Has the Skin Friend AM formula changed?
In 2018 the Skin Friend AM formula changed. Find out why from the formulator nutritionist Karen Fischer:
Over the past ten years I have prescribed several versions of Skin Friend AM to my patients. The new Skin Friend AM is the one I most often used as it's the most hypoallergenic and therefore suitable for a wider range of people.
Here is a detailed list of the changes and why I felt they were important and beneficial:
Beta-carotene
Natural beta-carotene called Dunaliella salina was in the original 2015/16 Skin Friend AM in the amount of 500μg (micrograms) per gram (per scoop). However, AM no longer contains this ingredient.
Why?
I felt this ingredient was not pure enough as it is derived from algae from the sea so it may not have been suitable for people who are sensitive to sea-derived products. I was also horrified to find out it contained hidden sweetener!
Unfortunately beta-carotene is one of those ingredients that is not pure enough for our standards. Plus natural beta-carotene is super easy to get from your diet, from eczema-friendly foods including carrots, roasted sweet potato and cabbage to name a few. Food sources of beta carotene:
- Sweet potato: 1/2 cup (100g) contains 11,509μg (ref 1)
- Carrots (the orange variety): 1/2 cup (100g) contains 8,332μg (ref 1)
- Cos/Romaine lettuce: 1/2 cup (100g) contains 5,226μg (ref 1)
- Butternut pumpkin (Squash): 1/2 cup (100g) contains 4,570μg (ref 1)
- Papaya: 1 cup contains 1,415μg (ref 2)
- Cooked Chinese cabbage: 1/2 cup contains 21,242μg (ref 3)
- Red cabbage: 1 cup contains 595μg
How much do you need daily?
Beta-carotene (vitamin A) Recommended Daily Intakes (RDI) can be found here.
Vitamin C
The 2018 version of Skin Friend AM contains slightly less vitamin C, at 60mg per gram (per scoop), instead of 70mg per scoop in the 2017 version.
Why?
Vitamin C is one of those ingredients I like to use in moderation. It is an acidic ingredient (called ascorbic acid), so I balance it with alkaline magnesium carbonate. I found out 50% extra is added by our manufacturer to compensate for loss as vitamin C is destroyed over time... So if the AM supplement was on the shelves for 2 years, the correct amount of vitamin C would still be present.
I felt the real amount was a little high, especially for people like me who get blood noses from high doses of vitamin C (or is it just me?).
So while our label says 60mg of vitamin C (per gram/scoop), our manufacturer, to compensate for vitamin C being destroyed, adds 90mg/gram. So an adult or teen taking 3 scoops would be having 270g of vitamin C (or 180g as stated on the label, if you kept it in your cupboard for 2 years) As our products sell out quickly (within 5 months of being manufactured), all jars should have the higher dose of vitamin C.
Vitamin C RDIs can be found here.
Taurine
I love taurine but Skin Friend AM no longer has it.
Why?
Taurine is a sulphur-containing amino acid as it contains sulfonic acid (sulfite, SO3). So people who are sensitive to sulfur or sulfites can adversely react to taurine. As sulfite sensitivity is quite common in people with eczema I felt it was a good idea to remove this lovely ingredient. Glycine, which is in Skin Friend PM, works in a similar manner to taurine so that is a good substitute.
Taurine can be good for many reasons (especially for Red Skin Syndrome as it lowers nitric oxide levels) so if anyone wants to take it, pure taurine is widely available and can be taken separately or alongside Skin Friend AM.
Choline and Inositol
While choline and inositol are good for breaking down fats in the liver, they are no longer in Skin Friend AM for several reasons...
Why?
Well the main reason is choline made the product smell fishy and we had some complains about this. Both ingredients changed the flavour of the product. Now Skin Friend AM tastes better and has no fish smell at all.
We have an alternative for you... Glycine also breaks down fats in the liver so Skin Friend PM has you covered.
Karen x