Latest Tryouts – Supplements That Worked Pretty Well and Some That Didn’t.
Talking about supplements is a bit tricky because of the way they work. They are designed to supplement our diets when something is missing, which explains why they work so differently for everyone. I mean, we don’t yet live in a dystopian future where everyone eats the same food, thank goodness for that. Depending on what you eat plus a bunch of other factors, supplements may or may not be beneficial. Personally, I aspire to have a balanced diet, but I lack the desire to restrict myself to eating healthy all the time. I really like fresh bread, sweets, and processed snacks, and try to eat them in moderation, but when I really need some comfort – all brakes are off.
So, today’s post is about four supplements I recently added to my routine: one for hair, one sleep aid, one for stress relief, and one for skin & nails. Here’s how they fared!
The first one is Proper Core Sleep with Hemp ($55.99) – All my life I’ve been a light sleeper: it takes me a long time to fall asleep and I never sleep very deeply, easily waking up from random noises in the house. Proper is a brand that offers drug-free non-habit forming sleep aid remedies powered by botanicals, and they have several formulations to choose from. I decided to try Core Sleep + CBD since my body seems to respond positively to low-con CBD, plus it contains two other ingredients I like – GABA and Valerian root. I used this formula on and off for about 4 weeks and it definitely helped me fall asleep faster (10-20 mins tops instead of 1hr+) but it doesn’t quite help me sleep through the night. I have since switched to the brand’s Discovery Pack to find a Proper formula that can tackle both. Looking forward to it!
By the way, they gave me a code to share with you guys. Try a discovery pack with all 5 formulas and get 10% off your purchase with code ANASTASIA at getproper.com.
As far as beauty supplements go, I often give preference to HUM Nutrition. I’ve been using this brand for many years and have since found several firm favorites. Recently, they came out with a new range of supplement gummies and I was excited to be among the first to give them a try! My experience, however, was a bit lukewarm.
Hair Sweet Hair ($26) is a supplement complex featuring biotin, folic acid, zinc, and fo-ti extract that promotes hair growth. After 4 weeks I definitely noticed a positive change in my hair length and density, especially my brows and lashes. My skin, however, didn’t like this formula at all and reacted with a spread of closed comedones over my face, chest, and neck. As soon as I discontinued use, the comedones went away within 48 hours. Too bad, because it did actually work!
Glow Sweet Glow ($26) is a skin supplement with Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid that promotes skin hydration. In theory, I expected to love this the most out of the three, but in reality, I noticed zero difference. I have one of those small devices that measures skin hydration levels and there was no change whatsoever after a month of taking these religiously. If anything, my skin got even drier, but I don’t think it’s the supplement’s fault – our air has been crazy dry until the last week or so. But yeah, I guess this gummy didn’t work out either.
Calm Sweet Calm ($30) is a stress relief supplement with ashwagandha and L-Theanine that promotes relaxation. Sometimes it helped and other times it didn’t, so depending on the severity of the stressful situation it might not be strong enough. For example, one day I was highly emotional and it didn’t seem to help at all, but when I was angry and frustrated about minor things, it helped me calm down a lot quicker. Not a miracle pill by any means, but I’ll take it.
Speaking of gummies! Maybe I’m still a child inside, but I am more likely to remember to take my vitamins when they come in a gummy form. On the other hand, I should probably reduce the amount of sugar in my diet and stick with the capsules, so it’s kind of a trade-off. For sure, taking gummy supplements is a nice way to cultivate good habits, but when you get used to taking them daily, maybe switching to sugar-free varieties would be better for the long run. What do you think?
I hope you enjoyed this quick overview! Do you currently take any supplements? Would you be curious to try any of these?
Note: My experiences are unique to my body and your results may be different than mine. Please, consult with your healthcare provider before using any new supplements.
