EXCLUSIVE

It’s hard to believe that the words ingestible beauty were once foreign to us, so far have we come in the last 10 years since Aussie Anna Lahey first launched her game-changing nutricosmetics beauty brand, Vida Glow, in 2014.

These days, Anna’s business sells a unit of Vida Glow’s Natural Marine Collagen range every four seconds globally, and her ingestible empire now includes an entire host of products designed to help your skin, hair, nails and overall health from the inside out.

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The latest product to join the sell-out Vida Glow lineup is a re-formulation of a classic that Anna knew she could improve upon.

The new Radiance+ Capsules ($95; Vida Glow) promise to be a “superior re-formulation of Vida Glow’s award-winning capsule dark spots and pigmentation”.

Working harder and faster, Anna promises that men and women will see speedy results from consistent use of the capsule — and she has the clinical trials to prove it.

“I wanted to re-formulate Radiance into Radiance+ as while I knew we had the results from Radiance, I also knew that it took about 12 weeks to see them and we live in a world of immediate gratification,” Anna told Best Picks.

“I wondered if we could do the same thing with a new formulation, but faster.

“Radiance+ is a complete re-formulation, so none of the ingredients are the same. The only thing that is the same is that it targets the same things.

“What sets it apart is that it improves skin imperfections by 38 per cent in 30 days. So that’s double the strength and double the speed.”

According to Anna, she first came up with the idea for the original Radiance in 2020, when she discovered that dark spots, melasma and pigmentation are the fourth biggest skincare concern worldwide behind things like dull texture, fine lines and acne.

“I had three children under three years old when the pandemic hit in 2020 and I developed melasma, despite never having had it before,” she recalled.

“When I started trying to treat it, I noticed that everything was very invasive and having not done that before, I was scared to go down that path.”

Anna said even the topicals targeting melasma around at the time were “very harsh”.

And so, she wondered if she could formulate an “ingestible that targets not only the melasma, pigmentation and dark spots on the face, but the systemic damage on the decolletage and backs of your hands as well”.

18 months later, Radiance launched in September 2021, upon which point it quickly became Vida Glow’s second best-selling product behind the original marine collagen.

“We have a repeat customer rate of over 70 per cent with Radiance,” Anna said.

“It’s become integral to so many people’s lives.”

Most recently, Anna has been focused on the complete re-formulation.

The new Radiance+ heroes in on an ingredient that is now trademarked to Vida Glow, Mela-tech.

“This proprietary complex has been developed using an advanced blend clinically studied for its potent effects on signs of pigmentation and melanin regulation,” Anna explained.

“With key supporting ingredients including French maritime pine bark, alpha lipoic acid, artichoke extract, Radiance+ is proven to both target current pigmentation and inhibit the production of further pigmentation.

“It’s a two-pronged attack that promises incredible results.”

For the past few months, Anna said she has been taking Radiance+ herself along with her regular collagen sachets, and she said she has seen “incredible results with her skin”.

“I have my final skin check this Friday, but the results have been incredible. It has been a big process bringing this product to market, and I’m very proud of it,” she said.

“It’s important if you are going to take it that you are consistent and diligent with your approach — as that is where you will see the results.”

This year, Anna launched a new haircare brand — TYPEBEA — with the help of British pop star, Rita Ora.

The range, which focuses on growth and improving the condition of your locks, came about after Rita attended a Vida Glow lunch event in 2021 and she later kept in touch with Anna.

“I remember Rita messaging me and asking me questions about my journey,” Anna said

“She kept saying I’ve put my name to so many products, but I’ve never started my own brand. I remember saying to my husband: ‘I think Rita Ora wants to start a brand with me’.”

The rest is history. TYPEBEA launched earlier this year online and in upmarket stores like Harvey Nichols and Sephora earlier this year and it won’t stop selling out.

“It’s done so much better than I expected,” Anna said.

“I was nervous about how people would receive another celebrity haircare brand, but they’ve really taken to it. I’ve not had one bad review.”

The hero product is the Overnight Boosting Peptide Serum ($80), which already has repeat customers and amazing before and after pictures attached.

“But we’re not slowing down any time soon,” Anna adds.

“This year, there will be new innovations at Vida Glow in the collagen range, as well as a styling range including dry shampoo with TYPEBEA.”

Anna’s daily well-being routine

While everyday is different, Anna said she tries to work out three, four or even five times a week.

“I have a tiny gym in my garage, which is basically a floor mat with weights,” she said.

“I train on apps. At the moment, I’m focusing on weight training. I won’t do workouts that are longer than 40 minutes. I also walk a lot and do bike rides with the kids. There’s a lot of incidental exercise, which is also great.”

When it comes to diet, when she stopped breastfeeding, Anna said she realised she “had been pregnant or breastfeeding for five years and felt gross”.

She said she was in “bad habits” insofar as she would make her kids breakfast and then eat their leftovers, and unwind in the evening with a Tim Tam and a cup of te.

She went to see a nutritionist from SM Nutrition, which focuses on “re-wiring your mindset around food”.

“It’s been life-changing,” Anna said.

“It’s not no carbs or no sugar or no alcohol, because those things don’t work long-term. But she teaches you how to eat.”

Anna said she still follows the program each day, but adds that that looks different for everyone.

“For me, the focus is on tracking my macros and my protein intake, but I do still allow myself chocolate because I love a little chocolate at the end of the day or a glass of wine socially.”

When it comes to supplements-wise, she takes Vida Glow’s Collagen and Vida Glow’s Radiance+.

Vida Glow’s Radiance+ is proven to*:

• Reduce dark spot intensity by an average of 77%
• Reduce the area size of melasma by 38%
• Reduce pigmentation intensity by 22%

* Pouchieu, C.; Pourtau, L.; Gaudout, D.; Gille, I.; Chalothorn, K.; Perin, F. Effect of an Oral Formulation on Skin Lightening: Results from In Vitro Tyrosinase Inhibition to a Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study in Healthy Asian Participants.

For more information and to shop from Vida Glow, head here now. You can shop from TYPEBEA by heading here now.

Please consult a medical professional before deciding if this product is right for you.