More radiant, younger-looking skin? There's a pill for that
Mysterious powders, powerful elixirs and capsules promising your best skin glow yet. Should you be hopping onto the beauty supplements bandwagon?
When it comes to skincare, we are keen to try just about anything that will give us healthy, glowing skin and keep those fine wrinkles at bay for just a little longer.
Skincare trends change rapidly with the influence of new Korean beauty products, high-tech at-home gadgets and the need to achieve bare-faced confidence becoming more important.
Overall wellness of mind, body and spirit has also affected how we think about skincare with buzzwords such as kale, quinoa, turmeric and acai becoming everyday terms, and exercise a way of life.
Now a new wave of beauty products is on the rise with beauty supplements becoming the latest essential to add to your routine for stronger hair, more luminous skin and overall body functionality.
Skin, hair and nails are the last places to get nutrients, so if you're not receiving enough nutrition, they're the first to suffer
According to the Business of Fashion: "With this wellness revolution, people have noticed that when they look after their body in a more holistic way, their skin benefits. Skin, hair and nails are the last places to get nutrients, so if you're not receiving enough nutrition, they're the first to suffer."
International beauty brands have been leading the charge in the skin-supplements arena with products that fit perfectly into your healthy lifestyle, instead of feeling like an additional chore. Plus, they're all wrapped up in luxurious, Instagram-worthy packaging.
Not only can you curate your supplements according to need, but also the way you prefer to ingest them. You can choose between traditional capsules, powders that mix easily into your green smoothie after gym (like Australian brand The Super Elixir, started by model Elle Macpherson) or easy-to-digest liquid concentrate formulations.
So we get that they look ultra-cool and make you feel all that healthy goodness, but are beauty supplements really necessary?
Eleanor Pendleton, founder and publisher of online beauty magazine Gritty Pretty, says: "If you have a healthy diet and drink water, it isn't essential. Equally, it doesn't hurt to be extra healthy with the use of supplements."
We all need a little help sometimes and, as self-professed skincare junkies, there's nothing wrong with adding a few beauty supplements to your regime - to boost your skin's radiance, combat acne or put some voluminous strength and shine back into your hair.
5 OF THE BEST LOCAL BEAUTY SUPPLEMENTS
1. Trichotin Hair Regenesis, R398: Corrects hair loss and stimulates follicles by encouraging blood circulation and oxygen delivery. Contains saw palmetto, oat straw, nettle, vitamin A, silica, folic acid, kelp and biotin.
2. QMS Medicosmetics Intravital Plus Nutritional Supplement, R710: For skin regeneration and protection from premature ageing. Contains hydrolysed hollagen, vital vitamins, biotin resveratrol, copper gluconate and co-enzyme Q10.
3. Dermagen Glutathione Collagen & Coenzyme Q10, R428: Nourishes skin and helps circulation with glutathione, collagen and co-enzyme Q10.
4. Solal Collagen Plus Skin Essentials, R240: Uses a dual capsule formulation to combine ingredients such as collagen, biotin, silicon, vitamin A, Omega-3, zinc and vitamin E for hair strength and skin elasticity.
5. Collagen Lift Paris Red Carpet, R995: Promotes intensive hydration and skin elasticity with hyaluronic acid, Mediterranean seaweed and vitamin C.