Health,  Interviews,  Lifestyle

A pharmacist’s take on Halo Beauty: His & Hers Multivitamins

Tati Westbrook’s brand, Halo Beauty, has just released two new products – His & Hers Daily Multivitamins ‘so your brain can glow, too!’[1] The company is continuing their journey in producing vitamins. As Tati (aka GlamLifeGuru) mentioned in her promotional video on YouTube, these new vitamins have been created so they work in perfect tandem with the Hair, Skin, Nails Booster (HSN) or with the Kiwi Seed ‘Skin’ Booster. As usual, I have invited a pharmacist to discuss the new supplements for us. Besides looking into the claims and the daily dosages, she will also give us a glimpse into the pharmaceutical world and discuss these multivitamins through the lens of someone who has seen it all, or, well, seen lots during her career.

Liliana has been a pharmacist for twenty-five years and is currently running her own chain of pharmacies.  She is the same professional that discussed the original Halo supplements, the HSN and the Kiwi Seed ‘Skin’ Booster, which gives her a background knowledge about the brand.

 

Is it necessary to split multivitamins according to gender?

Liliana: Yes, a woman will have different needs than a man. It is the same with age; someone younger has different needs than someone older.

Providing vitamins for ‘her’ and ‘him’ separately is no new idea to me. Multivitamins have been split by gender for a while now and there are several products like this already on the market. Vitamins are often divided according to gender and age. For example, there is Centrum (produced by Pfizer, which is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation) or Alive (another American product), the latter being a plant-based/natural product as well.

 

 

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How well are these two products tailored for each gender?

Liliana: Besides the different dosages, the main difference is that Hers multivitamins contain rosehip powder extract, while His contains maca root. Rosehips are fruits rich in vitamin C, this powder extract being nothing else than a source of vitamin C. This vitamin is extraordinarily good for the body – it is an antioxidant, protects you from many potential diseases (which is why we take vitamin C when we have a cold) and helps collagen production. The latter is a lot more important for women than for men, as women are generally the ones thought to ‘need’ a luminous, beautiful and never-aging skin. Speaking from this point of view then yes, the addition of rosehip in Her multivitamins is a nice touch.

When talking about His supplement, we have maca root extract. I am not familiar with this ingredient, but if indeed it helps to reduce prostate size, as stated on their official website, then yes, it could be a nice addition for His supplement.

However, when looking at the percent daily value of each ingredient I have my questions, but then of course I am not the one that did all the science behind these products in the lab. For example, in Her daily multivitamins Molybdenum is 100mcg, respectively 233% of the daily value (DV). In His, Molybdenum is 43 mcg, respectively 100% of DV. If you make some calculations, the DV for both men and women is the same. This means that both need the same daily amount. Why is the mcg/capsule changed for each I cannot tell you. Same with selenium, in Her we have 50 mcg, 91% of DV and in His, we have 70 mcg, 127% DV. Again, the DV is the same for both women and men. For Zinc, Her has 4 mg, 32% DV and His has 5mg, 45% DV, both sexes having the same DV. Similarly, vitamin B5 has the dame DV, for men the mg being doubled, presenting then 200%.[2] In conclusion we have all these for which the daily value is the same, both for women and men, yet the quantity is changed. I am not saying they are wrong, they must have some reason for changing the quantities. Maybe there are specific studies for each gender that shows they require different amounts.

I am aware of the fact that women need more Folates. However, in these products the amount of Folates is the same in both Her and His.

 

Are there any red flag ingredients? 

Liliana: As in every supplement there are a few ingredients that could cause harm for people with pre-existing health conditions. Please consult your pharmacist or your doctor before taking any supplements, regardless of how natural and appealing they look.

I will give you an example to understand the importance of this. B12, while perfectly fine for healthy people, it can be dangerous if taken by patients with predispositions to cancerous tumours. It is never encouraged by us, healthcare professionals, to give supplements to someone without asking about their healthcare issues. This way we make sure we recommend a product that can cause no harm. It is also the doctor’s responsibility to inform patients of what they can take and what they cannot.

Besides this, the dosage of B12 in these multivitamins is quite high, 375% DV for His and 250% DV for Her.[3] My question is, does everyone really need such a high dosage of B12? But then, if I look at the label of the Alive Women’s Ultra, I see a 1,667% DV in B12![4] I cannot overemphasize this – please consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking any supplements. Your body is yours entirely, particular and unique.

 

Speaking of this, I am taking Isotretinoin at the moment (commonly known as Roaccutane or Accutane). I am aware of the fact I am not allowed to take supplements with vitamin A at all.

Liliana: Exactly. My point is that I am not criticising this product in particular, I am trying to raise some awareness of everyone’s different needs and restrictions.

 

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Do you think these daily multivitamins work well with the Hair, Nails, Skin Booster (HNS)? Do they work well with the Kiwi Seed Booster?

Liliana: They could, for an adult with a poor diet. The multivitamins and the HNS compliment each other. It goes the same for these multivitamins and the Kiwi Seed ones. However, I would recommend taking them together only for limited amounts of time. You could just take them one at the time though, according to your current needs.

An interesting thing to point out is that in His supplements you get maca root, which according to their full list of ingredients it could help reducing the size of prostate.[5] Women do not get this in Her supplement, however, Pumpkin Seed, present in the HNS is often given to men to help with their prostate. So, if a woman takes Her supplements and HNS at the same time, then she still takes something that could help with prostate.

Of course that the same brand would produce several supplements that work well with each other, it is an excellent marketing strategy.  She is not the only one doing this. Does it mean you really need to take more than one supplement at a time? Definitely not.

What I did notice is that if taken together you get quite high intakes of B vitamins. Just as an example, if you add up vitamin B1 from Her supplements with the HNS or Kiwi Seed you get 514% daily value, which is quite a lot.[6]

 

Does this mean such high intake of B vitamins can cause side effects?

Liliana: It could potentially increase your appetite, so you eat a lot. Not everyone needs such a high dosage of B vitamins. It depends on how balanced is your diet. It is a high dosage, and no high dosage is beneficial if taken for long periods of time. This brings us back to my point – only take the multivitamins with the HNS or with the Kiwi Seed Booster  for limited amounts of time. Personally, I would recommend alternating them.

 

Do these new supplements really ‘enhance stress support’ and promote ‘cognition & clear thinking’?[7]

Liliana: Iodine could help with this. Also, B vitamins help to maintain a healthy nervous system, which is essential in being able to cope with stress. If we remember the really high B vitamins dosages when combining the multivitamins with the HNS or Kiwi Seed Booster then yes, we could say it can help with stress. Also, vitamin D3 could improve your mood. However, I would not say these multivitamins are targeting stress. If they were, they would have contained magnesium as well, or maybe an extract from a plant that helps improving mood and relieve anxiety. I think the labels are pushing it a bit when stating that it ‘enhances stress support’[8] and that it ‘promotes cognition & clear thinking’.[9]

Certainly, vitamins improve your mood and promote healthiness, but this was pushed a bit when saying they are a ‘brain booster’.[10]

 

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Do they help with dry eyes?

Liliana: Yes, Zeaxanthin and Astaxanthin are supplements that help with dry eyes and help with your vision. They are found it all supplements for eyes and vision. Vitamin A is also fantastic for your vision.

 

Who needs these supplements?

It all really depends on your body, which brings me to my ‘supplement philosophy’ if I may. Not everyone benefits from the same supplements. A person living in a warm country that benefits from a lot of sunlight will most likely not need more vitamin D3. However, someone living in a colder, darker country will need some help in absorbing vitamin D3, due to the lack of sunlight. Seasons influence our needs as well. For example, if summers are hot, we might need some more minerals in our body, because they get eliminated through perspiration.  

Beyond the place where we live, our lives differ significantly. A person that has a very physically demanding job will need different supplements than a person that works in an office. A person that works in front of a computer’s screen all day long will need those eye supplements.

Also, our diet is an important factor if we need supplements as well. Do we eat healthily? Do we have a balanced diet? Or do we mainly eat fast-food?

The last but not the least, do not forget what I said for a previous article about not taking supplements for long periods of time. In my opinion, what’s too much can do more harm than good.

 

What do you think of the price?

Liliana: $24.95 for one month[11] of multivitamins is a bit high. However, we need to remember that Halo Beauty is gluten and soy free, and making sure of no contamination with allergens might increase the price. Also, it has no preservatives and it is vegan, which could also potentially increase the production costs. They do all the things people are very attentive about nowadays – a product being vegan, cruelty free, the lack of preservatives.

You can also analyse the price in comparison with what else there is on the market and make the decision for yourself.

 

What is your overall opinion of this new release from Halo Beauty?

Liliana: I have seen a lot of similar products to Hers & His Daily Multivitamins. The fact that they work well in tandem with the HNS or with the Kiwi Booster is nothing new. It is normal for the brand to do this, and it is quite a common marketing strategy in the supplement’s world.  

That being said, being vegan, gluten and soy free it does address a group of people that had a hard time finding this on the market until not long ago. I also appreciate the fact it is sugar free and does not contain any filler ingredients.

 

________________________________________

 

I am lactose intolerant myself and thus I can understand the importance of providing a vegan, allergen free supplement. Again, I wish Tati and her brand all the best and I am looking forward to seeing what is next in the Halo Beauty family. I am hoping for some skincare free of potential irritants?

 

Disclaimer: This article is not sponsored and is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to endorse supplements. Please do your own research and discuss with a professional about your specific needs and health issues.

Feature Image source

 

Read more of Liliana’s Halo Beauty analysis:

(Hair, Skin & Nails Booster) Tati Westbrook’s brand, Halo Beauty – is it worth it? A pharmacist’s opinion

Halo Beauty Kiwi Seed Booster – How is it different? A pharmacist’s opinion

A pharmacist’s take on Halo Beauty: His & Hers Multivitamins

HALO BEAUTY Immunity Booster. Do you really need it? A pharmacist’s opinion

 

Read more about TATI BEAUTY:

TATI BEAUTY: Safe ingredients? An in-depth look

EVERYTHING about Tati Westbrook’s eyeshadow Palette Vol.1

TATI BEAUTY failed the wear test?!

 

Watch my Review on TATI BEAUTY:

https://youtu.be/FAodQPMGjjE

 

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