Food supplements specifically formulated to provide beauty benefits «from within» have become a breakthrough in the field. If they are specifically formulated to deliver the right ingredients and can be beneficial to support self-care from inside-out. Latest trends, and exigent consumers are appreciating the link between skin, hair & nails health. Moreover, literature shows correlation among the gut microbiota, emotional state, and skin health.

Therefore, there is a need to understand and design successful products (collagens, vitamins, sebum regulation/pigmentation/hair products, etc.) with scientific background. We will show how formulation technology is a must to deliver our carefully selected ingredients, trough the oral route, in such a dosage form, that can guarantee optimal time and place of action. With the perfect marriage of ingredients designed under the right dosage form food supplements have a path of success and a clear link with topical products that have exponential benefits for maintaining skin health.

Food Supplements have a specific regulatory framework different from current foods and medicines, which is not fully harmonized between the EU, and therefore it makes it difficult to understand the legal situation of a product when it is commercialized in different countries. In this speech we will present the legislation in force in Europe, the difference between food supplement, current food, enriched food and medicine, which is not always clearly defined, the authorized nutritional and health claims related to skin which can be used in food supplements and the complex process of notification to the national health authorities, required for this kind of products.