damage from direct application, the prevention of premature aging begins at a cellular level, according to the brand. Recommended for Gen Z-aged consumers to keep skin looking and feeling young, and to help neutralize cancer-causing free radicals in the body brought on by chronic stress, UV overexposure and a lack of sleep, Vida Glow’s Anti-G-Ox contains vitamins B3, B6, C and E, as well as chromium, biotin, hydroCurc (a form of curcumin with superior bioavailability) and zinc. The blend is said to fight inflammation caused by skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema and acne, and improve skin structure, too. The powder, which comes in pomegranate, sherbet, strawberry, raspberry and berry, is poured onto the tongue twice-daily where it melts and gets distributed into the bloodstream in 15 minutes, according to the brand.
The G in Anti-G stands for glycation, the skin’s natural aging process that can lead to wrinkles, lines and discoloration.
“Glycation happens at 35. It can’t be stopped, but it can be slowed,” noted Lahey.
“Sugar is essential fuel for energy and metabolism,” she explained of the process. “Molecules can bind to fat cells and proteins and cause keratin, elastin and collagen to become discolored and malformed.”
Poor sugar metabolism caused by diets high in sugar and saturated fats expedite the glycation process leading to worn-looking skin. The antioxidants in Anti-G-Ox, the effervescent beauty powder, she said, can help to balance the sugar metabolism reversing worn skin into an energized, rejuvenated complexion.
Radiance Capsules
Targeting pigmentation, dull and uneven skin tone, Vida Glow’s Radiance is a once-daily, plant-derived cellulose capsule that, like Anti-G-Ox, operates on a cellular level. Radiance addresses an overproduction of melanin in the body caused by sun and blue light exposure; inflammatory skin conditions such as rosacea; and genetics and hormones which can lead to discoloration in the form of unsightly dark spots. The capsules also work to eliminate dark circles under the eye.
The supplement is infused with a blend of brightening antioxidants, plant extracts, vitamins, minerals and carotenoids to fade existing imperfections and prevent future damage.
Its key active ingredient, SkinAx2, comprises a combination of champagne grapeseed and French melon extracts that support melasma pigmentation, and other dark marks caused by past acne breakouts and sun and age spots, as well as undereye circles.
According to the brand, Radiance has been clinically studied to increase luminosity by 26%, significantly reduce imperfections on the face by 18% and lighten dark circles by 12%. The result is a more even skin tone overall and an illuminated complexion.
“We launched this on September 1 in Australia,” said Lahey. “By December, it was the second-best performing product on our e-commerce website with a 75% repeat customer rate.”
According to Lahey, in a clinical study, 64% of participants were happy with the results after one month; 90% after two months; and 100% after three months.
Lahey was inspired to create Radiance after her own experience with melasma. A mother of three, she was impacted by the condition during and pregnancy. Lahey sought an easier, pain-free option to target pigmentation without invasive treatments and harsh topicals that she said consumed much time and money.
“Having experienced postpartum-pigmentation myself, I understand the frustration and need for a breakthrough formula like Radiance,” said Lahey. “The science and high efficacy behind Radiance are revolutionary and provide a tangible solution for anyone concerned with uneven tone, dullness and skin discoloration.”
Results are tangible after two months with consistent use, according to the brand.
Natural Marine Collagen, Radiance and Anti-G-OX are available for purchase in the US at us.vidaglow.com, Revolve.com, Shen Beauty and Carbon Beauty.