With one of us having suffered with terrible skin problems on and off throughout her adult life, and the other being a nutritionist specialising with skin health, we have learnt so much on our journey to gorgeous glowing skin. Though good skincare is an essential part of this we believe supporting skin from the inside is what really gives the long term, x-factor results.

Equi’s Beauty Formula is an amalgamation of everything we know about supporting skin from within. Every single one of our 60 unique ingredients from all four corners of the world have been selected to make a difference, and to bring life to your skin.

How does it beautify?

In line with our functional model approach to wellbeing, Equi Beauty Formula works to support skin deep at your core which is what helps it give truly stunning results that are here to stay: 

• Supporting immunity with vit C, vitamin A and zinc*
• Helping to regulate hormone balance with vitamin B6*
• Helping maintenance of normal skin with biotin, selenium and niacin* as well as aiding collagen production with zinc and vitamin C* 
• Helping to improve resilience to hectic, sometimes overly-intense lifestyles and supporting psychological function with vitaming B12*. 
• Nourishing digestive function
• Helping to support skin with Glowcutis® - our unique blend of type 2 marine collagen, hyaluronic acid, resveratrol, silica from distilled bamboo, vitamin C from acerola cherry and zinc, to comprehensively nurture new healthy skin cells.

 What should you eat?

If you’re really struggling with skin and have tried everything, it’s especially important to try and eat well at the same time. This should also help to improve the results you get from our Beauty Formula. 

Equi’s nutrition team is led by Alice Mackintosh, our co-founder, registered nutritional therapist and skin specialist. Having worked with thousands of clients with a variety of skin complaints, she knows a thing or two about eating for skin.

Though everyone is different and we need to eat according to what we like, our lifestyle, preferences and objectives, these are Alice’s top tips to try to incorporate into your diet when you try taking the Beauty Formula. You don’t have to get this right all the time (we certainly don’t!) and no-one believe's more than us that there shouldn’t be a healthy dose of fun mixed in with all of this ;)

Get more of...

• 7+ portions of colourful vegetables per day, with 2 portions of fruit per day.
• Wholegrains (such as brown rice, oats, buckwheat, quinoa, sweet potato or pulses) should form up to 70% of your breakfast, and around 25% of your plate at lunch and dinner. Phew – we hate cutting carbs!
• Lean protein – chicken, turkey, beef, venison.
• For vegetarians and vegans - try to get a portion of protein with each meal – beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, tahini, tempeh, hard cheese (if you eat it, but be aware of the soft cheese limitations as below), miso paste, organic dairy, hummus/bean based dips, flaxseed, hempseed, vegan protein powder.
• Oily fish 3/week– salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna, sardines, anchovies.
• Extra virgin olive oil, hempseed and avocado oil – 2 portions each day (1TBSP = 1 portion)
• Nuts and seeds – 2 portions (palmful = 1 portion) per day
• Digestion supporting foods such as apple cider vinegar, peppery salad leaves (rocket, watercress) lemon, fennel, pomegranate, fresh spices such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, oregano, thyme and rosemary.
• Dried spices – cloves, cumin, pepper, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon
• Fermented foods – sauerkraut, beetkraut, kimchi, dairy free kefir, low sugar kombucha
• Fibre – it is absolutely essential to keep your digestive system healthy with good diet
• Drink enough water. So simple but so important

Limit...

Try not to overdo these, especially if suffering with a skin condition. Again, we don’t advocate cutting out everything (I mean you’ve gotta live right?) but do be mindful about eating too much of these food each day. 

• All added sugar in drinks, confectionary, deserts, snacks, cereals, low fat diet foods or snacks.
• Refined white carbs (white rice, white pasta, pizza, white bread and cakes/biscuits) where possible
• Sweet cocktails, sweet mixers and too much white wine/fizz. You maybe better off with red wine or white spirits with soda, lime, or low sugar tonic.
• Deep fried food and pastries
• Super fatty cuts of meat or fatty
• Dairy – a big culprit for eczema, rosacea and acne. Replace with sugar free, dairy free alternatives such as coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut/almond/cashew yoghurt, almond, coconut kefir and
• Gluten – a culprit for psoriasis. One to reduce if you also have IBS or digestive problems. Replace with natural gluten free grains such as buckwheat, millet, brown rice, legumes, sweet potato, white potato.

A note on beauty sleep

Consistent good sleep is perhaps the quickest way to get bouncy, dewy, glowing skin. This isn’t possible for everyone especially if you have kids, a crazy job or travel a lot. If you are struggling and are willing to try anything then consider this element and try to figure out to how to get more rest – skipping 6am spin classes (hallelujah) more weekend chill time, restful holidays or by saying no a bit more to Monday/Tuesday night dinners in favour of rest ;) and remember the old phrase FOMO has a new contender – JOMO (#joyofmissingout)

What skincare should you use?

Skincare is so individual to your skin type and we recommend getting personalised advice based on your skin type and personal needs, however our top tips are:

• Don’t use a grit or scrub exfoliators – they are aggressive and abrasive to skin and bacteria can imbed inside the tiny scratches they create on the skin’s surface. Instead, choose gentle acids such as glycolic and lactic, which evenly break down debris and old skin cells. This allows skin to breathe properly and pores to stay clean without aggravating skin. Be cautious with broken skin.
• Try to use natural products where possible.
• Topical vitamin C at night can be beneficial
• Vitamin A is useful for anti-ageing and decongesting skin – useful if you get black heads of blocked pores. Use low % and build up very slowly if you haven’t used before. Not suitable for eczema, rosacea or psoriasis prone skin.
• SPF 50 errr' day! Ideally use mineral based formulas that don’t clog pores.
• Weekly face masks – we love mud/clay for purifying, sheet masks for glow and retinol for gentle exfoliation.
• Try to get out of the habit of touching your face – your fingers carry a lot of bacteria that isn’t great for keeping skin clear and radiant.
• Wash your make up brushes and bag regularly to prevent bacteria build-up.
• Cleansing properly - cleanse twice, first to get the makeup and dirt off, second to clean the skin. Your morning cleanse can be more gentle – we love cream cleaners.
• Make up hacks – though it’s great on a night out or for important meetings, be mindful about using super thick, silicon rich foundations as they block up pores. Day-to-day try mineral based foundations, light tinted moisturisers or BB creams are a better option.

• Facial massage – brilliant to make skin glow and get rid of puffiness - this is tried and tested by working Mum, Rosie, who regularly arrives at work having not had enough sleep! If it works for Victoria Beckham it works for us!

*Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity

*Vitamin C, vitamin D, iron, vitamin A, selenium, zinc contribute to the normal function of the immune system

*Vitamin B12 contributes to normal psychological function

*Biotin, selenium, Niacin, Zinc and Vitamin C contribute to the maintenance of normal skin

*Vitamin C and zinc contribute to normal collagen formation

We would love to hear from you! Drop us a line, or check out our Instagram or Facebook to see what we are up to and hear about exclusive offers. 

Disclaimer: No one diet or supplement regime works for everyone and you should always seek help from a GP and registered health expert before making changes to your diet, or before introducing any supplements.