Evaluating Beauty Supplement Claims Through Scientific Evidence and Graph Theory

Abstract

Beauty supplements have become a popular part of the health and wellness industry, with many people using them in hopes of improving their hair, skin, and nails. Products containing ingredients such as collagen, biotin, and hyaluronic acid are often advertised as being scientifically supported, but available research does not always confirm these claims. This study examined whether the scientific evidence supports the marketing claims used to promote these supplements. Information was gathered from peer-reviewed journal articles, systematic reviews, government publications, and studies on beauty supplement advertising. Each claim was grouped by ingredient and advertised benefit, then classified as having strong, limited, or insufficient scientific support. Descriptive statistics and a graph theory model were used to organize, visualize, and compare the relationships between marketing claims and scientific evidence. Of the eight beauty claims examined, none had strong scientific support. Four were classified as having limited evidence, while the other four had insufficient evidence. Collagen showed limited support for certain skin-related benefits, but biotin had much less evidence despite being heavily promoted. Overall, the findings suggest that many beauty supplement advertisements make broader claims than the available research supports. These findings highlight the gap between marketing messages and the scientific evidence supporting beauty supplement claims.

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