Dermal Repair Complex is a dietary supplement for anti-aging and rejuvenating skin made by a cosmetics company called Beverly Hills MD. The brand claims that regular use of this supplement will result in a “significantly younger, healthier appearance” with reduced wrinkles and visibly firmer skin.
But can a dietary supplement really improve visible signs of skin aging? Are any of its ingredients backed by medical research? Are there any harmful or questionable additive ingredients?
In this article we’ll answer these questions and more by reviewing every ingredient in Dermal Repair Complex based on medical research to give our take on whether the supplement is likely to be effective. We'll also share before-and-after images from a real user. Because Dermal Repair Complex has so many ingredients, we'll break our ingredient review into two distinct sections: "Dermal Repair Complex Blend" and "Vitamin Blend."
Formulation Review - Dermal Repair Complex Blend
Dermal Repair Complex Blend is a proprietary (prop) blend with a total dosage of 620 milligrams (mg). Prop blends list the total dose but not the individual ingredient dose, which is a practice we disagree with because it makes it more challenging for consumers to evaluate the safety and efficacy of each ingredient.
Hydrolyzed collagen is an effective ingredient for skin, but we consider it underdosed in Dermal Repair Complex.
A medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found that oral collagen supplementation significantly improves skin quality, but the effective dose range was documented as between 2.5 grams (g) and 10 g. The average ingredient dose in this blend is only 0.1 g, or 25x less than what we consider the minimum effective oral collagen dose.
Saw palmetto fruit powder is the second ingredient in Dermal Repair Complex, and we can’t find any medical research suggesting it’s effective for skin.
MSM is the third-listed ingredient, and it does appear to be an effective ingredient for skin aging. Unfortunately, it may be underdosed in this formulation.
A clinical trial on MSM for skin aging found that it improved facial wrinkles, skin roughness, and skin hydration, but the most effective dose from the study was 3 g per day. The researchers also found 1 g per day to be effective but less so. The average ingredient dose in this blend is 0.1 g, or 10x lower than what appears to be the minimally-effective dose.
Wild yam root extract is another ingredient we cannot find any research backing for.
Hyaluronic acid is the fifth ingredient in this formulation, and it appears to be effective for improving skin at a 120 mg per day dose based on a Nutrition Journal meta-study. We'll consider this ingredient likely effective given that the average ingredient dose (103 mg) in Dermal Repair Complex is close.
Silica is typically used as a filler ingredient and we can't find any studies proving it to be effective for anti-aging.
Ingredient Review - Vitamin Blend
Dermal Repair Complex contains a vitamin blend, composed mostly of B-vitamins. The blend contains 2,500 micrograms (mcg) of biotin, which is typically used for hair products like Keranique rather than skincare products.
While biotin may improve skin health in patients with a biotin deficiency, we are unable to identify any clinical trials suggesting that biotin supplementation improves skin quality in patients with normal biotin levels, nor does Beverly Hills MD cite any, so we'll consider this ingredient ineffective.
The rest of the blend is composed of various B-vitamins and Vitamin A. While retinol, a form of Vitamin A, is one of the most well-studied skincare ingredients when applied topically, we can't locate any medical studies proving any of these ingredients to be effective for skin when ingested.
We recommend that consumers avoid dietary supplements with added vitamins and minerals, as it seems illogical to take them without proof of a deficiency and doing so may be unhealthy. Another wellness brand had to recall several supplements from the market in early 2022 because the added vitamins were causing toxicity in some customers.
While Dermal Repair Complex may be effective for skin aging, given that it has one ingredient we consider effective, we do not recommend the formulation overall. We are only able to identify one effectively-dosed active ingredient out of 14 total.
Dermal Repair Complex Before and After Images
One of the most popular YouTube reviews of Dermal Repair Complex is published by a channel called "BusyBeingJen." The creator claims that the video is unsponsored, and she shares before-and-after images of her skin after using the product for 6 weeks.
It's worth noting that she used both the Dermal Repair Complex (dietary supplement) and the Lift + Firm Sculpting Cream (topical serum) so we cannot ascribe these results to the supplement alone:
Questionable Health Claims
There are a number of uncited health claims on the Dermal Repair Complex website that we consider highly questionable.
The brand claims, with no citation, that saw palmetto reduces the effects of "skin-destroying" DHT. We disagree with this claim. We have not come across any evidence that DHT, which is short for dihydrotestosterone and is a natural byproduct of testosterone metabolism, has harmful effects on skin.
Beverly Hills MD also claims that their supplement "supports cell turnover" for a "renewed and energized complexion." Again there is no proof of this claim, and we have not come across any medical research suggesting that B-vitamin supplementation improves skin quality in patients with normal levels of B vitamins.
We also consider it technically incorrect to use the term "Vitamin B." There are a number of B-vitamins such as vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. There is no sole "Vitamin B" and this is a confusing way to refer to this class of vitamins.
Our Skincare Recommendations
There are skincare products that contain ingredients proven in clinical trials to be effective for reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality generally.
Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum is our top skin cream pick because of its effective and clean formulation. It contains hyaluronic acid which was described as a "skin-rejuvenating biomedicine" in a medical review due to its ability to reduce wrinkles and signs of facial aging. We consider this to be the most powerful topical skincare ingredient. Most importantly, this serum is entirely free of questionable additives like preservatives or fragrance.
Interested consumers can check out Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum at this link.
Hydraglow is our top moisturizer pick. It features bakuchiol as an active ingredient which was described in a 2014 clinical trial as "clinically proven to have anti-aging effects."
In the above-linked trial, topical bakuchiol reduced wrinkles, improved skin elasticity and firmness, and reduced photodamage (damage from UV rays). There are no questionable additive ingredients in this product.
Interested consumers can purchase Hydraglow at the secure checkout below:
The only oral supplement we recommend for skin quality improvement is Bulletproof Collagen Powder. Oral collagen supplementation was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology to improve visible signs of skin aging as well as improve skin elasticity and skin hydration. The only ingredient in Bulletproof collagen is collagen peptides sourced from grass-fed animals. We recommend a dose of 10 grams per day.
Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Collagen Powder at this link.
Dermal Repair Complex Customer Reviews
Dermal Repair Complex is sold on Amazon which is a more objective resource for customer reviews in our opinion than a brand's website. The product has an unimpressive average review rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, and receives a "C" grade from Fakespot, which is a software tool that detects potentially fake Amazon reviews.
Fakespot's "Adjusted Rating" is only 2.5 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser is published by a user named "keepitsimple" who claims that the supplement has benefited both their hair and skin:
"After 2 months I noticed my hair was growing faster and becoming thicker and shiny. My skin is softer and seems more hydrated. The cost is worth it."
The top negative review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "birdie" who claims they received a product that may be fraudulent:
"This is the 3rd time I have ordered this product. It appears at least once to be from the same vendor. It does seem to be working not using long enough yet. I am however disappointed in the product I just received. The prior 2 orders came in a bottle that was sealed under the lid and the lid was sealed to the bottle. It appeared to be exactly what is sold on the Beverly Hills MD site. This time it was in a jar totally unsealed everywhere and the jar had what appeared to be makeup stains. It looked like someone put the pill in the jar and closed it. Would you keep it? I returned it and will find another source for the product. I would give fewer stars if allowed."
