Skin supplements explained: what is inside four Advanced Nutrition Programme formulas

Skin supplements are food supplements. They are concentrated sources of nutrients taken alongside a varied diet, never in place of one. The four Advanced Nutrition Programme skin supplements we stock each take a different route. Skin Accumax pairs vitamins A, C and E with a plant compound called DIM. Skin Omegas+ is a fish oil with evening primrose oil and vitamin A. Skin Moisture IQ is a daily pod of five capsules. Skin Clear Biome combines live bacterial and yeast cultures with zinc. Here is what each one contains, what the label asks of you and the questions worth asking before you start.

Walk down any wellness aisle and the packaging gets loud. The rules underneath it are quiet and strict. Food supplements sold in Ireland are regulated as food by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, and a nutrient can only be linked to a health benefit using wording from the EU register of authorised health claims.

That is why you will see us write that vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, rather than anything more dramatic. It is also why several ingredients in this guide, such as hyaluronic acid, DIM and evening primrose oil, appear without a benefit attached. They are in the formula. There is simply no authorised claim for them, so we tell you what they are and leave it there.

• Food supplement: a product that adds concentrated nutrients to a normal diet. It is not a medicine and is not intended to treat any condition.
• Authorised health claim: a statement about a nutrient's role in the body that the EU has approved, such as zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal skin.
• NRV: nutrient reference value, the daily amount of a vitamin or mineral used as a benchmark on labels. A product generally needs to provide at least 15 percent of the NRV in its daily dose to make a claim for that nutrient.
• Live cultures: bacteria and yeasts that are alive when you take them. There are currently no authorised EU health claims for them.
• Skin conditions: acne, rosacea, eczema and similar concerns are medical matters. A supplement is not a treatment for them, and a GP, pharmacist or dermatologist is the right first call.

The vitamin heavy option. Each capsule combines vitamin A (as retinyl palmitate), vitamin C and vitamin E with a DIM complex. DIM, or diindolylmethane, is a compound formed from substances found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage. The capsule shell is plant based and the brand describes the formula as vegan, gluten free and dairy free.

What it can say: vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin. Vitamins C and E contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, which is the damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals.

How to take it: one or two capsules twice a day with meals, or as your health professional advises. That is between two and four capsules daily.

Who should not take it: anyone under 16, pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy. If you are under medical supervision, speak to your doctor first. The label also notes a harmless change in urine colour can occur.

Sizes: 60 capsules, 120 capsules and 180 capsules.

The simplest of the four, and the one we would point a supplement beginner towards. It is a softgel of fish oil, which supplies the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, with evening primrose oil, a source of the omega 6 fatty acid GLA, and vitamin A.

What it can say: vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. EPA and DHA have an authorised claim, but it relates to the normal function of the heart at 250mg daily, not to skin, so we will not stretch it. GLA has no authorised claim.

How to take it: two capsules daily with a meal.

Who should check first: anyone taking blood thinning medicine such as warfarin, as fish oil can add to that effect. It contains fish and a fish gelatin capsule, so it is not suitable for vegetarians or anyone with a fish allergy. As it contains vitamin A, check with your GP or pharmacist if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

Sizes: 60 capsules and 180 capsules.

A 28 day system rather than a single bottle. Each daily pod holds five capsules: two Skin Omegas+, one Skin Moisture Lock with hyaluronic acid, wheat extract and rice bran oil, one Skin Vit A+ with vitamins A and D, and one Skin Vitality, a multivitamin and mineral capsule with bilberry, broccoli, spinach and acai powders.

What it can say: vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. Hyaluronic acid, the ingredient most people associate with hydration, has no authorised claim when taken as a supplement.

How to take it: the contents of one pod daily with a meal. The brand suggests using it for at least three months.

Who should check first: it already contains Skin Omegas+, so do not take the two together. It contains fish and wheat. If you take a separate multivitamin or vitamin A supplement, ask a pharmacist before adding this. The same pregnancy and blood thinner prompts as Skin Omegas+ apply.

Shop Skin Moisture IQ.

The microbiome formula. Each vegetable capsule contains four live cultures: Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus helveticus and Saccharomyces boulardii, a yeast. Zinc completes the formula. No refrigeration is needed.

What it can say: zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and to the normal function of the immune system. The live cultures have no authorised claim, so we will not make one for them.

How to take it: one capsule daily with food.

Who should check first: anyone under medical supervision, anyone with a weakened immune system and anyone taking antibiotics or medicine that suppresses the immune system. Check the pack for milk and soya if you have an allergy.

Sizes: 10 day discovery pack, 30 capsules and 60 capsules.

Nobody can tell you the week your skin will look different, and you should be wary of anyone who tries. Nutrient levels build gradually, the outer layer of skin renews itself over a period of weeks and every body starts from a different baseline.

What you can control is the habit. Take your capsules with the same meal each day, since every one of these labels asks for food. Take a photo in the same window light before you start and again each month. Give a formula the time its label suggests before you judge it, which for Skin Moisture IQ is at least three months.

Ask before you start if any of these apply to you.

• You are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive. Skin Accumax is not suitable, and the other three contain vitamin A, so check before taking them.
• You take prescription medicine, particularly blood thinners, oral retinoid acne medication such as isotretinoin, antibiotics or medicine that affects your immune system.
• You already take a multivitamin, cod liver oil or another supplement with vitamin A, zinc or fish oil.
• You are under the care of a doctor or dermatologist for a skin condition.
• You are under 16.

Your local pharmacist can look at labels side by side with you. It is a five minute conversation that is worth having.

Stacking without reading the labels. Skin Moisture IQ already contains Skin Omegas+, and three of these formulas contain vitamin A. More capsules is not more benefit.

Treating a supplement as a substitute. It sits alongside a varied diet, daily SPF and a sensible routine. It does not replace any of them.

Judging too early. A fortnight tells you whether a capsule agrees with your stomach, not much more.

Expecting it to treat a skin condition. Persistent breakouts, redness or irritation deserve a professional opinion.

Start with what you already take, then choose by format. If you want one simple daily habit, Skin Omegas+ is two capsules and done. If you would rather not juggle bottles, Skin Moisture IQ puts everything into one pod. If you are drawn to a vitamin led formula, Skin Accumax is built around vitamins A, C and E. If you are curious about live cultures, Skin Clear Biome adds them alongside zinc.

The brand also pairs Skin Accumax with Skin Clear Biome in the Skin Accumax Biome Duo, a combination it has designed to be taken together.

A good skin supplement is a quiet daily habit, not a promise. Read what is in the capsule, follow the directions on the pack, check in with a pharmacist if anything on the list above applies to you and give it time. Every order comes with a free sample and delivery is free over €75.