The best beauty supplements 2024 – tried and tested

In our search for the best beauty supplements we tried a range of capsules, tablets, gummies and liquids, and we tested them for taste and flavour as well as evaluating the nutrient profile, number of additives and whether they're suitable for vegans, coeliacs and other dietary requirements.

Jump to:

• Best beauty supplements at a glance
• Best beauty supplements to buy in the UK 2024
• What are the best nutrients for healthy skin, hair and nails?
• How to choose a beauty supplement
• How to take a beauty supplement
• What we looked for in beauty supplements

Best beauty supplements at a glance

• Best beauty supplement for all-round support: Biocare Hair, Skin & Nail Complex, £37.60
• Best beauty supplement with antioxidants: Cytoplan Hair, Skin & Nails, £15.75
• Best beauty supplement to support collagen production: Vitl Skin & Beauty, £11.99
• Best beauty supplement for skin health: Perfectil SKIN, £9.48

Best Beauty supplements

BioCare Hair, Skin & Nail Complex

• Available from RightNutri (£36.69), Bodykind (£37.59), BioCare (£37.60)

Best beauty supplement for all-round support

Star rating: 4.5/5

This supplement contains a blend of biotin and zinc together with other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which makes it a good all-rounder product. It is the most expensive of the products tested, but the quality of their ingredients is higher with no added extras (eg additional fillers or additives). A point in its favour is that it contains the natural form of folate, which is more likely to give results. A lot of the high street brands tested contain folic acid instead (a synthetic form of folate), which, it is estimated, up to 40 per cent of the population cannot metabolise.

Available from:
RightNutri (£36.69)
Bodykind (£37.59)
BioCare (£37.60)

Cytoplan CytoProtect Hair, Skin & Nails

• Available from Nature Doc Shop (£19.50), Cytoplan (£22.50), Healthpath (£22.50),

Best beauty supplement with antioxidants

Star rating: 4/5

This is a blend of biotin, zinc and selenium as well as important antioxidants, including cocoa extract, bilberry extract and maritime bark extract which specifically help to strengthen and protect the health of hair, skin and nails. They are easy-to-swallow capsules, but some testers found that they do have quite a strong smell which may be off-putting for some.

Available from:
Nature Doc Shop (£19.50)
Cytoplan (£22.50)
Healthpath (£22.50

Vitl Skin & Beauty

• Available from Vitl (£11.99)

Best beauty supplement to support collagen production

Star rating: 3.5/5

A blend of nutrients including biotin and zinc, together with specific nutrients that target collagen production and protect against UV skin damage, such as vitamin C and curcumin. It comes as an easy-to-swallow capsules, just one a day, and it has a neutral taste and smell.

Available from:
Vitl (£11.99)

Perfectil SKIN

• Available from Vitabiotics (£18.95), Holland & Barrett (£18.99), Boots (£20)

Best beauty supplement for skin health

Star rating: 3.5/5

A comprehensive blend of nutrients including omega-3 and CoQ10 aimed at targeting skin health. The pack contains both a tablet and a capsule, and you take both every day. Of all the Perfectil range, this is the better all-round product thanks to its range of nutrients. Others might contain more biotin, but – with this vitamin – higher levels doesn’t necessarily equate to it being more effective. On the downside, this product does contain a fair amount of fillers and anti-caking including talc.

Available from:
Vitabiotics (£18.95)
Holland & Barrett (£18.99)
Boots (£20)

What are the best nutrients for healthy skin, hair and nails?

The best nutrients when looking after your hair, skin and nails is actually a variety of different vitamins and minerals. Biotin is the main one that is used by supplement companies because it helps to enhance keratin production, the protein that forms the very structure of hair, skin and nails. However, despite it being included in almost every beauty supplement, the research on the efficacy of biotin is lacking, even at very high doses, unless you have a biotin deficiency.

Other nutrients include collagen, iron, vitamin C and zinc. Collagen may help improve skin hydration and elasticity and vitamin C acts as a co-factor in the production of collagen as well as acting as an antioxidant to protect our cells from damage. Iron is essential for getting blood flow to our hair, skin and nails, and zinc is needed for protein synthesis helping growth and repair. Vitamin A helps to maintain healthy condition of hair, skin and nails and offers protective antioxidant benefits, alongside vitamin C. Omega-3 can then be of benefit by helping to reduce inflammation and alleviate symptoms such as dry skin.

How to choose a good beauty supplement

The evidence doesn’t necessarily indicate that more biotin is better, and because no single nutrient acts on its own, you would be better to buy a supplement that contains several different nutrients for a more rounded approach. For example, if you struggle with anaemia or follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, then finding a beauty supplement that also contains iron would be beneficial. If dry skin is your main problem, a supplement with omega-3 may be of more benefit. Also look for one which contains folate, rather than folic acid which is a synthetic form of folate, and is not always well metabolised in some people.

How to take a beauty supplement

Most beauty supplements should be taken with food and water. There is no preferred time of day to take them, so it will be more about finding when it fits best within your routine.

You can’t supplement your way out of a bad diet though, so ensuring you have a balanced diet including of fruit and vegetables, good quality proteins and omega 3-rich foods will go further to support the health of your hair, skin and nails.

What we looked for in beauty supplements

All supplements were tested within the same time period, with observations recorded based on the testing criteria. We included samples from various manufacturers, offering diverse formats such as capsules, tablets, gummies and liquids, with a range of price points to suit different budgets. The key areas we assessed were as follows:

• Taste and flavour: is the consuming experience pleasant?
• Nutrient profile: how much of each nutrient is included per daily dose? How does this compare to the NRV
• Additives: does the supplement contain additives, for example: preservatives, artificial sweeteners or colourings?
• Dietary requirements: does the product meet any specific dietary needs – is it vegetarian, vegan?
• Value for money: how does it compare to other products on a cost-per-day basis

Related content

Best magnesium supplement
Expert explains: What to eat for better skin
Health spotlight: Vitamin C and your skin
Best collagen supplement UK
Best probiotics UK
Best vitamin D supplements UK
Best protein powder
Best greens powder
Best herbal tea
Best matcha tea powder
Best glucosamine supplement