AD No resolutions made – the pressure! But if you’ve been a reader here for some time you will know that I’ve taken skin supplements for many years and I suppose if I am making any kind of commitment at all for 2023, it’s to keep taking them. Skin has two sides, after all, and skin care ingredients can only go so far into the epidermis before they become medical products and then they need full licensing and it’s a whole other world of legislation pain and accessibility. Remember that skin is waterproof – it’s reluctant to let anything much in at all, let alone a rain drop, and is built to resist. I love skin care for its ability to smooth, brighten, hydrate and pamper but I like an inside out approach as well.

I swapped my usual skin care supplement a few months ago for Advanced Nutrition Skin Moisture IQ– I’m on month four now. It’s not unusual to have to wait several months for any supplement to start making its mark but Advanced Nutrition Skin Moisture IQ worked from the get go and I know that from the smoothness of transition. The first thing you’ll notice is that you’ll stop getting leg dust – somehow shins are extra susceptible to flakiness and were the driest part of my body at least. Any flakiness should disappear within a couple of weeks of taking the supplements and if you’re looking for evidence that your skin is receiving moisture help from within, that’s where you’ll find it soonest. When I was unwell in the summer I stopped taking the supplements for two weeks – and got dry shins! I almost never use a body cream and if I do, it’s for a smoother texture, fragrance or pleasure rather than for moisture as such, so occasionally I’ll dip into an enzymatic lotion to spot treat upper arms and legs. I rarely use a hand cream these days and even more rarely a foot cream because there’s no real need for it. Skin dryness on my body is just not something I think about because it’s a rare day that I need to. I have noticed my upper arms, prone to bumpiness unless I’m thorough with exfoliation, are noticeably smoother.

Advanced Nutrition as a brand tests well beyond what’s required for supplements which is reassuring to me – the supplement quality arena is a minefield and I swear I have tipped a lot of filling powder down my throat over the years! The supplements I take form the Skin Moisture IQ regime which comprises everything your skin needs to hold on to its hydration with the associated benefits of that. There are five capsules in each pod and there are 28 pods in a pack. And yes, before you ask, five capsules all at once is quite the mouthful! I usually go two then three although officially Advanced Nutrition recommends taking one or two with each meal – they’re soft so not hard to swallow really. In terms of what you’re getting skin nutrition wise, here goes with what’s in the capsules. One capsule is hyaluronic, ceramides and manganese, two capsules contain omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, one capsule provides vitamins A and D and one capsule is a broad spectrum multi-vitamin with fruit and vegetable powders. The capsule explanation is top line – the full list of ingredients is long! Highlights include vitamins D, E, K, C, B1, B6, B12, B5 and B2, Folic acid, Niacin, calcium, magnesium, evening primrose oil, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, broccoli powder and Acai berry powder.

It’s a very personal choice as to whether you decide to take skin supplements – skin will age no matter what because that’s how the world works – being older is a celebration and believe me, no beauty is lost because of it. For myself I want skin resilience, smoothness and hydration with all its associated comfort and elasticity and because no supplements are clever enough to target just the face, you get it everywhere. Just by increasing hydration, skin will naturally plump – all over – although this is a more subtle effect that’s hard to calibrate when you look at your own face and body every day. You’ll probably start to idly wonder why you’re not having to slather your skin with moisturiser before the penny drops! It may be that you prefer to take supplements when your skin is at its driest – winter, probably, in which case start as soon as you can so you reap the benefits in summer.

I’m impressed with and convinced by skin supplements – enough that I’ve taken skin supplements over a period of years, (both purchasing and testing) not months and while Advanced Nutrition Skin Moisture IQ isn’t the cheapest option (I try to think of it in budget terms as the equivalent of buying a daily coffee) it’s very much more than supplements I’ve tried before. Good examples of that are that Advanced Nutrition uses pharmaceutical grade production (many supplements do not), traceable and ethically sourced ingredients and they keep testing the product throughout its life rather than just at the beginning. It was a leap of faith when I started them and I have no regrets whatsoever – I’d rather make my own coffee than leave Skin Moisture IQ behind! There’s a free ten day supply of Skin Youth Biome if you decide to purchase with the code BBBSYB (add the Skin Moisture IQ to your bag and then search the 10 day Skin Youth Biome and add it to your basket separately) HERE.

Skin Moisture IQ is dairy free and gluten free but not vegan or vegetarian.