The most important part of your beauty routine is not what you think it is
What you consume as part of your diet plays one of the most important roles in maintaining healthy skin, hair and nails. Why? Because your body requires a variety of proteins, vitamins, minerals and nutrients to sustain strength, shine, smoothness and glow. If you're looking to improve the health of your skin, hair and nails, your diet might not be the first place you'll look, but it's definitely the best place to start.
When we have beauty promoted to us, it’s usually in the form of topical products: creams, serums, makeup, or invasives, like injectables. However, true beauty comes from within. The proteins, vitamins, minerals and nutrients you consume as part of your diet work on a deeper level than your creams, treatments and serums. Think of those products like temporary relief, and your diet as the cure.
Topical products have a role in beauty, and some are genuinely beneficial in supporting strong and healthy hair, skin and nails. However, many of the vitamins and minerals used in modern beauty products need to be absorbed by your body to be effectively used and thus consuming them as part of your diet is far more effective than rubbing them on your skin. For example;
- The amino acids found in products like collagen are used to create the structure of your skin, organs and bones.
- Vitamin D is transported to your scalp where it protects the keratinocytes that make your hair from damage caused by UV rays.
- Zinc is transported to the bed of your nails where it catalyses the enzymes and proteins needed for nail strength and growth.
Supplements are a potent serving of these nutrients, consistently supporting the levels your body needs when life gets busy and relying on food alone isn't practical. Food is a wonderful source of vitamins and minerals, but the amount we need to consume can be misaligned with the busyness of our lives, and the lack of easy access to the sheer volume of it we need. Supplements, as the name suggests, supplement anything we’re missing, while eating a wholesome, nutrient-rich, satisfying diet.
Whilst nothing is better than exercise and a healthy diet, supplementation has an important role to play in supporting our diets with additional nutrients when;
- We age
- Our bodies change
- We are unable to get certain nutrients from our food
- We need assistance with specific conditions (such as dry skin)
This is why Natural Beauty Supplements exist. We're here to help you enhance your natural beauty by creating innovative and effective beauty supplements using the highest quality ingredients.
Beauty is not only on the inside, it's from the inside!
Gaining a better understanding of the critical role proteins, vitamins, minerals and nutrients play in optimising the health of our body is the first step to understanding which supplements are right for you. Whether you need to supplement your diet due to deficiencies, or your body needs a boost, the right product will be able to directly address the issue at it's root cause.
Here are some of our favourites!
COLLAGEN
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body, providing structure to our skin, joints, bones and organs, while also supporting a healthy digestive system. When your body naturally produces collagen, it comes from certain amino acids that come from the foods you eat. High quality collagen is essential for healthy skin, including its smoothness, elasticity and hydration. As we age, the rate our body naturally produces collagen begins to decline, and the body’s collagen network deteriorates. Supplementation supports that gap to bring your body’s collagen levels back up to their optimum.
VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for maintaining general health (particularly immune health), while also being a big support in shiny hair, smooth skin and strong nails. We use Vitamin C in many of our products as it increases the body’s collagen production levels. By increasing collagen synthesis, Vitamin C helps reduce fine lines while improving the skin’s appearance and elasticity. Additionally, Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralise and remove oxidants found in environmental pollutants and UV exposure.
ZINC
Zinc is a powerful antioxidant that helps enhance the skin’s repair function, relieving ailments such as acne, rosacea, dermatitis, dry skin and eczema. It also protects the skin from dryness and premature ageing. It’s an enzyme cofactor in collagen production, working with Vitamin C to regulate your body's collagen levels. In addition to this, it supports the growth and division of your cells including your hair and nails. Zinc is transported to your skin to the bed of your nails and hair follicles where it catalyses the enzymes and proteins needed to strengthen and grow your hair and nails.
BIOTIN
Biotin is a widely known and used B vitamin. It's needed by the body to help metabolise amino acids to form proteins such as keratin which is the main component of your hair and nails. Deficiency in Biotin can lead to brittleness and slow growth in your hair and nails.
SILICA
Silica is essential for collagen formation and is the third most abundant trace element in the human body. It plays a vital role in the process of collagen formation and the development of your bones and joints. Silica modulates the activity of an enzyme in your body that's used to create the amino acid chains which form collagen. It's also necessary in the formation of Glycosaminoglycans or GAGs (including Hyaluronic Acid) that hydrate your skin and prompt elastin synthesis which gives your skin it's elasticity.
SELENIUM
Selenium supports your skin health and appearance, preventing premature signs of ageing by fighting free radicals as an antioxidant. It prevents inflammation and promotes healing, and is important for the production of your thyroid hormone which is responsible for regulating the growth of your hair and nails.
VITAMIN A
Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamins for healthy skin. It supports normal skin cell function, promotes healthy collagen and elastin, protects your skin as an antioxidant, helps prevent skin issues like acne and supports skin hydration by stimulating hyaluronic acid production.
VITAMIN D
Aside from its important role in bone strength and development, Vitamin D is also invaluable to skin health. Vitamin D protects the skin as an antioxidant, while also normalising cell turnover, preventing the buildup of dead cells on the surface of your skin and keeping your complexion healthy.
NIACIN
Niacin which your body uses to make Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3. It has a variety of uses in topical creams which help moisturise your skin and can help smooth wrinkles. Dietary niacin is just as important as it's used in the production of keratin which helps keep your skin, hair and nails healthy. It's also an anti-inflammatory for your skin and has been shown to enhance DNA repair in UV sun damaged skin to smooth out lines.
ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in your body. A free radical is an unstable molecule that can harm your body's cells in a number of ways. In addition to being linked to multiple illnesses (including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer) free radicals also attack the cells in your skin, hair and nails which causes signs of ageing. Your body produces its own antioxidants to help fight free radicals but its defences can be given a real boost from the antioxidants which are found in food. Foods highest in antioxidants are often fruits or vegetables and several vitamins including C, A and E.