I'm quite happy to apply products with ingredients that I can't pronounce or don't understand to my face, but I always drew the line at ingesting them. I'd roll my eyes at the aisles of supplements in the organic supermarket and ignore my friends' suggestions about their latest inner-beauty buys.
Then, I started working with a nutritional therapist, and, well, I am quite literally eating my words and a whole bunch of supplements. As I've been seeing the results in all areas of my life, especially hormone health, I thought I'd make my way into the world of inner/outer-beauty supplements to see what lies there.
The Beauty Chef team members are the experts in this field and believe that "beauty begins in the belly." The Australian brand was founded by Carla Oates when she and her daughter started to experience eczema and skin allergies and she got them started on a gut-health protocol. When she noticed how much of a difference this had, she created the brand.
Gut health is a big one when it comes to skin. The gut microbiome, in particular, with its diligent little organisms, can have an impact on many areas and processes in the body, including the skin.
The Beauty Chef is all about this with its balancing range of biofermented products that honour the importance of the gut-skin connection.
The brand has just launched its new Adaptogen Inner Beauty Boost (£16), so I thought I'd see what it's all about.
"Adaptogens" has become somewhat of a buzzword recently and for good reason. The centuries-old herbs help the body adapt to stress, and ashwagandha, holy basil, and liquorice have been added here to work with tired and stressed-out skin.
I, for one, am in great need of that. With B vitamins to perk up skin and boost energy and live bacterial cultures to aid in digestion, it's an ideal accompaniment to my shelves of skincare. As you only add some of the liquid to water or a drink of your choice, it's super easy to incorporate into your day—plus, of course, sticking with a balanced lifestyle.
Supplements can't outwork good food, movement, and emotional well-being, as they're not the elixir of life, but they sure help.
Thanks to the kola nut, it actually tastes like cola when mixed with water. I added it to sparkling water, and it's surprisingly tasty. I thought I was drinking a fancy mocktail. I was most impressed by the gut-health benefits I saw really quickly. (I guess my tum was feeling rather neglected.) I felt less sluggish in my digestive system, and my skin has the kind of radiance I thought you could only get from drinking a swimming pool's worth of water. Into it.
Here are some of the other products in the collection.
The word "supercharged" is filled with promise, and the new formulation is exactly that. It has double the amount of provitamin A for skin maintenance; three times the amount of zinc for skin, hair, and nails; and a healthy dose of B vitamins for energy and metabolism. Take it from me. It tastes like berries, and it's delicious. I've been scooping it into coconut yogurt in the morning with granola.
It's also biofermented, so expect a host of gut-loving probiotics and prebiotics.
Available in yummy vanilla and chocolate, this vegan protein powder is just what your wellness routine is missing. It has probiotics and 40 organic wholefood ingredients, including blends with sweet potato, broccoli sprout, and chickpea, so you'll be ready to get moving.
This is the answer to that familiar feeling we get from time to time when we've been rushing around and not prioritising our well-being and just feel a little meh. With all of the Beauty Chef products, gut health is the major focus, but this one also has ingredients to support and aid the liver in cleansing.
If you're not a fan of powders and are not in the mood to mix liquid supplements in your morning smoothie, this spray is a solid option. With probiotics, immune-system support, and biotin for hair maintenance, this peppermint blend is easy to reach if you often forget to add things like this into your routine.
We speak about antioxidants a lot in skincare, and this beauty boost gives you all of the skin glow from the inside. With vitamin C to keep you protected from the free radicals and stressors of modern life, it will line up nicely next to your skincare routine.
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