The Savvy Girl’s Guide to Beauty Supplements

Intrigued by the rising popularity of beauty supplements? Here’s everything you need to know before diving in.Edible skincare. It sounds like a new-fangled thing, right? And while there are an increasing number of beauty supplements stacking up on the shelves, one thing to remember is this: before skincare lotions and potions became the mainstay of every beauty routine, getting the nutrients needed for good skin, hair and nails really was all about what you ate.Nourishment from the inside out isn’t a new concept after all—just ask the nutritionists who have been trying to tell us to eat better for years! But what is new, is the concentrated form we can now get these essential nutrients in.Busy lives and hectic schedules can sometimes mean we struggle to eat well enough to tick off all those ingredients that deliver high quantities of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which really great skin requires. This, of course, is where beauty supplements come in.Formulated by scientists who have broken down all the key nutrients we need to nourish from the inside out, a beauty edible, like theBoots Beauty Beneath, which you'll find in this month's GlossyBox, can target issues that a skin serum just can’t.

Collagen gives skin it's strength and structure, and as we grow older collagen production reduces. The Boots Beauty Beneath supplements, for example, contain a carefully formulated blend of phyto-nutrients including Lycopene and Vitamins C and E alongside Biotin, Marine Collagen and Omegas 3 & 6. These nutrients help the production of collagen, ensuring our skin doesn't lose it's structure as we grow older.

Beauty Supplement Need To Know

There are a few things to look for however, to make sure you’re taking a supplement that’s effective. See our three easy tips below to help you navigate the beauty supplements aisle.

1. Know Your Ingredients

When it comes to healthy, radiant skin, you need a combination of nutrients that all work together. Key ingredients to look for are: vitamins C and E, which repair and protect against damage from UV rays and free radicals; omegas 3 & 6, which boost your skin’s moisture levels; lycopene, a powerful antioxidant naturally found in tomatoes, plus biotin and collagen to strengthen cells and help prevent signs of ageing.

2. Check The Studies

The quickest way to find out if a supplement really works, and is safe, is to do your research and check the studies behind it. Boots Beauty Beneath, for example, is backed by scientists and robust user studies involving over 500 women.

3. Give It Time To Work

The most important factor in getting great results with a beauty supplement is to allow enough time for things to kick in. The effect is normally cumulative, and changes happen on a deeper cellular level compared with creams, meaning that you’ll need to keep up the correct dosage (it’ll say on the box) for around four weeks to get the best results. Then just keep going!