Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum
Packing three modes of action into one serum, this formula pairs 15 percent ethyl ascorbic acid with polyhydroxy acid and hyaluronic acid. Polyhydroxy acid works as a mild exfoliant to soften and smooth, whereas hyaluronic acid helps skin retain moisturea tall drink of water for a long winter ahead.
Ritual Vs Care/of Vs The Honest Company: Which Offers The Best Vitamins For Women
If youre on Instagram, youve likely seen a bunch of ads for online womens vitamin products recently. There is a whole new way to get multi and prenatal vitamins today, with startups like Ritual and Care/Of and The Honest Company competing to become your trusted supplier. As these companies battle to get you your required daily nutrients and boost your she-power , do they really offer anything different than what youd find at the pharmacy? Yes and no I guess it depends what you mean by different. Lets dig in and compare these new direct to consumer vitamin upstarts to see how they compare to more traditional alternatives.
Does Care/of Actually Work
Care/of is a vitamin company that claims to provide personalized vitamins at your doorstep based on a personality quiz.
The vitamins may work in some people due to the following aspects:
- They are customized: Rather than one-size-fits-for-all formulation, Care/of vitamins are tailor-made suitable for an individuals need.
- They can treat deficiencies: Your diet may not meet your bodys nutrient demand completely. These personalized vitamins can solve many of your nutritional deficiencies.
- They may enhance health and well-being: Supplementing with the essential nutrients in the right amount can improve the overall quality of life.
- Some of their products are vegan-friendly, gluten-friendly, and nongenetically modified organisms .
However, even if these personalized vitamins have the above advantages, there are things about them, which you should be aware of. These include:
- They are unregulated: Food and Drug Administration does not regulate supplement industries. Theres a lack of scientific evidence to prove the efficacy of these supplements. Most studies suggest that multivitamins wont make you super healthy.
- They may interact with other medications or certain medical conditions:Supplements tend to interact with other prescription medications that you are taking. Supplements may also pose risks if you have certain conditions.
- They may have harmful ingredients: As they are unregulated, they may have ingredients unlisted on the labels.
Recommended Reading: How Long Does Iv Vitamin Therapy Last
How Does Care/of Work
Care/of is a personalized subscription service that delivers 30 packs of personalized vitamins to you each month.
âWe use a research-backed algorithm to deliver recommendations tailored to your diet, lifestyle, and goals and we deliver everything right to your door,â said Care/of co-founder and CEO Craig Elbert.
To get your personalized subscription, you take an online quiz to learn which vitamins meet your health and dietary needs. Youâre asked basic questions, like age and gender, as well as questions about your wellness goals. Get ready to talk about some pretty personal things like digestion and fitness level.
Some of my health goals included building more muscle, getting better sleep and staying awake during the day. Based on the quiz, Care/of recommended iron, vitamin D, ashwagandha , magnesium and digestive enzymes for me. They also suggested powdered caffeine to boost awareness and avoid that afternoon slump.
I was open to trying basically any sort of vitamin or dietary supplement. Others may not be quite as willing to try a pill with a name they canât pronounce. You can swap out or remove any of the vitamins from your plan, so you arenât locked into taking something you donât want.
Care/of packaging comes with a dispenser containing 30 personalized vitamin packs.
How Care/of Compares To Alternatives
There are several other personalized supplement companies on the market the brands most similar to Care/of are Persona, Hum, and Nurish by Nature Made.
Like Care/of, these companies all sell various products such as vitamins, proteins, herbs, probiotics, and specialty supplements.
They all also offer online quizzes just like Care/of as part of their screening process.
Personas quiz is the most comprehensive of them, as it also includes a section on potential medication-nutrient interactions.
This is a definite plus as some prescription medications can render nutrition supplements less effective or vice versa.
Compared to these brands, Care/of is very transparent with sharing the available research on their products, even if it is not always positive.
The most cost-effective brand of the four is Nurish by Nature Made.
Both Persona and Hum have a Registered Dietitian on staff for support if questions arise, while Nurish and Care/of do not. In my professional opinion, offering this type of support is a crucial feature to offer more personalization.
The only brand out of the four that is third-party tested is Nurish by Nature Made, which is USP-certified. This seal of approval helps provide added peace of mind that the products are held to the utmost quality and safety standards.
I would choose a subscription service that is either third-party certified or has health experts available to consult with if needed. Unfortunately, Care/of does not have either of these features.
Recommended Reading: Are Nature Made Vitamins Good Quality
Care/of Benefits And Effectiveness
Im a full-time health and fitness writer, which means I get to tackle my latest work projects from the comfort of my own home and sweatpants. But for all their perk, working from home and working for myself also means my workday stress easily leaks over into my home. The last few months Id really been feeling the physical, emotional, and mental stress of a constant work-work-work-workout mindset. I was waking up after eight hours of sleep completely exhausted. My joints hurt all the time. Things as simple as ordering coffee or asking for less cheese on my omelette sent me into a spiral of anxiety. I just felt off, like my body wasnt at its usual equilibrium.
So when I heard that Care/of allows you to build a personalized vitamin pack based on answers to your questions that include stress and exercise, I decided to give it a whirl. .
After taking the quiz, I was really optimistic. The questions were so specific that I trusted the personal mix Care/of recommended. When I got my order I was here about the packaging. The user-experience truly is quite fun. .
I will also say that I found that the smaller pills went down easier than horse-pills Ive taken in the past.
Some Googling suggests energy jolt is from the Vitamin D. However, vitamins are not a pre-workout or a cup of coffee, so while some people will feel a difference, many wont notice as big of a difference as I had.
What Therapies Might Help People With Severe Covid
In November 2020, the FDA granted emergency use authorization to two monoclonal antibody treatments . Both treatments have been approved for non-hospitalized adults and children over age 12 with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at risk for developing severe COVID-19 or being hospitalized for it. In these patients, the approved treatments can reduce the risk of hospitalization and emergency room visits. These therapies must be given intravenously soon after developing symptoms.
If you are recovering at home, these measures can help reduce symptoms:
- While you don’t need to stay in bed, you should get plenty of rest.
- Stay well hydrated.
- To reduce fever and ease aches and pains, take acetaminophen. Be sure to follow directions. If you are taking any combination cold or flu medicine, keep track of all the ingredients and the doses. For acetaminophen, the total daily dose from all products should not exceed 3,000 milligrams.
Don’t Miss: What Vitamins Can Cause Headaches
Is The Antidepressant Drug Fluvoxamine Effective For Treating Covid
A large study published in Lancet Global Health in October 2021 found that the antidepressant fluvoxamine , which may be taken by mouth at home, significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization in some COVID-19 patients at serious risk for severe illness.
The Lancet study enrolled nearly 1,500 adults in Brazil. Most study participants were unvaccinated, had symptomatic, early, confirmed COVID-19, and were at increased risk of serious illness due to underlying health problems. About half took a placebo while the other half were told to take one 100-mg fluvoxamine pill, twice a day, for 10 days.
The fluvoxamine group was significantly less likely than the placebo group to need hospitalization or an extended emergency room stay. The randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted by an international team of researchers, and it confirmed preliminary findings published last year in JAMA.
Fluvoxamine is in a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors . It was approved by the FDA in 1994 and is used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. Fluvoxamine appears to work against COVID by reducing inflammation, which is a hallmark of severe COVID infection. The drug may also have antiviral properties. Because it is already on the market, doctors can prescribe it off-label for COVID patients they deem appropriate.
How To Delay Your Care/of Delivery
If you have too many vitamin packets and need to pause, you can easily change the timing or delay your next box. To change go to your Account Settings and select your timing inside of the recurring deliveries section. If you want to delay just go to My Plan > Manage Delivery and select Delay. You can delay up to 4 weeks.
Don’t Miss: When Is The Best Time To Take Vitamin D3
Care/of Vs Hum Nutrition
Hum Nutrition provides a personalized experience, assessing your needs with a quiz, then guiding you through their recommendations, which includes a lot of supplements focusing on bettering hair, skin, nails and body appearance.
- Hum has cheeky vitamin names like Mighty Night and Moody Bird, and they offer different forms of vitamins like powders, gummies and tablets.
- Bottles of Hum Nutrition supplements range from $10-$60.00.
- Hums trendy, colorful bottles and supplement names cater to consumers ages 18 and older.
To learn more about how these subscriptions compare with one another, and gather all of your options before diving in, check out our side-by-side comparison of the most popular vitamin subscriptions!
What Care/of Got Right Leading Up To Its Acquisition By Bayer
The direct-to-consumer health space has quickly become a hot area for investment, particularly as wellness is top-of-mind for people thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, Bloomberg reported that German pharmaceutical company Bayer is acquiring a majority stake in vitamin and supplement startup Care/of. Together we plan to grow the Care/of business across new channels, new categories and new markets to deliver even more personalized nutrition, a Bayer spokeswoman said in a statement. Bloomberg, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported Bayer took a 70% stake in Care/of, which valued the startup at $225 million. Bayer said it would not disclose the terms of the deal until it closes, which is expected to happen in the fourth quarter.
Health and wellness is a popular space for investment because, increasingly, thats where people are spending their money. But even DTC startups that dont operate in the health and wellness space can take a page or two from Care/ofs playbook. By acquiring Care/of, Bayer wont just get access to a new revenue stream, but also unique data on consumer behavior that Bayer couldnt acquire through its existing products or marketing efforts. This is what other startups can learn from what Care/of did right.
Think of Smile Direct Club as an example with CVS, of how a subscription service like dental goes into stores, said Owens.
You May Like: Can You Mix Vitamin C And Hyaluronic Acid
Is Care/of Safe To Take
Absolutely, heres why:
Few companies test their product as much as Care/Of. Before your order gets to your door it is tested 3 times.
The first time is when the raw ingredients come into the US factory, second during manufacturing, and lastly, once the product is finished.
The amount of tests they regularly do is nearing unnecessary, but the more the better, right?
The nutrients themselves are sourced from the freshest locations as well. This company has searched the globe for each ingredient, only selecting quality sustainable locations.
How We Chose These Vitamin Subscription Services
Healthline assembled this list of vitamin subscription services based on the following factors:
- Quality. Are the supplements made from high quality ingredients that are free of artificial additives, such as colors or preservatives? We also looked for services with products that are third-party tested or undergo testing at multiple stages throughout manufacturing.
- Selection. Does the service offer a wide selection of products to meet the needs of most people?
- Individualization. Does the company provide recommendations based on a health assessment or test and allow you to add or remove products as you see fit?
- Helpfulness. Does the service provide evidence-based information about the supplements it recommends or access to health professionals, such as doctors or dietitians, for paying members?
Additionally, all the services included have been vetted to ensure that they meet Healthlines strict medical and business standards.
You May Like: What Vitamins Should Be Avoided When On Blood Thinners
Are Care/of Vitamins Worth It
This Care/of vitamins review took cost, ease of use, and what customers think into consideration. Our verdict? This brand is worth checking out.
The companys thoughtful approach to informing its customers of the benefits of their regimen is appreciated. It gives personalized recommendations that are based on scientific research and conveys that research to the customer in accessible language.
Even skeptics agree that Care/of offers a beneficial introduction to the world of daily vitamins. And, thousands of customers attest to that fact.
Care/of is an environmentally conscious company that prides itself on bettering the bodies and minds of its customers. If youre looking to start a new wellness habit, then give its subscription a try.
Optimizing For Lifes Changes
Well, Care/of aims to be there, following up with new recommendations to a users pack based on updated survey responses, running their algorithm for a new set of relevant supplements. We want to be their trustworthy health and wellness partner, Akash describes, adding our care team is growing in order to provide a more human component to the service.
But dont worry, for introverts like me who want to do our own thing, we can make updates to and build our own packs from a library of products and range of wellness categories including brain, energy, eyes, stress, heart, immunity, joints, skin, prenatal, digestion, and bones.
So, keep a close eye on Care/of. With a mobile app in the works to make answering questions about life changes much more native to todays heavy mobile users, theyre developing a true omnichannel retailing experience on the road to forging stronger relationships with customers and a better product over time.
Tags:
Continue reading
Recommended Reading: Where To Inject Vitamin B12
Q: Can Life Events Stress And Lifestyle Factors Impact Hair Growth
A: Lifestyle factors can disrupt the growth rhythm of your hair. A sudden event, for example, can cause 30% of your strands to suddenly enter the telogen phase, leading to widespread baldness and other issues. Childbirth, high fevers, illnesses, sudden weight loss, crash dieting, surgeries, stressors, and other factors can all contribute to premature hair loss.
Customer Service What Customer Service
ByRichard L.,Kansas City, MO, Verified Reviewer
I just started using them, and bought 2 subscriptions, one for me and one for my husband. Mine did not include the “gut check”, but they included 5 of them. The following order included them again and they started charging me. I messaged them through their app, no response. I emailed them, no response. I tried calling them and they have hours 12-5, M-F . I sent another email just before this review…maybe, just maybe they’ll contact me back .
Length of Use: Less than 3 months
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros and Cons
Quiz helps decide what a person needs
No customer service, zero, nada, none, zilch
Adding products I didn’t ask for
Company Response from Care/of
Hey Richard,
-Henry
Don’t Miss: Can You Buy Vitamin D2 Over The Counter
What Is Serologic Testing For Covid
A serologic test is a blood test that looks for antibodies created by your immune system. There are many reasons you might make antibodies, the most important of which is to help fight infections. The serologic test for COVID-19 specifically looks for antibodies against the COVID-19 virus.
Your body takes at least one to three weeks after you have acquired the infection to develop antibodies to this virus. For this reason, serologic tests are not sensitive enough to accurately diagnose an active COVID-19 infection, even in people with symptoms.
However, serologic tests can help identify anyone who has recovered from coronavirus. This may include people who were not initially identified as having COVID-19 because they had no symptoms, had mild symptoms, chose not to get tested, had a false-negative test, or could not get tested for any reason. Serologic tests will provide a more accurate picture of how many people have been infected with, and recovered from, coronavirus, as well as the true fatality rate.
Serologic tests may also provide information about whether people become immune to coronavirus once they’ve recovered and, if so, how long that immunity lasts.
The accuracy of serologic tests varies depending on the test and when in the course of infection the test is performed.
Are Personalized Vitamins Better
Personalized vitamins can be an easy and convenient way to start adding supplements to your routine, especially if youre not sure where to get started.
Because nutritional needs can also vary based on your age, sex, and lifestyle, personalized vitamins can help ensure that youre getting vitamins and minerals that can be especially beneficial for you.
However, keep in mind that the health quizzes used by many personalized vitamin companies arent a substitute for a thorough medical review by a healthcare professional.
Additionally, in some cases, personalized vitamins may not be necessary, including for those who only need 12 vitamins or minerals to meet their nutritional needs.
You May Like: What Vitamins Are In Almond Milk
