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Verified by IngredientMD/Nutrafol/Womens Balance
VERIFIED BYingredientMD

Womens Balance.

Strong evidence, strong doseNutrafol, verified Oct 2026Formula verified. Independently reviewed.Independent review. Not commissioned by Nutrafol.

Biotin is the lead active here, studied most for skin health. Zinc is the most studied active here, with 22 human studies behind it, each one cited. Each serving carries 2,500 mcg of Biotin, inside the range the published research used. Who it fits: made for women, adults.

Clinically dosedFull label disclosure
23Active ingredientsWell studiedResearch base219Human studies
Womens BalanceVerified by IngredientMD
NutrafolIngredientMD
The verdict
Strong evidence, strong dose
For Made for women, adults.
How we verify

The brand submits the formula. We read the supplement facts panel and weigh dose, form and synergy against the clinical evidence. Labs test. IngredientMD verifies. The fee pays for review time, never for the outcome.

The formula
Vitamin A (as Beta-Carotene): Skin barrier supportWell studied
Vitamin C: Skin healthExtensively studied
Vitamin D3: Bone strengthExtensively studied
Vitamin E: Skin healthWell studied
Biotin: Skin healthKey driver
Iodine (from Organic Kelp): Thyroid supportExtensively studied
Zinc: Skin healthExtensively studied
Selenium: Hair healthExtensively studied
SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS: A 1875 mg blend of seven ingredients, listed by weight.Supporting role
Organic Gelatinized Maca (Root) Powder: Skin firmness and fine lines. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed first.Supporting role
Saw Palmetto (Fruit) CO₂ Extract: Fuller looking hair. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed second.Well studied
Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen Type I & III: Skin firmness and fine lines. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed third.Well studied
Ashwagandha: Everyday stress. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed fourth.Extensively studied
Liposomal Curcumin (Rhizome) Extract: Endothelial function. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed fifth.Supporting role
Full Spectrum Palm Extract: Skin health. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed sixth.Supporting role
Astaxanthin: Skin health. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed seventh.Well studied
NUTRAFOL BLEND: A 480 mg blend of six ingredients, listed by weight.Supporting role
L-Lysine: Skin health. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed first.Well studied
L-Methionine: Hair health. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed second.Supporting role
Horsetail (Stem and Leaf) Extract: Nail strength. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed third.Well studied
Japanese Knotweed (Root) Extract: Joint comfort. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed fourth.Supporting role
Black Pepper (Fruit) Extract: Filling everyday nutrient gaps. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed fifth.Well studied
Capsicum (Fruit) Extract: Joint comfort. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed sixth.Well studied
Visit the brand

How we read this product

Source: Supplement facts
Supplement Facts panel for Womens Balance
  1. 01
    We read the label.

    The panel on the left is the one we evaluated, line by line.

  2. 02
    Every active, separately.

    All 23 actives checked against the clinical evidence: dose, form, and what the research actually shows.

  3. 03
    Then the formula as a whole.

    Doses, ratios, and how the ingredients work together. That assessment is the verdict above: "Strong evidence, strong dose".

  4. 04
    Earned, not bought.

    The verdict is public and identical whether or not a brand pays. A formula that does not clear the bar gets nothing.

Read by the engine against 2.1 million data points from clinical trials, PubMed and more than a hundred vetted sources. No individual reviewer is named or implied.

The receipts

Well studied
Research base
219
Human studies
2500 mcg
Biotin
1500 mcg
Vitamin A (as Beta-Carotene)
3 mg per serving sits inside the studied 30 mcg-3 mg range
Biotin, NIH ODS + Patel 2017 hair study
225 mcg per serving clears the studied 150 mcg minimum
Iodine (from Organic Kelp), NIH ODS + Zimmermann 2009 review
20 mg per serving clears the studied 8 mg minimum
Zinc, NIH ODS + Prasad 2008 zinc review
200 mcg per serving clears the studied 55 mcg minimum
Selenium, NIH ODS + Rayman 2012 review

Cross-checked against 3,093 documented interactions for these actives.

Read the evidenceVitamin A (as Beta-Carotene), the evidence →Vitamin C, the evidence →Vitamin D3, the evidence →Vitamin E, the evidence →Biotin, the evidence →Iodine (from Organic Kelp), the evidence →

Inside the formula

Vitamin A (as Beta-Carotene)
10 studies
Skin barrier support
Well studied
Vitamin C
20 studies
Skin health
Extensively studied
Vitamin D3
20 studies
Bone strength
Extensively studied
Vitamin E
15 studies
Skin health
Well studied
Biotin
Skin health
Studied 30 mcg to 5 mg a day
Key driver
Iodine (from Organic Kelp)
13 studies
Thyroid support
Studied 150 mcg to 500 mcg a day
Extensively studied
Zinc
22 studies
Skin health
Studied 8 mg to 30 mg a day
Extensively studied
Selenium
15 studies
Hair health
Studied 55 mcg to 200 mcg a day
Extensively studied
SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS
A 1875 mg blend of seven ingredients, listed by weight.
Supporting role
Organic Gelatinized Maca (Root) Powder
Skin firmness and fine lines. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed first.
Supporting role
Saw Palmetto (Fruit) CO₂ Extract
10 studies
Fuller looking hair. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed second.
Well studied
Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen Type I & III
11 studies
Skin firmness and fine lines. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed third.
Well studied
Ashwagandha
21 studies
Everyday stress. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed fourth.
Extensively studied
Liposomal Curcumin (Rhizome) Extract
Endothelial function. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed fifth.
Supporting role
Full Spectrum Palm Extract
Skin health. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed sixth.
Supporting role
Astaxanthin
20 studies
Skin health. In the 1875 mg SYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS with six others, listed seventh.
Well studied
NUTRAFOL BLEND
A 480 mg blend of six ingredients, listed by weight.
Supporting role
L-Lysine
Skin health. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed first.
Well studied
L-Methionine
Hair health. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed second.
Supporting role
Horsetail (Stem and Leaf) Extract
Nail strength. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed third.
Well studied
Japanese Knotweed (Root) Extract
Joint comfort. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed fourth.
Supporting role
Black Pepper (Fruit) Extract
Filling everyday nutrient gaps. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed fifth.
Well studied
Capsicum (Fruit) Extract
Joint comfort. In the 480 mg NUTRAFOL BLEND with five others, listed sixth.
Well studied
In context

The gap this formula speaks to.

Public health figures the engine matched to this formula's ingredients. Reported by their source, cited and dated, never written by the brand.

54 more
Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen Type I & III

Meta-analysis, 2023

Pooling 26 trials in 1,721 people, hydrolysed collagen improved skin hydration and elasticity compared with placebo, with the hydration effect varying by collagen source and how long it was taken.

Nutrients
Vitamin A (as Beta-Carotene)

Meta-analysis, 2007

Across seven human studies, beta-carotene lessened UV-induced skin reddening, with protection appearing after about 10 weeks and rising roughly half a standard deviation for each extra month of use.

Photochemistry and Photobiology
Astaxanthin

Meta-analysis, 2021

Pooling nine trials, oral astaxanthin improved skin elasticity and moisture versus placebo, with no detectable change in wrinkle depth.

Nutrients
Biotin

Meta-analysis, 2025

In a network meta-analysis of 19 trials with 1,658 participants, biotin-containing preparations were among the supplements linked to greater hair density, though most individual trials were small.

Frontiers in nutrition
Biotin

Systematic review, 2017

Across 18 reported cases, all involving an existing deficiency or related condition, hair and nail growth improved after biotin, with limited evidence of benefit in people who are not deficient.

Skin Appendage Disorders
Vitamin E

Meta-analysis, 2022

Across 8 trials in 1,002 women, vitamin E taken by mouth reduced reported menstrual cramp pain compared with placebo, with the clearest effect in the first month.

Clinical Nutrition ESPEN
Zinc

Meta-analysis, 2024

Across six trials in 739 women, zinc lowered menstrual discomfort scores, with bigger drops after eight weeks or more, even at doses as low as 7 mg daily.

Nutrients
Vitamin E

Randomised trial, 2023

In 160 postmenopausal women with long-standing sleep difficulty, one month of vitamin E brought the median sleep questionnaire score to 6, versus 9 on placebo, where lower means better sleep.

Nutrients
Astaxanthin

Randomised trial, 2021

In 42 adults aged 65 to 82 doing three months of endurance training, ankle muscle endurance rose only in the astaxanthin group, from 353 to 472 contractions.

Physiological Reports
Vitamin D3

Meta-analysis, 2024

Across 10 trials in 318 athletes, vitamin D3 raised blood vitamin D by about 14.8 nmol/L and hinted at better muscle strength, though few trials leave that uncertain.

Frontiers in Nutrition
L-Lysine

Randomised trial, 2007

In 108 healthy adults, one week of 2.64 g daily of l-lysine taken with equal l-arginine lowered anxiety scores and stress-linked spikes, and cut resting saliva cortisol in men.

Biomedical Research
Japanese Knotweed (Root) Extract

Randomised trial, 2014

Healthy older adults taking about 200 mg of resveratrol for 26 weeks remembered more words on a memory test and showed stronger brain connectivity than those on placebo.

The Journal of neuroscience
Organic Gelatinized Maca (Root) Powder

Randomised trial, 2026

In 114 women aged 20 to 50, 1,000 mg a day of fish skin collagen peptides for 24 weeks improved skin elasticity and roughness from week 12 and increased hair thickness by week 24.

Journal of Medicinal Food
Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen Type I & III

Meta-analysis, 2021

Pooling 19 randomised double-blind trials in 1,125 people aged 20 to 70, about 90 days of hydrolysed collagen improved skin hydration and elasticity and reduced wrinkles compared with placebo.

International Journal of Dermatology
Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen Type I & III

Meta-analysis, 2026

Pooling randomised trials, oral peptide supplements including collagen peptides improved skin hydration and elasticity measures compared with placebo, with small to moderate effect sizes.

Frontiers in medicine
Capsicum (Fruit) Extract

Meta-analysis, 2023

Across 15 trials in 762 adults with excess weight, capsaicin supplementation lowered BMI by 0.25, body weight by 0.51 kg and waist size by 1.12 cm, changes the authors call modest.

British Journal of Nutrition
Liposomal Curcumin (Rhizome) Extract

Meta-analysis, 2023

Pooling 47 trials of plant compound supplements in adults with joint discomfort, researchers saw changes in inflammation markers, not health outcomes, and garlic is mentioned only in passing.

Frontiers in Immunology
Organic Gelatinized Maca (Root) Powder

Randomised trial, 2017

Vitamin C-enriched gelatin taken an hour before intermittent activity raised circulating markers of collagen synthesis and increased collagen formation in an engineered ligament model. Markers and a bench model, not a clinical outcome.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Organic Gelatinized Maca (Root) Powder

Randomised trial, 2026

A pilot study assessed gelatin supplementation against indices of skeletal muscle recovery. A pilot is sized to test feasibility and produce estimates, not to settle an effect.

European Journal of Applied Physiology
Liposomal Curcumin (Rhizome) Extract

Meta-analysis, 2024

Pooling randomised trials, garlic supplementation lowered fasting blood glucose and improved blood lipid measures compared with control.

Nutrients
Japanese Knotweed (Root) Extract

Randomised trial, 2014

Over twelve weeks in older adults, resveratrol was well tolerated, and the trial did not detect a difference from placebo in the metabolic measures it tracked.

Experimental gerontology
L-Lysine

Systematic review, 2020

Across the clinical studies reviewed, supplemental l-lysine was generally well tolerated in adults, with mild digestive complaints the most commonly reported effect.

The Journal of nutrition
Selenium

Meta-analysis, 2019

Across 13 trials, selenium increased activity of an antioxidant enzyme and overall antioxidant capacity, and lowered a marker of fat oxidation in the blood.

Hormones
Saw Palmetto (Fruit) CO₂ Extract

Meta-analysis, 2018

Across 27 studies, the hexanic extract of saw palmetto was associated with about 0.64 fewer nighttime urinations and a 2.75 mL/s higher peak urinary flow rate compared with placebo.

BJU International
Black Pepper (Fruit) Extract

Systematic review and meta-analysis, 2025

Across 13 trials, curcumin combined with piperine lowered two inflammation markers and one oxidation marker in the blood, and raised an antioxidant activity marker.

Current Medicinal Chemistry
Horsetail (Stem and Leaf) Extract

Randomised trial, 2021

A pilot randomised double-blind trial compared how much silicon the body absorbed from different supplement formulations, showing that absorption differs by the form silicon is delivered in.

Scientific reports
Saw Palmetto (Fruit) CO₂ Extract

Systematic review, 2026

Standardised saw palmetto extracts were linked to better urinary symptom scores across recent trials, though the extracts studied varied widely.

Drugs in Context
Ashwagandha

Meta-analysis, 2024

Pooling nine randomized trials in 558 adults, ashwagandha lowered perceived stress scores by about 4.7 points and serum cortisol by about 2.6 micrograms per deciliter compared with placebo.

Explore
Ashwagandha

Meta-analysis, 2021

Across five randomized trials in 400 adults, ashwagandha extract improved overall sleep with a small pooled effect (standardized mean difference -0.59), most noticeable at doses of 600 mg or more per day taken for at least eight weeks.

PLoS One
Ashwagandha

Meta-analysis, 2020

Pooling four randomized trials in 142 athletes and healthy adults, ashwagandha raised maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) by about 3.0 mL/kg/min compared with placebo.

Nutrients
Astaxanthin

Meta-analysis, 2024

Across trials, astaxanthin lowered blood triglycerides by about 0.46 mmol/L and raised HDL cholesterol by about 0.13 mmol/L compared with placebo.

Nutrients
Black Pepper (Fruit) Extract

Systematic review and meta-analysis, 2023

Across pooled trials in adults with a cluster of raised metabolic markers, curcumin taken with piperine lowered total and LDL cholesterol, with no significant change in triglycerides.

Phytotherapy Research
Selenium

Meta-analysis, 2026

In adults with metabolic risk factors, selenium supplementation was linked to small changes in blood lipid and inflammatory markers, with results varying between trials.

Meta-analysis
Japanese Knotweed (Root) Extract

Meta-analysis, 2020

Pooling the placebo-controlled trials in adults with raised liver fat, resveratrol did not show a consistent change in liver enzyme or lipid measures, which is a failure to detect a difference rather than proof of none.

Nutrients
Saw Palmetto (Fruit) CO₂ Extract

Meta-analysis, 2012

In a pooled analysis of three high-quality trials, saw palmetto at 320 mg a day did not differ from placebo in men's urinary symptom scores (mean difference about 0.16 points) or peak urinary flow rate.

BJU International
Vitamin A (as Beta-Carotene)

Meta-analysis, 2022

Pooling randomised trials, beta-carotene supplementation did not lower all-cause mortality, and the pooled estimate leaned toward higher risk rather than benefit.

Frontiers in medicine
Selenium

Meta-analysis, 2018

Pooling trials, selenium raised the share of motile sperm by about 3.3 percentage points, with a smaller rise in normally shaped sperm and a higher sperm concentration.

Advances in Nutrition
Iodine (from Organic Kelp)

Systematic review and meta-analysis, 2020

In pregnant women with mild to moderate iodine deficiency, iodine lowered a thyroid marker and curbed the usual pregnancy rise in thyroid size. Infant cognitive, language and motor scores showed no change across trials.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Vitamin A (as Beta-Carotene)

Randomised trial, 2007

Men taking 50 mg beta-carotene every other day for about 18 years scored modestly higher than placebo on cognitive and memory tests, though a year of use showed no difference.

Archives of Internal Medicine

Population figures from public health data. Context for the category, not a statement about any individual and not a claim about this product.

What this formula earned

Every one of these is a fact the engine could ground.

Each line below was derived from this formula's own record at the time of verification. Nothing here was written by the brand, and nothing can be added that the evidence does not carry.

  • Studied in people22 human studies on Zinc back this formula, each one cited.
  • A mechanism that is settledHow Vitamin A (as Beta-Carotene) and Vitamin C work is settled pharmacology.
  • Studied together, not just separatelyVitamin A (as Beta-Carotene) and Vitamin C have been studied together, not only separately.
  • Recent work on the recordThe most recent study on this record was published in 2026.
  • Serving amount inside the studied rangeEach serving carries 2,500 mcg of Biotin, inside the range the published research used.
  • A stated daily maintenance amountBiotin is here at a daily maintenance amount, which is what a daily supplement is for.
  • Why this formatIt is a capsule, so the amount per serving is fixed and travels without measuring.
  • The exact form, describedThe label names its forms exactly: Beta-carotene, Ascorbic acid, Vitamin D3 in a carrier oil, lanolin-derived. The record says what each one is and what it suits.
  • An absorption partner in the same servingBlack Pepper (Fruit) Extract is in the same serving as Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen Type I & III, where it has a measured absorption role.
  • A declared blend totalSYNERGEN COMPLEX PLUS declares its total, 1,875 mg per serving, with 7 ingredients listed by weight.
  • Where it comes from and how it is madeVitamin A (as Beta-Carotene) is made by more than one route.
  • Positions this formula already qualifies forThis formula already qualifies for positions beyond the one it is sold into, on the evidence it carries.
  • A position nobody is holding yetSome of those positions are ones almost nobody is selling to yet.
  • Interaction screen on the recordEvery active on this label was screened against the interaction record, and the screen is published with it.
Studied together

The combinations the trials actually measured.

Two pairings in this formula have been studied as combinations in human trials. Each finding below is what a named study measured, cited and dated, never written by the brand.

  • Organic Gelatinized Maca (Root) Powder + Vitamin CRecovery

    In a randomized crossover trial, 15 g of vitamin C-enriched gelatin taken an hour before exercise roughly doubled a blood marker of collagen synthesis compared with placebo.

    Early
  • Zinc + SeleniumImmune

    In a two-year trial in older adults, zinc taken together with selenium improved the antibody response to influenza vaccination.

    Early

Research strength. Research strength says how much work stands behind the combination. It is never a product score.

Fail closed. Where actives were studied on their own rather than together, each shows on its own evidence, never a combined effect no trial measured.

Independent record. Every finding is cited to a named trial, dated, and never written by the brand.

Findings from trials that studied these actives as a combination. Context for how the actives were tested together, not a statement about any individual and not a claim about this product.

What the trials show

What the trials show about timing.

Time-to-effect windows the engine read from the trial record. Each is a window a named study measured, cited and dated, never written by the brand.

  • Vitamin Cwithin 24 hours of a single doseMeasured within a day

    In a randomised crossover trial, 12 healthy adults consumed 101.7 mg of vitamin C as a powder, as raw fruits and vegetables, or as juice, and plasma vitamin C rose after every intake form, with plasma and urinary levels tracked over the 24 hours following the single dose.

    Strong
  • Vitamin D3about 3 months of daily useBuilds with daily use

    In the trial record, blood vitamin D rises for about 3 months of daily vitamin D3 and then holds at a plateau, near 69 nmol/L at 1,000 IU a day, from a starting level near 41 nmol/L.

    Early
  • Vitamin Eabsorbed slowly, tracked over 72 hoursMeasured within a day

    In a 3-phase crossover using two deuterium-labelled forms of alpha-tocopherol, healthy women absorbed about 55 percent of an oral dose taken with a 40 percent fat meal and about 64 percent with a fat-free meal, with samples tracked over 72 hours. The authors conclude absorption is not limited by absent fat or fasting, and that vitamin E leaves the intestine by a prolonged process.

    Promising
  • Biotinabout 5 to 6 months of daily useBuilds with daily use

    In an open trial with no placebo arm, 71 patients with brittle or splitting fingernails took 2.5 mg of biotin a day. Of the 45 cases that could be evaluated, 41 were rated as having firmer and harder nails after an average of 5.5 months of treatment, standard deviation 2.3 months. The rating was clinical judgement rather than an instrument reading, and there was no control group, so the window describes when the raters recorded change, not a placebo adjusted effect.

    Early
  • Iodine (from Organic Kelp)from about eight weeks, deepening through twenty-four weeksBuilds with daily use

    In a 24 week randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 112 mildly iodine-deficient New Zealand adults aged 18 to 40, 150 micrograms of iodine a day as potassium iodate lowered thyroglobulin, a blood marker of iodine status, by 12 percent at 8 weeks, 20 percent at 16 weeks and 27 percent at 24 weeks compared with placebo. Median urinary iodine reached 168 micrograms per litre against 79 on placebo. TSH and free T4 stayed within normal range and did not change significantly.

    Promising
  • Zincover about five days of lozenges started within 24 hours of symptom onsetBuilds with daily use

    Across three randomised placebo-controlled trials pooled as individual patient data (199 adults with naturally acquired colds, 80 to 92 mg of elemental zinc a day as acetate lozenges), 70 percent of the zinc group had recovered by day 5 against 27 percent on placebo, and colds ran 2.73 days shorter against a 7 day average duration. A separate meta-analysis of seven lozenge trials (575 participants, doses above 75 mg a day, zinc acetate or zinc gluconate) measured cold duration 33 percent shorter, with no significant difference between the two salts.

    Strong
8 more
  • Zincabout two to four weeks of daily intakeBuilds with daily use

    In a controlled feeding study in nine healthy men, six weeks of restricted zinc intake raised DNA strand breaks in peripheral blood cells, and four weeks of repletion at 11 mg a day, with 20 mg of supplemental zinc for the first seven days, reversed the rise. In a separate randomised placebo-controlled trial in 40 Ethiopian women eating a high-phytate diet, 20 mg a day of zinc sulfate for 17 days lowered mean comet tail moment from 39.7 to 30.0 while plasma zinc did not change significantly. Both windows were measured on a DNA damage marker in blood cells, not on a symptom.

    Early
  • Seleniumabout ten weeks of daily useBuilds with daily use

    In a 12 week randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 119 healthy UK adults aged 50 to 64, mean plasma selenium rose from 95.7 ng/mL at baseline to steady state by week 10, reaching 118.3, 152.0 and 177.4 ng/mL on 50, 100 and 200 micrograms a day of selenium-enriched yeast. Plasma selenoprotein P rose in every selenium arm. Platelet glutathione peroxidase activity did not change significantly at any dose or form.

    Promising
  • Saw Palmetto (Fruit) CO₂ Extractabout 12 weeks of daily useBuilds with daily use

    In a randomised, placebo-controlled trial, 68 healthy Japanese adults aged 50 and over, without a diagnosed prostate or bladder condition, took 320 mg of saw palmetto extract daily for 12 weeks. The bother of frequent daytime urination improved significantly against placebo, and logged daytime urination frequency decreased.

    Promising
  • Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen Type I & IIIabout 12 weeks of daily useBuilds with daily use

    In a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial, 77 healthy women took 5,000 mg a day of bioactive collagen peptides or placebo for 12 weeks with measurements at weeks 8, 12 and 16. Dermal density and hydration rose and transepidermal water loss fell against placebo at week 12, and those changes were still present after a 4 week washout rather than returning toward baseline. A second trial in 72 women separated from placebo at 8 weeks on hydration, elasticity and density, and retained the change 2 weeks after stopping. Both trials were run by or with the peptide manufacturers. A 2025 meta analysis of 23 randomised trials and 1,474 participants found these skin effects present in industry funded trials and absent in trials without industry funding, which is why the grade here is D.

    Early
  • Ashwagandhaabout eight to nine weeks of daily useBuilds with daily use

    In a 60 day randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 60 stressed healthy adults took 240 mg of a standardised ashwagandha extract (Shoden) once daily or placebo. The ashwagandha arm showed a larger fall in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores (p = .040) and in morning cortisol (p < .001) than placebo, with the DASS-21 change near-significant (p = .096). A separate 8 week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose-ranging trial enrolled 131 adults with self-reported high stress and analysed 98, measuring reduced Perceived Stress Scale scores at 125, 250 and 500 mg per day of an aqueous root and leaf extract. Two trials on two different extracts, both landing in the same eight to nine week band.

    Promising
  • Astaxanthinabout nine weeks of daily useBuilds with daily use

    A 10-week randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial enrolled 23 healthy Japanese adults on 4 mg algal astaxanthin daily or placebo, with measurements at baseline and after nine weeks of supplementation. The astaxanthin group showed a higher minimal erythema dose, the ultraviolet dose needed to redden skin, and less loss of skin moisture in the irradiated area than placebo. This is one small trial, and all three authors were employed by FUJIFILM Corporation.

    Ito et al., 2018PMID 29941810
    Early
  • Astaxanthinabout twenty-four weeks of daily useBuilds with daily use

    In a randomised placebo-controlled trial, 34 adults with impaired fasting glucose and dyslipidaemia (22 randomised to astaxanthin, 12 to placebo) took 12 mg astaxanthin daily for 24 weeks, with the baseline test battery repeated at 12 and 24 weeks. After 24 weeks, LDL cholesterol fell by 0.33 mmol/L and total cholesterol by 0.30 mmol/L, and fibrinogen, L-selectin and fetuin-A also fell. The changes are modest, the primary endpoint of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal did not reach significance, and blood markers were measured rather than a feeling.

    Promising
  • Black Pepper (Fruit) Extractabout 3 weeks of daily useBuilds with daily use

    In a double-blind clinical study in healthy adult men, 5 mg of piperine from black pepper extract taken daily alongside 120 mg of coenzyme Q10 produced an approximately 30 percent greater area under the plasma coenzyme Q10 curve after 21 days, while a single dose and 14 days of use showed smaller, non-significant increases.

    Promising

Windows measured in the cited trials. Context for how the active behaves over time, not a statement about any individual and not a claim about this product.

General timing

How each ingredient usually behaves over time.

12 ingredients, from each one's own page.

  • Vitamin A (as Beta-Carotene)Weeks, not days

    Weeks to months. It is a status ingredient, so the change turns up in plasma carotenoid and retinol readings rather than in anything day to day.

    Its own page, the plain answer on timing

  • Vitamin CWithin hours

    Blood levels rise within hours and tissue pools fill over days. Collagen-linked changes in skin and gums build over weeks and show as tissue quality, not as a sensation.

    Its own page, the plain answer on timing

  • Vitamin D3About six to twelve weeks

    25-hydroxyvitamin D climbs over roughly six to twelve weeks of daily dosing before it plateaus. It's a blood level you watch rather than a feeling.

    Its own page, the plain answer on timing

  • Vitamin EWeeks, not days

    Plasma alpha-tocopherol climbs within days of daily intake, and anything you'd notice in skin condition is a slow change across a couple of months.

    Its own page, the plain answer on timing

  • BiotinAbout 8 to 12 weeks

    Fingernails grow around 3mm a month, so it takes roughly 8 to 12 weeks before enough new plate has grown out to judge the difference by eye.

    Its own page, the plain answer on timing

  • Iodine (from Organic Kelp)Weeks, not days

    Thyroid hormone turns over slowly, so the change lands on a urinary iodine measure and a thyroid panel before it lands anywhere in your day.

    Its own page, the plain answer on timing

6 more

How each ingredient usually behaves over time, from its own page on IngredientMD. General timing for the ingredient, not a measurement of this product.

Chemical form

The same ingredient, carried differently.

What each form is, and where it fits in a formula. Measured findings carry the study that reported them.

  • Beta-carotene

    Chemically synthesised crystalline carotene, essentially a single all-trans isomer of high purity.

    Fits
    Standardised supplement and fortification use where a consistent, defined isomer content is wanted.
    Trade-off
    It supplies one isomer rather than the mixture found in a plant source, and the crystal needs a delivery system to be dispersible at all.
  • Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)

    The animal-sourced form of vitamin D, made in skin under UVB light and produced commercially from lanolin. Fat-soluble, so it travels with dietary fat and is stored in body fat.

    Fits
    Raising and holding vitamin D status, and the form most supplement trials use.
    Trade-off
    Being fat-soluble it accumulates with sustained high dosing, so intakes are set against the tolerable upper level rather than topped up freely.

    In a 12-week double-blind randomised controlled trial in 108 young women in urban Bangalore, most of whom began vitamin D-deficient, daily vitamin D3 at 400, 600 or 800 IU in a fortified wafer raised serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone fell over time, and effects on bone-turnover markers were modest and not dose specific. The 800 IU dose brought 65 percent of participants to sufficiency.

  • Kelp (seaweed-sourced iodine)

    Dried, milled brown seaweed such as Ascophyllum nodosum or Laminaria, in which iodine occurs naturally bound within the plant tissue alongside other marine minerals.

    Fits
    A whole-food marine source that suits formulas positioned around natural or food-derived ingredients rather than isolated salts.
    Trade-off
    The iodine content of seaweed varies widely with species, harvest and season, so unless a batch is standardised the delivered amount is hard to pin down, and kelp can also carry other elements taken up from seawater.
  • L-lysine (free-form)

    The lysine amino acid with no acid counter-ion attached, sold as the base itself. Because there is no added salt mass, a stated weight corresponds more closely to pure lysine than the equivalent weight of a salt.

    Fits
    Suits formulas that want the panel figure to line up with the amino acid itself, with no chloride or acetate to account for, and blends where an added counter-ion is unwanted.
    Trade-off
    The free base is more hygroscopic and less crystalline-stable to handle than the hydrochloride, so it can be harder to keep free-flowing in a powder or to press cleanly into a tablet, which is why standalone products often reach for the salt instead.
  • L-methionine (free-form)

    The single L-enantiomer (S-configuration) of the sulfur-containing essential amino acid methionine, molecular formula C5H11NO2S, supplied as the free amino acid rather than as a salt, ester or chelate. It is the proteinogenic stereoisomer of methionine and is typically made by fermentation.

    Fits
    Matches the L-enantiomer proteins are built from, so it needs no isomer conversion step. A clean single-ingredient choice for standalone amino acid products and for free-amino-acid blends where a defined L-form is specified on the panel.
    Trade-off

Descriptions of the form itself, read from the cited studies. Not a comparison between products and not a statement about any individual.

Format

Capsule

It is a capsule, so the amount per serving is fixed and travels without measuring.

Best forMost standard doses, and anywhere a short, clean label is the point.
From the same shelf

Studied alongside this brand's other formulas

Where two of this brand's products carry actives the literature has read together, the pairing and its basis are below. The evidence word is the corpus row's own confidence, never a score.

Womens Balance
Available from Nutrafol
Strong evidence, strong doseVerified Oct 2026
View at Nutrafol

Questions shoppers ask

Is Womens Balance independently verified?
Yes. IngredientMD reviewed this formula independently and verified it in Oct 2026. The verdict is earned, not bought: brands can't edit or purchase it.
What's in Womens Balance?
Womens Balance is built on Vitamin A (as Beta-Carotene), Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Biotin, Iodine (from Organic Kelp), and more. Each ingredient links to its own evidence page on IngredientMD.
Were ingredient interactions checked?
Yes. The combination was screened against 3,093 documented interactions for these actives in IngredientMD's interaction database.
Who is IngredientMD?
IngredientMD is an independent supplement-science platform. We analyze ingredients and formulas against clinical research, and we verify products only when they clear our bar. Labs run the tests. We review the results.
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This record is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen.

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