It's hot out there and our skins a little dryer, our hair is fluffy & frizzy and our nails have been bonked off the BBQ a few too many times. Rather than tell you to drink more water, eat more vegetables etc, we caught up with Catherine Mulcahy, creator of Your Beauty Tonic to discuss the top five ingredients you need to look for when choosing a beauty supplement.

1.Collagen

Collagen is a protein in skin that acts like scaffolding; it holds everything else up. Unfortunately our bodies stop producing collagen in our mid-20s, and by the age of 30 our collagen levels drop by 1%-2% a year.  Once we reach the age of 50, we have lost up to 40% of collagen from our skin.  The best form of collagen is hydrolysed collagen (better absorbed) and it can be found in fish, meat or chicken sources.

2.Methyl Sulfonyl Methane  - MSM

Biologically active sulfur is one of the most critical nutrients for our bodies to remain youthful and energetic. MSM is an organic sulfur compound that's naturally derived during the earth's rain cycle. Sulfur is present in many natural unprocessed foods, but it's quickly lost during the cooking process. MSM is necessary for collagen production and works together with Vitamin C to build new, healthy tissues. It is also highly noted to contribute to exceptional strength and thickness of the hair and nails, which can be noticed in just a couple weeks of consistent use.

3.Hyaluronic Acid

Naturally found in the body, hyaluronic acid secures moisture and creates fullness. As we age, skin moisture can drop significantly, which makes the skin lose elasticity and expose the signs of aging on the skin. Hyaluronic acid plays a critical role in skin health with its unique ability to hold in moisture (1000 ml of water per gram of hyaluronic acid). Hyaluronic acid is also a smart nutrient as it can adjust its moisture absorption rate based on the humidity relative to the season and the climate. One of the most skin damaging elements are UVB rays from the sun. Hyaluronic acid benefits the skin as it protects the skin from UVB rays

4.Gotu Kola Leaf

Gotu Kola is considered a super herb loaded with anti-oxidants which have enormous health benefits and healing properties. Found mainly in tropical climates of Asia, Africa, India, Madagascar, North and South America, China, Indonesia, and Australia Gotu Kola is renowned in Ayurveda for its skin regeneration rates and circulatory benefits of late with regards to helping with cellulite.

5.Vitamin B7 or Biotin  

Biotin is a nutrient that helps us keep a young, attractive appearance since it plays a major part in maintaining the health of our hair, nails and skin. In fact, biotin sometimes gets the nickname the vitamin, which stems from the German words Haar and Haut that means hair and skin. Vitamin B7 biotin is commonly added to hair and skin beauty products, although it's believed to not be absorbed very well through the skin and actually must be ingested to be fully beneficial. Biotin can be found in foods like organ meats, eggs, avocado, cauliflower, berries, fish, legumes and mushrooms.

Where do you find all these great ingredients? Check out Your Beauty Tonic.Your Beauty Tonic is a food supplement with natural tropical fruit flavour and natural sweetener steviol glycosides. It contains 5000mg of hydrolysed marine collagen, 200mg of hyaluronic acid and 400mg of MSM and priced at €59.95

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