Update 7/3/19 Halo Beauty hair skin and nails booster by Tati Westbrook is touted to be the best supplements in the world. Skin, hair, and nails share some common nutrients and so in this review, I'll look at the logic and science behind the use of the ingredients in Halo Beauty and along the way, answer your questions too. I will also address the drama about its use of saw palmetto too. Does Halo Beauty really work or is it a scam? Let's see what we can discover.
Other Hair Reviews
Who Makes Halo Beauty?
Halo Beauty is a supplement formulated by Tati Westbrook who, since 2011 has been publishing videos on YouTube about make-up and skincare. She's quite popular and Halo Beauty is her first dietary supplement. As the GlamLifeGuru states in this video, she picked the name Halo Beauty as a way to be all-inclusive.
In her own words, “everyone is under the halo and no one is left out.” Also, the halo is meant to convey something is pure. Tati is also on Instagram as well as everywhere else. Just google her name or “GlamLifeGuru” and she will pop up.
Halo Beauty Benefits
From HaloBeauty.com, we learn the product is touted to provide the following benefits:
- Promotes Thick and Luxurious Hair Growth
- Minimizes Fine Lines and Wrinkles
- Supports Collagen and Keratin Production
- Promotes Strong and Healthy Nails
- Contains Anti-Gray Fighting Enzymes
Remember these are the claims of the company. Like all supplement claims, they have not been confirmed by the FDA. Still, there is research on some of the key ingredients which will be covered below.
Halo Beauty Clinical Evidence
At the time this review was created, Halo Beauty Booster did not appear to have any human clinical trials. Lack of evidence doesn't automatically mean something doesn't work. It means we have to look at the evidence for the ingredients in Halo Beauty.
Let's do that next…
Halo Beauty Ingredients
In 2 capsules of Halo Beauty, we find the following ingredients:
| Ingredient | 2 capsules | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 60 mg | 100% DV |
| Vitamin D3 | 1000 IU | 250% DV |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 5 mg | 333% DV |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 5 mg | 294% DV |
| Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCL) | 2mg | 100% DV |
| Biotin | 3000 mcg | 1000% DV |
| Zinc (Zinc methionine) | 10mg | 67% DV |
| Copper (copper gluconate) | 2mg | 100% DV |
| Manganese (manganase gluconate) | 2mg | 100% DV |
| Catalase | 2500 IU | N/A |
| Rosehip power extract (4:1) | 100mg | N/A |
| Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) | 160mg | N/A |
| Saw Palmetto (45% beta sterols) | 160mg | N/A |
| Embilca Officianalis (Alma) (45% tannins) | 200mg | N/A |
| Grape Seed Extract (85% polyphenols) | 60mg | N/A |
| Pumpkin Seed 10:1 Extract Powder (Curcubita pepo) | 80mg | |
| Ceramide RX Phytoceramides (Rice extract) | 40mg | N/A |
| Horsetail Equisetum arvense | 20mg | N/A |
| Astaxanthin | 4mg | N/A |
| L Glutathione | 10mg | N/A |
| Alpha Lipoic Acid | 30mg | N/A |
In the table above, “N/A” means no daily value for the nutrient has been established.
Other ingredients in the product are:
- microcrystalline cellulose
- hydroxymethyl-propyl cellulose (the veggie capsule)
- silicon dioxide
- vegetable magnesium stearate
These other ingredients play no role in the effectiveness or benefits of Halo Beauty. They make up the capsules and help the ingredients mix well together.
Let's now take a look at the clinical evidence for the main ingredients.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant but it also does many other things too including helping to make the protein collagen. Collagen is a key protein in hair, skin, and nails. So, it makes sense this vitamin would be in a supplement of this type.
While most people in the US are probably not deficient in vitamin C, Halo Beauty provides 60 mg which is a good amount, just in case. The antioxidant ability of vitamin C – along with the other antioxidants in the supplement – might, in theory, help reduce split ends too.
Halo Beauty also contains rose hips. This term refers to the fruit of the rose plant. The fruits are called the “hips” of the rose plant. Rose hips provide a lot of vitamins A and C as well as several minerals. If you were to eat the rosehip fruit, you also get a good source of fiber too.
Vitamin D3
There are 2 main types of vitamin D: vitamin D 2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is the form of the vitamin we make when we are exposed to sunlight. This is the form that Halo contains.
Vitamin D is actually more of a hormone than a vitamin and like all hormones has global effects in the body. By global, I mean it does MANY things. While often being associated with keeping bones strong, it's important to know that there are vitamin D receptors on every cell in your body -including your hair follicles.
While studies have not yet proven whether vitamin D can grow hair, the evidence does show an association between hair loss and low vitamin D3 levels in women. In other words, the lower the vitamin D3 levels, the more hair loss experienced.
This is important because odds are, most people reading this are deficient in vitamin D. Lab animal research has also shown vitamin D may play a role in the health of hair follicles.
Vitamin D tip: As a rule of thumb, every 1000 IU of vitamin D will raise blood levels of the vitamin by 10. So, if you had a blood level of 30 ng/ml, a supplement providing 1000 IU would help boost that to about 40 ng/ml.
While a level of 30 ng/ml is often seen to be OK on a blood test, this amount is only for bone health. What about immune health? What about hair health?
While optimal vitamin D levels differ depending on who you talk to, many experts recommend a vitamin D range of 30-80ng/ml. Given the possibility of rampant vitamin D deficiency, I was pleased to see Halo Beauty providing 1000 IU of vitamin D3.
For the vegans reading this, vitamin D in Halo Beauty is plant-based and comes from lichens. No animal sources are used anywhere in this product.
Vitamin B1, B2 & B6
Halo Beauty Booster contains 3 of the B complex family of: Vitamin B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin) and B6 (Pyridoxine). All of the B vitamins take part in a variety of functions. These vitamins help us produce the connective tissues and collagen and elastin which are important to hair, nails, and skin.
Most healthy adults may not be deficient in these vitamins but they do make sense from hair skin and nail health perspective. They are good insurance.
Biotin
Biotin (sometimes called vitamin H) is a common vitamin to hair growth supplements and even some shampoos. This makes sense given that a lack of biotin is can lead to hair loss. While biotin probably doesn't grow hair that's already been lost, it can help existing hair grow faster. The same goes for nails too.
While we can't make biotin ourselves, – our microbiome makes it for us. While deficiency is rare, some medications might make deficiency more likely. Medications associated with biotin deficiency include anti-seizure and some antibiotics. This supplement contains 3 grams (3000 mg) of biotin. That's a good amount and in line with what I'd expect in hair, nails and skin supplement.
See the Sugar Bear Hair Gummy Review
Zinc
Zinc is a mineral that takes part in many cellular reactions including hair health. One study noted lower zinc levels in men and women who were experiencing hair loss.
Reports are zinc and hair loss is complex and interesting. One report describes the case of a woman experiencing hair loss, which did not stop even after she started taking levothyroxine (hypothyroid medication). She was later determined to also be low in zinc.
Only after a zinc supplement was added to her diet did her hair loss stop and even regrew. In another study, boys seemed to show an association between zinc concentration and hair color. Zinc seems to be associated with melanin, the pigment which gives hair its color.
Research suggests zinc may help acne too.
Copper
The mineral copper is needed for the production of melanin which gives skin and hair its color. We also use copper to make the connective tissues, collagen, and elastin. In addition, copper helps make an important antioxidant called super-oxide-dismutase (SOD) which, among other things, breaks down hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).
The build-up of hydrogen peroxide is one of the things thought to be associated with gray and white hair. While it's unlikely eating extra copper restores gray hair color, this mineral is very important to our health.
Two capsules of Halo Beauty provides 50 mg of copper. That's 50% of the RDA. I like this because it still leaves room for us to get copper from foods too.
Catalase
Catalase is an enzyme, an antioxidant enzyme which, like SOD mentioned above, breaks down hydrogen peroxide, which is a free radical. Free radicals are known to promote wrinkles and a host of other things too (even the aging process!).
I sometimes see catalase in anti-gray hair supplements. In theory, it makes sense because if catalase can reduce hydrogen peroxide in hair follicles, hair color might be restored or maybe we could at least slow down the graying process.
One problem is I can't find proof catalase supplements work or not. Nobody seems to have looked into it. There is however research on a cream called Pseudo-Catalase which does seem to restore the color of skin and maybe our hair too. This hints that the idea of restoring hair pigment by way of reducing hydrogen peroxide may have some merit.
See the gray hair supplements review
MSM
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a popular ingredient in arthritis supplements. With respect to Halo Beauty, one interesting study noted that MSM supplements seemed to reduce wrinkles. This study lasted 16 weeks and involved 20 women who took 3 grams of MSM or a placebo.
OptiMSM was the supplement used in this study.
At the end of the study, researchers noted a significant reduction in wrinkles and crow feet compared to the placebo. It was stated that MSM seemed to alter genes related to inflammation. I'd like to see this study duplicated to see if the same effect is observed again.
Saw Palmetto
While on the surface, saw palmetto (serenoa repens) might seem an odd choice for a nutraceutical like Halo Beauty because it's often found in prostate supplements. But, I understand the logic of why it's present. What's good for the prostate might also be good for hair too.
How so?
The science is a bit complicated but here's the summary:
- Saw palmetto contains an extract called Beta-sitosterol (pronounced beta-sight-toe-stair -all)
- Beta-sitosterol decreases a hormone called DHT (di-hydro-testosterone) which is linked to hair loss
- Reducing DHT levels might help hair growth
Sounds good, so, is there any proof?
Well, one study involving both men and women noted that a shampoo containing saw palmetto caused a 35% increase in hair density when it was used for 3 months.
In another study, 60% of the men reported their hair growth improved after they used a 200 mg saw palmetto supplement (containing 50 mg beta-sitosterol).
If you think this sounds crazy, remember, the prescription hair growth medication called Propecia (finasteride) also works by reducing DHT levels.
Halo Beauty Saw Palmetto Controversy
When Halo Beauty made its debut, lots of women complained it was a bad choice because they said it interfered with birth control pills and increased risk of getting pregnant.
A click bate article in Allure Magazine didn't help matters. Let me set this record straight. I have been investigating supplements for over 20 years, I've never seen ANY proof of saw palmetto causing a woman to get pregnant.
Saw palmetto and pregnancy is a myth.
While I can understand medical websites mentioning this possibility –I'm looking at you webmd – they usually don't tell women there is no human proof. The evidence linking saw palmetto to pregnancy is based on test-tube studies.
There is no human proof women will get pregnant if they take saw palmetto supplements. I discussed this further in the Side Effects section below and I've written an entire review on this too.
Saw Palmetto and Birth Control Review
Emblica Officinalis (Amla fruit)
Amla fruit, also known as Indian gooseberry is thought of as similar to saw palmetto by reducing DHT levels. While lab animal research has documented this effect, human evidence needs to confirm this. My hunch is that saw palmetto and amla fruit would work together to cause an even greater decrease in DHT levels.
See the Amla Fruit Review for more insights.
Grape Seed Extract
Grape seeds contain an abundance of nutritional extracts. The label of Halo Beauty specifically mentions an extract called polyphenols. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants. While human proof is lacking, some animal evidence suggests grape seed extract might promote hair growth.
Pumpkin Seed
Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of magnesium, zinc, and potassium as well as various antioxidants. The oil in pumpkin seeds also appears to reduce the same enzyme involved in DHT production as saw palmetto does. That enzyme is called 5-alpha reductase. Blocking this enzyme, in turn, helps reduce DHT levels, which in theory might mean less hair loss. This is the same enzyme that saw palmetto blocks.
So, halo beauty contains at least 3 DHT blocking ingredients
- Saw palmetto
- Amla fruit
- Pumpkin seeds
I think I know what they are doing. Given the proof DHT causes hair loss, they are trying to combine different DHT blocker ingredients to produce a greater reduction in DHT levels.
In a study lasting 24 weeks, men who used pumpkin seed oil reported 40% more hair than men who used a placebo oil. Pumpkin seeds also contain essential fatty acids which might help skin retain moisture.
Ceramide RX Phytoceramides
Ceramides are a type of fat found in the skin. As we get older, we tend to make less of them. Ceramides help keep skin cells together. Imagine a brick wall. Ceramides are like the cement between the bricks.
Thus, as we make fewer ceramides, skin can lose moisture, wrinkle, and sag. Laboratory studies suggest ceramides stimulate the growth of fibroblasts, a type of skin cell as well as elastin.
Ceramide PCD is a product from a company called True Body Wellness. I believe Ceramide RX is the name Tati Westbrook's company (Inside Out Beauty Labs ) is calls this ingredient.
I believe Ceramide PCD and Ceramide RX are the same thing. The ceramides used in Halo Beauty come from rice (good news for vegans).
Ceramide Skin Wrinkle Research
Ceramides do have research showing they may help wrinkles. Here's a summary of that research.
Study 1
In one unpublished study, Ceramide PCD seems to help improve skin moisture. In this investigation, 33 people with rough skin were given either 44 mg of Ceramide RX or a placebo for 6 weeks. Those taking Ceramide RX reported less rough skin. Click here to download a PDF of that study. Halo Beauty containing a similar amount of ceramide as was used in this study.
Study 2
Researchers in 2011, published a study, where 51 (age 20-60) received either
- a placebo
- 350 mg of a ceramide supplement
Each day for 3 months.
Women taking the ceramide supplement had better skin hydration in the arms and legs than those taking the placebo.
Study 3
Another study, published in 2019 has also shown ceramides work. In this investigation, 66 healthy women (age 45-60) were given either
- a ceramide supplement (350 mg)
- placebo
for 12 weeks (3 months)
The supplement used was called LipoWheat. Another name for this supplement is “Ceratiq.”
Before and after, the women were seen by a dermatologist.
After only 8 weeks of use, women the LipoWheat supplement, women had significantly less noticeable crows-feet around their eyes. The women had better hydration on their face and legs as well.
Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is a type of plant nutrient called a carotenoid. Astaxanthin has a reddish color which contributes to the colors of some foods. As a carotenoid, it's also an antioxidant so it can neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation.
In the skin, research suggests astaxanthin might have a sun protective effect against UVA rays. Ultraviolet A rays cause wrinkles and skin aging. Another interesting study noted that 6 weeks of topical astaxanthin supplementation improved crowfeet, the size of age spots and skin elasticity.
An even more interesting study compared astaxanthin supplements to a placebo in 65 women. This study noted astaxanthin was associated with fewer wrinkles and better skin moisture thank women taking a placebo. This hints astaxanthin might offer some protection against skin aging.
Glutathione And Alpha Lipoic Acid
Glutathione is one of the master antioxidants in the body. Just a few of the things glutathione does include:
- neutralize free radicals
- regenerates vitamins C and E
- protects cells from stress
- helps our mitochondria (fat burning batteries) work better
Evidence also suggests a lack of glutathione may be related to the loss of hair color. Glutathione levels also tend to drop as we get older. As such, anything that could bolster glutathione levels would be a good thing.
Alpha-lipoic acid is another antioxidant found in Halo Beauty. Alpha-lipoic acid has been shown to improve sun-induced photo-aging and might even help reduce smoking-induced skin damage too. It might also improve blood flow as well.
Halo Beauty Questions
Now let's address several questions women might have about this supplement. If I missed anything, leave a comment below and I'll personally investigate it for you and get back to you promptly.
1 Is Halo Beauty Gluten-Free?
Yes. The supplement is gluten-free. It's also:
- soy-free
- sugar-free
- vegan
- cruelty-free
I can appreciate Tati Westbrook mentioning it's cruelty-free. I like the fact the product did not involve cruelty to animals. I don't see this mentioned much in the supplement world.
2 Does Halo Beauty Have Shark Cartilage?
Halo Beauty is vegan, so it contains nothing from animals -including sharks.
3 Can Women of Color Use It?
I believe so. I see nothing in Halo Beauty which would be contraindicated for women of different ethnic backgrounds.
4 Does Halo Beauty Contain Any Drugs?
There are no prescription mediations in this supplement. Given the lack of oversight in the supplement industry, I was glad to see Tati addressing this issue upfront when she launched her supplement.
5 Why Doesn't Halo Beauty Have Collagen?
Collagen is popular for just about everything these days but honestly, I was glad to see that Halo Beauty did not contain it? But why you ask; Isn't collagen important? Yes, it is, but when you eat collagen, it's really not absorbed as collagen. Rather, it's absorbed as individual amino acids -just like any other protein is. Your body treats it like any other protein.
See the review of weight loss scams for more insights.
6 Halo Beauty Cost
A bottle of Halo Beauty is $39.95 for a one month supply. Tax and shipping may be extra. Free shipping is offered when purchasing 3 or more bottles at a time.
7 Buy Halo Beauty
Currently, you can only get it at HaloBeauty.com. It's not available in stores like Costco, Kholes, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Target or Sam's Club, although I would not be surprised if it eventually was.
Here it is on ebay
8 Is It Sold Internationally?
Yes, the supplement sold internationally to countries like Canada, etc. Shipping to other countries may add extra to the cost.
9 Is There An Auto-Ship Program?
No. Halo Beauty does not have an auto-ship program. Many supplement companies these days sign people up for automatic shipments when they order the product. More than one person has been slapped with a big bill if they don't cancel auto-shipments before a pre-determined time.
I was glad to see no auto-ship program with Halo Beauty.
10 How Do You Take It?
Take 2 capsules per day. If you don't like swallowing capsules, open them up and add the contents to juice or water.
11 Will It Grow Hair All Over The Body?
There is no evidence Halo Beauty causes hirsutism – the medical term for excess body hair growth. I've never seen cases of excess body hair associated with any of the ingredients.
12 Does It Help Acne?
I can't say for sure it would help everybody but I've seen before and after pictures on Instagram which show it might. Several people have told me it helps too. Some of the ingredients like zinc have some efficacy for improving acne. If it helped you, let me know below.
See the Halo Kiwi Review.
Halo Beauty Before And After Pictures
Here are some Before and After Pics I found online:
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I also found this video review by Serina Amadee too. She took Halo Beauty for 2 months.
13 Can Men Use Halo Beauty?
I get a lot of emails from men looking for anti-aging supplements. Can they use Halo Beauty too? Sure. I see no reason why not. There are no “women-only ingredients” men need to worry about. It's not going to raise a man's estrogen levels or lower testosterone either. This is a gender-neutral supplement.
14 Can You Use It While Tanning?
None of the ingredients are thought to be bad for someone who goes to a tanning salon or lays out on the beach. I think in most people it should be OK. That said since tanning causes wrinkles, I'd think you should not tan.
15 What About Keratosis Pilaris?
Keratosis pilaris is a medical condition where people make too much of a protein called keratin, which blocks hair follicles, causing little bumps to show up on the skin.
I have not seen any research on Halo Beauty treating keratosis pilaris. If you have this condition and Halo helped, leave a comment below and let me know.
Halo Beauty vs. Halo Kiwi Seed Booster
The Kiwi Seed Booster review has is a table that compares the ingredients to each other.
Halo Beauty vs. The Competition
One thing I can say about Halo Beauty is it's different from many of the other skin, nail and hair supplements I've seen. Most hair growth nutraceuticals tend to contain only one ingredient – biotin. By providing more than just biotin, Halo Beauty is at the least, a more broad-spectrum supplement. That said, let's take a quick look at how it compares to other supplements.
Halo Beauty vs. Viviscal
Viviscal is arguably the most popular hair growth supplement on Earth. While Viviscal does have hair-growth research, no head-to-head clinical studies have tried to see which might work best. Because their ingredients are so different, I could not say which was better.
See the Viviscal review for more insights.
Halo Beauty vs. Nutrafol
Another popular supplement for hair growth is Nutrafol. Like Halo Beauty, Nutrafol also contains saw palmetto. While there are similarities in their ingredients, no research study -so far- has compared these two supplements to each other.
Halo Beauty vs. PHYTO Re 30
PHYTO Re 30 is a topical cosmetic touted to reverse gray hair. Halo Beauty does not make this claim. They are different products.
See the PHYTO Re30 review for more insights.
Halo Beauty Side Effects
Halo Beauty is expected to be safe in healthy people. No side effects are known. With healthy people, I doubt there would be any bad side effects. With any new supplement, start with less than is recommended for the first week, to see how you respond.
Like all supplements, a few other things to consider include:
- Stop taking Halo Beauty at least 2 weeks before surgery
- Start with less than recommended for the first week to see how you respond
- Taking with food may reduce nausea in some people
- Speak to your doctor if you are pregnant/nursing
- Speak to your pharmacist/doctor if you take any medications or have health problems
- Not intended for people younger than 18 – and if you are that young, odds are you don't need it anyway
Someone in the comments section mentioned her urine changed color after taking Halo. She described her urine as looking yellowish /neon green. Halo Beauty contains a good amount of the yellow-colored vitamin, riboflavin (vitamin B2) which is known to change urine color. This is harmless and should go away if you stop taking the supplement.
Again, if none of this applies to you, I see no issues with this supplement.
What About Saw Palmetto and Birth Control Pills?
Some women discuss the possibility of saw palmetto interfering with birth control pills and raising the risk of pregnancy. While some herbs might do this – such as St. Johns wort – when it comes to saw palmetto, I don't see the proof.
Tati's website correctly states “There is no scientific or medical proof that Saw Palmetto makes birth control ineffective.” I have looked into this and agree, there is no direct proof.
To be fair, there is some evidence from lab animal /test tube studies suggesting this possibility. The animal/ test tube research is where the hype is coming from.
Saw palmetto has been around a long time. I'd think if it caused unwanted pregnancy, we'd have heard of it by now. Saw palmetto is in several supplements –including many that women use.
For example, saw palmetto is in many skin, nail, and hair supplements including Nutrafol, one of the most popular hair growth supplements out there. Nutrafol is now in business with the consumer goods giant, Unilever. Do you really think Unilever would risk a lawsuit over one of their products if it really did this?
Aside from Halo Beauty and Nutrafol, Amazon lists almost 100 different hair skin and nail supplements that contain saw palmetto. I have not heard anybody yelling about those and birth control pills.
All that said, given the drama over this I would not be surprised if Tati eventually removed saw palmetto from Halo Beauty.
Read the Saw Palmetto and Birth Control Pills review
Does Halo Beauty Work?
In this Halo Beauty review, I gave you an honest breakdown of the ingredients and research. While I didn't try Halo Beauty, scanning Instagram and YouTube I did see several before and after pictures and videos of women saying their skin, hair, and nails had improved.
For the most part, the ingredients in Halo Beauty seem logical for a skin, hair and nails supplement. Will you look like Tati Westbrook after taking Halo Beauty for 30 days? I think the results will vary. Like all beauty supplements, don't expect miracles and you should be OK. That's sage advice for all supplements.
Here's Phytoceramides on Amazon
Hi Everyone, here is the review on Halo Beauty his and her body and brain multivitamins:
http://supplementclarity.com/halo-beauty-multivitamins-review/
Several of you had requested this review so I hope this helps
Happy 4th of July!
Late to the party, have just started taking these supplements when I chance upon them and saw reviews that they work – most reviews I found on YouTube cite that they definitely work for skin, but for hair and nails they have mixed results.
Have been taking the pills for about 4 days now, and I realized that my urine turns into a neon yellowish green colour, which I’m quite worried about. The only change to my diet is these pills, and I’m wondering if any of the ingredients or the capsule itself may cause this change.
Hi Hanna, I think I have your answer. When people tell me their urine looks yellow or yellow/greenish, I suspect it’s due to riboflavin (vitamin B2). Halo Beauty contains 5 mg of riboflavin which is 294% of the daily value for this vitamin. That’s a lot.
Riboflavin has a yellow/green appearance, so, as it passed through our kidneys, it changes the color of our urine. It’s quite possible this is the reason your urine has changed color. It’s nothing to be worried about.
Something else which can make the urine look more yellow is not getting enough fluids. As we consume less fluids, our urine becomes more concentrated. Often this can lead to a yellow color to urine.
I think you are the first person to say Halo Beauty caused urine to change color. I do thank you for bringing this to everyone attention.
As an aside, beets can cause urine to look red. Just wanted to mention that in case you ever take beet supplements.
I hope this helps Hanna. Let us know how Halo Beauty is working for you. If you have any other questions, just ask 🙂
Thank you for the reply Joe! My only concern was that my urine is brighter in colour and more greenish (consistent across the few days) and I haven’t been drinking less water.
I do have another question, was reading another website (https://lipstick.cafe/tati-westbrooks-brand-halo-beauty-is-it-worth-it/) which interviewed a pharmacist who stated that she would recommend it to those over forty due to pumpkin seed ingredient which could be harmful to younger persons. Is this something to be concerned about?
As for how it’s working, haven’t seen much different (has only been about 5-6 days), but will update when I’ve taken it for a month.
Hanna, have you tried stopping Halo Beauty to see if the yellow/greenish color in your urine goes away? If that’s the cause, then the color should go away in a day or so. I dont think anyone has mentioned this to me before. I hope others will write in and let us know if they saw similar changes to urine color.
About the pumpkin seed extract while I do agree the idea of “helping hormones” with pumpkin seeds (and other natural ingredients) is vague, I’ve never heard of pumpkin seeds (or their extracts) causing harm to people (cancer wise). There are different hormone receptors and I don’t know if pumpkin seed extract latches onto the same estrogen receptors as estrogen itself.
To counter the assertions, here’s a preliminary study (cell study not humans) which noted pumpkin seed exact may have a role in breast cancer treatment and prevention of breast cancer
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23859042
Here’s another prelimianry study noting pumpkin seeds may help men with prostate enlargement
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26976217
Extracts may not be the same as whole pumpkin seeds (which contain many extracts) so for women with a history of cancer, I have no issues with women wanting to play it safe and asking their gynecologist – or pharmacists about this.
Personally, I prefer pumpkin seeds to pumpkin seed extract. I usually toss some into my breakfast smoothie
Hi Joe
Have tried stopping it for a week and my urine wasn’t neon yellow/green, so I think it’s from the pills.
On another note, Halo Beauty came up with a Her and Him Daily Mutli Body & Brain Booster, and I would love to see your review on these.
Thank you!
Hi Hannah
glad to hear we figured out what was changing your urine color. For what its worth, I don’t think anyone has told me this before. My guess guess this is something that may only effect some people. I did add this possibility to the side effects section too, just in case. I will be on the look out for others who bring this up.
I’ve looked at Halo Beauty men’s and women’s vitamins. I hope to have something out on them soon. When I took a quick glance at the ingredients. I didn’t see a lot that jumped out at me as being special. I will look closer at them but for now, I’d say just stick to the halo beauty if you are happy with it.
Hi Hanna, just posted the review on Halo Beauty His and Her vitamins that you asked about: Here is the link:
http://supplementclarity.com/halo-beauty-multivitamins-review/
Happy 4th of July! 🙂
Hi Joe
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Have been taking the pills for about a month in total now, with the exception of the week that I stopped to see if it was affecting my urine colour (just emptied out my first bottle).
Not really seeing much results for the first month on my skin, nails or hair.
To summarise the month:
– Both the past week and this week, there has been one huge pimple growth on my face (the occurrence of the huge pimple growth is rare for me, usually occurs when I’m very very stressed and I was not in that state in the last month)
– Nails are growing at the same rate and are still brittle. My toenails are extremely brittle/prone to “peeling”. It is still the same way, my manicurist see no change in my nail condition
– Still dropping about the same amount of hair
Some positive changes though:
– Manicurist commented that my skin looks “younger” (I am very sensitive to cold and dry conditions and my hands look old because of that)
– Hair seems to be growing faster (to be confirmed in the next month, as I wasn’t paying too much attention to the rate of hair growth)
Thank you.
Regards
Hannah
Hannah, thanks so much for that update! There are so many interesting halo Beauty before/after pictures but it’s hard to figure out what’s going on from just the pictures. I really appreciate telling me – and everybody else – what your experiences have been. It sounds like you’ve had some good and so/so results after a month. Will you continue taking it? If yes, I hope you will keep us posted on what happens. 🙂
Good Morning,
Can you please comment if Halo Beauty is safe to consume while actively trying to get pregnant?
Thank you,
Mandy
Hi Mandy, since there are no studies on pregnancy, I suggest waiting until after you give birth and after you are finished breast feeding.
Hi Joe,
I really enjoyed reading your review on Halo Beauty, because I have been looking for a proper supplement, that would help me and my parents hair loss problem.
My question is, does it affect your hormone in a bad way. I understand that there are 3 different ingredient that block DHT. So I’m just wondering if there are any side effect in a medical standpoint (will the chemical compositions change my body). I saw a video on this from a medical student and I haven’t seen any other person talk about this and I wanted your viewpoint on that.
~ Thanks
Hi Arezu, I looked at a good amount the medical students video. It looked good. Hair loss is complicated. The first thing Id suggest is talking to your doctor and/or dermatologist to see if it can be traced to anything. For example, I’m sure you are probably aware of the connection between hypothyroidism and hair loss.
What DHT blocker ingreidents have you heard are in Halo Beauty? The only DHT blocker ingredient I saw in Halo Beauty was Sal palmetto.
If you can tell me which DHT blockers youve heard of, I will look into them. It may be I missed something in my review and you will be helping me by letting me know.
I’m not aware of any negative side effects from Halo Beauty. I didnt see anyone saying anything bad about it when I wrote this review -and when I did quick search before I answered you today.
I did cover some basic things to consider before starting the product. Like most supplements, Halo Beauty have not been studied clinically in humans.
Let me know what DHT blockers youve heard of in Halo so I can make sure Im giving the best help to people.
Hi, what will happen once you stop taking this vitamins?
Hi Arena, That is a good question and I am honestly not sure if your skin, hair and nails would eventually go back to what they were before – or not. I have not heard anyone yet tell what happened after they stooped taking Halo Beauty.
Does anyone have advice about this to share?
Hi. I haven’t taken Halo Beauty yet due to the costs, but Jordan Byers, another youtuber, took Halo Beauty for I believe 2-3 months (not sure off the top of my head) and did a thorough review (just search Jordan Byers Halo Beauty).
She stopped taking it due to costs and many of the benefits she received from taking Halo reversed. She’s only one person but it could indicate that for those who choose to stop taking the vitamin will lose the benefits. Kat and Hallie from another youtube channel, Beauty News, took Halo Beauty for a month and saw some benefits but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the cost of taking consistently.
One of the main benefits they saw was reduction of acne scarring and after not taking Halo Beauty anymore, the pigmentation did not suddenly return.
So, I think it would depend on the benefits the person is most interested in when taking Halo Beauty as for which are longer lasting after stopping vitamin use.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks I had not seen the Jordan Byers review of those of Kat and Hallie. I will take a look at them. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know about these other you-tube reviews. My guess is with all supplements, if there were benefits, they would likely go away eventually if someone stopped.
I’m 39 and just finished my third bottle of Halo Beauty today. I’ve been highly focused on my skincare routine and trying to work out the last few kinks I’ve had with my skin. Before I started taking Halo I was wanting to improve my skin due to monthly hormonal breakouts, really dry skin that flakes all the time, and also a lot of redness in my face.
When I heard about the product I didn’t jump on the hype around it, nor the scares of taking saw palmetto. I went into it unbiased and figured it if helps great, if it doesn’t then I’m out $120 for the three month supply. I didn’t want to just buy one bottle because I figured a month wasn’t going to be long enough to see if the product actually worked for me.
During the time of taking the product I made no changes to my skincare or products I was using. I didn’t want to be unsure if any results were from the supplement or from new products being introduced. There also wasn’t any changes to my diet, exercise, or other factors during the last three months.
At the end of three months I am able to say that I no longer look like I have dandruff on my face from dry flaky skin. I get compliments all the time about how radiant my skin looks when I go out without makeup on. The redness in my face hasn’t completely gone away, but I no longer look like I have a severe sunburn across my cheek area.
For about the first two weeks I would get a small random breakout and then suddenly my face quit breaking out. Even when I would normally have a hormonal breakout my skin has been behaving.
As far as hair and nails go. I haven’t seen any results worth commenting on. I’ve always had thin nails that break really easy and nothing has improved with them. My hair had always been thick and full up until about two years ago when I lost my father. It started thinning out from the stress I was under. There haven’t been any changes in my hair either that are noticeable.
I know that every person is different and different people will have different results. With the skincare benefits and changes I’ve had, to me the supplements are worth it. Even my husband has noticed the changes in my skin and ordered me another three month supply of them because of the results he’s seen.
Hi Jennifer, thank you for taking the time to write about your Halo Beauty results. I really appreciate you taking the time to write this. Let me also express my sympathies on the passing of your dad. I understand all too well what you went through.
Hello,
I just wanted to say that Saw Palmetto definitely interacts with birth control and can seriously mess up your hormones if you’re unlucky (I took it a few years back under doctor’s supervision; it’s used to treat certain hormonal issues in women, too).
Also, some of the cited studies were done just to “prove the efficiency” of the ingredient/product, so I’d take some of these with a grain of salt.
There was also a video on Youtube explaining that L-Glutathione only “works” as suggested when injected intravenously, but I personally did not look into this yet.
“(…) I understand how some might think that’s expensive but to purchase some of the key ingredients separately might cost more.” – I think this is misleading as it’s really not true; I’m very into supplementing and basically take all the ones proven to be “good”/”effective” out of Tatis supplement, and I am definitely not paying anywhere near 40$ per month.
I think for this price and some ingredients not being subject of any reliable studies I think encouraging people to buy this is kind of controversial.
Kind regards,
Conny
Hi Connie, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I’m glad you are getting the individual ingredients for lesser money. When I did a search for the ingredients I came up with more than $40. I admittedly did not shop around though. I’m glad you are getting it for less.
After writing the Halo Beauty review, I did a deep dive into the research of saw palmetto and birth control pills.
Here is my Saw Palmetto Birth Control Pill Review
please take a look at that for more on this topic. If you are aware of any other supplements that might interfere with birth control pills, please let me know. I’m compiling a list now for a review on all of them.
Ceramide RX is trademarked under a lab that the Westbrooks own/operate. I think the issue is conflict of interest because they haven’t released studies/data to explain “clinically proven” and who determined that.
Additionally, it’s good to note for the readers the fact that statistically significant does not always mean clinically significant. For example, let’s say drug A versus placebo showed a statistically significant reduction in average systolic blood pressure. Sounds great, let’s put everyone with high blood pressure on it, right? But that reduction was only 2 mmHg. Meaning maybe average went from 148/97 to 146/97. Not so great now, huh?
So don’t be dazzled by the term “statistically significant.” Look at the number of test subjects and the results–especially if it is survey-driven. Would you be more swayed if they had tested more people? Also make sure to look at the characteristics of test subjects to see if you “look like” the people they tested.
For example, the median age of women tested in the study linked under the Ceramide section of this page was ~25 years old. That means that the results they found may not be applicable to older women/older skin.
As far as the saw palmetto, as a pharmacist, I use a respected resource called Natural Medicines database when reviewing natural products for patients. This source lists the risk of anti-estrogenic effect (aka, interfering with your hormones and the root of the potential drug interaction with birth control) as moderate, possible and severe for saw palmetto.
They rate the evidence that this decision was based on as B.. So what does all of that mean? The body of professionals who read studies and weigh the evidence essentially list this as a yellow light. Caution! Caution should be used when taking this combination (saw palmetto plus birth control or estrogen medications) because it is possible to have decreased effectiveness of birth control/estrogens in some patients. Why the “severe” rating is because the outcome can be a life-altering event–otherwise known as a baby.
I think the part that failed this supplement for me was purely the marketing of it. It was irresponsible on the part of Tati Westbrook to try to build hype around this product with slow reveals the same way you market cosmetic product launches. The hype is meant to encourage people to buy with the idea that if they don’t act fact, it will sell out and they’ll have to wait a while for restocking.
Once backlash started about the new Halo Beauty company not releasing enough information, finally the company released the supplement facts label–giving potential customers less than 2 business days to seek medical advice prior to the launch of a product hyped to sell out quickly. They also never officially in pre-launch marketing included the FDA disclaimer to inform patients to seek medical advice. To me, that is very questionable business tactics, but that is just my opinion.
Dr. Prater, I appreciate you taking the time to chime in with this valuable information. I double checked and I can confirm a trademark for Ceramide RX (Inside Out Beauty Labs) is associated with Tati. I believe my initial mistake was assuming Ceramide RX was the same as Ceramide PCD and not looking further into it.
Like you, I also subscribe to Natural Medicines Database. When I started looking into the saw palmetto/birth control pills controversy, I saw exactly what you are referring to. That definitely surprised me. There was a part of me who was happy too because after 20 years of investigating supplements (I do read the studies), this was something I had not encountered before, likely because saw palmetto is so marketed for prostate issues.
I looked into the research on this and posted a review on saw palmetto and birth control pills:
http://supplementclarity.com/saw-palmetto-birth-control-pills-pregnancy-review/
So are you going to change the description of Ceramide RX Phytoceramides in your review to reflect that the company is affiliated with the Westbrooks?
Hi Schultzy, I just did. I think it’s relevant to to the conversation to keep in mind that the company that makes Ceramide PCD (True Body Wellness) does not seem to be affiliated with Tati. Rather, it appears her company gets ceramide from them. Hence why they call it Ceramide RX rather than Ceramide PCD.
Tati has said that halo beauty is not a “private label” product. In other words, a 3rd party did not put it all together for her. That’s how many of supplements are made. For example, here’s a supplement I recently investigated. Notice who actually made that supplement.
It appears that she formed the company, hired the people and they all put it together. Since Tati is not a biochemist, that makes sense to me. I dont think she ever tried to hide that from anyone.
Hi I am currently on Accutane. Which is very high in vitamin A. Do you think the pumpkin extract that’s in this supplement would be too much of that particular vitamin to cause a problem? I am planning on talking with my Dr but I just wanted to get an opinion a little sooner, because I don’t see my Dr for a month.
Hi Candy, while vitamin A is not specifically listed on the Halo label, I dont think it has much. When reading nutrition ingredients labels, remember the farther down the ingredient is, the less of it is present. Pumpkin seed is listed 6th from the bottom which tells me there isn’t much in it. It also only has 80mg of pumpkin seed powder too, which isn’t much.
If you ever plan on getting pregnant, remember Accutane is linked to birth defects. I’m sure your doctor has mentioned this.
Any other questions just ask 🙂
Thanks for this review. How do you feel about Halo Beauty as a general multi vitamin based solely on its ingredients? i.e., does it contain sufficient vitamin D, or should I continue to take a separate D supplement in addition to Halo? I currently take a D and biotin supplement, as well as a Centrum-like multi, but I am considering trading all of those in just for Halo.
Hi Emily, thanks so much!
I would not exactly call Halo Beauty a “muiti vitamin” because it contains herbal ingredients which are not vitamins/minerals. Also The Centrum you take has has other nutrients not found in Halo. So I’d still take the Centrum just for insurance. Centrum also has about 600 IU of vitamin D. How much vitamin D is in your separate vitamin D supplement?
Have you ever had your vitamin D levels checked by a blood test?
Thanks very much! I was taking an extra 5,000 IU of D3 per day, but maybe I’ll stick with the multi, give Halo a shot and drop the extra D3. My GP is big on protecting the bones, so he recommended the extra D, not because I specifically had a deficiency. Thanks again for your time and recommendation.
Hi Emily, so it looks like you are already getting about 5,600 IU of vitamin D between your supplement and Centrum. You’re also getting a little from food too (milk, etc). I think that’s enough.
Remember the rule that every 1000 IU raises vitamin D levels in the blood by about 10. So, if you were really low in vitamin D (less than 20 is “low”), what you currently take would raise you to at least 70-80 which is well in the range many feel is optimal. Next time you see your doc, get your vitamin D levels checked. That way you’ll know for sure.
I’m big on keeping bones strong too so lets also remember exercise is important. Do you also exercise? if yes, what do you do? My MS degree is in exercise science so Ill always toss physical activity into the mix when I can 🙂
I realize I’m an exception to the general rule (because I’m celiac and therefore malabsorption), but I personally feel better when my D levels are at 40-50 ng/ml. For me, that takes supplementation with a liquid D at about 5,000 IU per day.
That’s way more than most people need, to be sure, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility that some people will need more than I do.
Hi Deirdre, I’d say you are right in the sweet spot of vitamin D levels. I like your website by the way. It’s very cool 🙂
Hi, I’m from a medical background and found this whole topic very interesting. So, I did some digging. Saw Palmetto interacts with progesterone receptors which decreases the effectiveness of oestrogen. A steroid hormone used in combination birth control pills.
This study shows a link between Saw Palmetto and pancreatitis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20531057 . Although it is a case study, this is often how doctors report.
This book (often a reference source) states the link between Saw Palmetto and decreased progesterone receptor stimulation: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=soksBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA876&lpg=PA876&dq=saw+palmetto+progesterone+receptors&source=bl&ots=ZHsr2SpFaZ&sig=PyiG-vqP23HQ8u7epGcdV9PEUYM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwitlLjT99LZAhUSLlAKHXhgDVcQ6AEIajAI#v=onepage&q=saw%20palmetto%20progesterone%20receptors&f=false
Hope you find these as interesting as I did, I read the entire journal article and the chapter for Saw Palmetto and they were captivating
Hi E, thanks so much for those references. They are most interesting. I’m actually digging into the research on this right now and hope to have something posted soon. I really appreciate you passing this along to me. 🙂
Hi Joe!
Now I’m hesitant to take any hair supplement with Saw Palmetto bc of the pancreatitis possibility!!!
OMGosh I have spent SO much time researching what to take for hair loss. :((
Dr. Anthony Youn ( plastic surgeon on IG and Youtube) recommends Nutrafol. My holistic MD said I can take Nutrafol with Osteoprime Ultra, but Osteoprime Ultra has to be taken TWICE a day. Not sure how the heck I would space all of this out throughout the day. HELP!
Hi Shar, your question about saw palmetto and pancreatitis is something I have not seen before. However, I looked this up and did see some reports of sole individuals who appeared to have pancreas issues after taking saw palmetto supplements. As a rule, I have not heard of pancreas problems with saw palmetto supplements. Im going to write a review on this research to get to the bottom of it. Stay tuned. I will have something here posted very soon.
Do you have a problem with pancreatitis?
As for Nutrafol, I can’t comment on Dr. Youn and Nutrofol. I can tell you Viviscal has more human clinical evidence than nutrafol. Here is my review of Viviscal. That review has a LOT of comments with many people saying it has helped.
Here is my review of Nutrafol vs Viviscal if you want to see how they stack up to each other.
Viviscal Does not have any saw palmetto and its less expensive.
have you ever tried viviscal?
Hi Shar, I have reviewed the research on saw palmetto and pancreatitis. Here is my full review on it
http://supplementclarity.com/saw-palmetto-pancreatitis-review/
Clinical study? Where is the link to the study.
Saw Palmetto can make your birth control less effective: https://www.m.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-971/saw-palmetto
Ann Lee, I really appreciate you linking to Webmd. now I understand where everyone is coming from. I must say that in all the years Ive looked at supplements, this is the first I have seen of it. I think that might be also because – like many of you -I usually associate saw palmetto with prostate issues. That said, when I looked at this, I saw no clinical studies showing that saw palmetto caused a women to get pregnant. Remember, in my review I did link to a case report where a woman taking St Johns Wort did get pregnant. St Johns wort has many drug interactions so I’m not surprised at this.
Right now, Saw palmetto has no such evidence. The evidence for it interfering with birth control pills is theoretical and based on test tube studies and maybe lab animal research. I cant find any human research. Now, to be honest, I cant say interaction doesn’t happen. Anything is possible I suppose and for some women I understand how they might consider this.
I really am glad you brought this to my attention Ann Lee. I want to do a deep dive into this topic in another review in the near future.
you forgot to mention that Saw Palmetto may cause some birth controls to be ineffective and result if pregnancy if one were to take Halo Beauty Vitamins while being sexually active. Also, Saw Palmetto can cause seizure medication to stop working as well.
Hi HaloCutie (cute name 🙂 )Yes as I was just explaining in another comment, when I looked at this I didn’t see any human evidence that saw palmetto interferes with birth control pills. This effect seems to be theoretical based on what saw palmetto seems to do in a test tube. I appreciate theoretical evidence and this may be something for women to consider. To get a better idea of this, we’d have to do some lab animal studies. To my knowledge that has not been done (although I’d love to read it if it ever is).
As I was saying you all have really sparked my interest in this topic and I do plan on looking more in depth in to it. I think I owe you all that. This topic just want to the front of my list of things to do – and I’m very sincere about that.
Halo Beauty Clinical Evidence
At the time this review was created, Halo Beauty did not appear to have any human clinical trials. Lack of evidence doesn’t automatically mean something doesn’t work. Rather it means we have to look at the evidence for the ingredients in Halo Beauty.
When was this review created then? Because, according to their website, “Clinically Proven
90% Reported the Appearance of Fine Lines & Wrinkles Reduced”. So if there are no clinical trials…. I’m confused …
Let’s do that next…
Hi Nadine, I wrote the review between feb 28 and march 1 so its very recent. When I created the review I just saw the ingredients posted on Instagram and nothing else. I did not see the claim you are referring to so I cannot comment on it. Had I seen it I would have addressed it. I will try to look into this for you and see what I can discover.
Interesting read. I am not a physician so I cannot comment on these ingredients, but I can at least commend the choice to be gluten/soy/sugar/cruelty free. The standard for proven results is quite low when it comes to supplements. There’s no reason why this particular supplement should be scrutinized more than any other brand; but, of course, it will be. That seems to be the double-edged sword of being an influencer. So please excuse me while I use scrutiny as an excuse to nerd out on the data…
The unpublished study on Ceramide-RX does show significant skin benefits after 3 weeks of use, but benefits are experienced in the placebo group as well (also statistically significant in some cases). I would like to see the statistical tests that compare treatment and placebo, rather than just before and after use.
For example, the overall rate of skin improvement as measured by several physicians was 64.7% in the treatment group versus 43.8% in the placebo group (Table 3). A simple statistical test for comparison of proportions indicates that the rate of improvement was not significantly different (p=0.39 with continuity correction). Perhaps all the women drank more water simply because of their study involvement and subsequent heightened awareness of skincare. Or, perhaps Ceramide-RX really is effective, but the sample size was too small.
Hi Blane, I love to nerd out on the data too, so feel free to anytime. Sample size is usually a problem with supplement research. I really appreciate you bringing this up. I agree I would like to see this data published in a medical journal myself and replicated by others. Only by kicking the tires can we get a better idea what’s going on.