Glowing, dewy skin. Shiny, luscious hair. Strong, long nails. These are all things many of us would love a little more of, but why do some of us struggle to have the hair, skin and nails we wish for?

As with all parts of our body, our hair, skin and nails are made up of our cells. And these cells are made of the food and extra nutrients we put in our body. It makes sense then that for us to have the glowing skin, shiny hair and strong nails so many of us wish for, it begins with ensuring we've topped up our body with enough of the right foods and nutrients.

Although many of us may think that shiny hair and strong nails are a priority, they aren’t essential for survival. This is why if we’re extra stressed or not getting enough of the right foods and nutrients, our body will forgo what is needed for our hair, skin and nails first and provide this to our more vital organs for survival. For this reason, it’s often our hair and nails that show signs of nutritional deficiencies first.

Below are the 9 key nutrients that if we prioritise daily - our skin, hair and nails will thank us later.

1. PROTEIN

Our hair and nails are literally made up of proteins – rather than calcium as some people think. Hair that lacks a glossy lustre and brittle nails are both common signs of a protein deficiency. Making sure we get lots of good quality protein in our diet is a good place to start. Where possible, add in free-range and organic beef, chicken, fish and eggs. Great plant-based options include beans, lentils, chickpeas and nuts

Check out BePure Protein Powders here.

2. ZINC

Zinc is essential for healthy hair, skin, nails and our overall health. It's essential for many different functions in the body including building keratin, the formation of collagen and cell division that makes our hair growth possible. Those white marks that sometimes appear on your nails are likely due to a zinc deficiency.

Great sources of zinc are beef, chicken, and oysters (free range and organic, where possible), and of course our Zinc Restore.

3. ANTIOXIDANTS

We're sure you've heard the phrases antioxidants and free radicals many times when it comes to our hair, skin and nails.

Antioxidants protect us against free radicals, which are molecules that create oxidative damage in the body and target collagen. Antioxidants promote oxygenation, protect against sun damage and can slow the process of ageing on the skin. In a nutshell, we want plenty of antioxidants.

Great sources of antioxidants include blueberries, goji berries, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and pecans.

4. OMEGA-3S

Omega 3s are one of our hair, skin and nails best friends. They are strong anti-inflammatory molecules that are particularly helpful for inflammatory skin conditions such as dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis. We can find an abundance of omega-3s in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna.

Alongside getting as many omega-3s from food as possible, a high strength fish oil supplement like our BePure Three is an easy way to ensure we're getting an abundance of skin loving omega-3s every day.

5. VITAMIN-E

Vitamin E is a specific antioxidant worth a special mention. It’s potent for protecting the skin from damage and also has an immune-regulatory role in the skin which can help to decrease skin sensitivity. Our body stores vitamin E in our fat cells, and we depend on plenty of vitamin E rich foods to keep these levels high enough.

Whole food sources of vitamin E include spinach, turnip greens, chard, sunflower seeds, almonds, bell peppers, asparagus, collards, kale, broccoli, and brussel sprouts. Olive oil also contains a moderate amount of vitamin E.

6. VITAMIN A

Another hero antioxidant is vitamin A. Our skin cells are very sensitive to having the right levels of vitamin A as it's important for keeping our skin vibrant, it plays a role in sun protection and repair for our skin and also keeps the collagen levels in our skin balanced.

The best source of vitamin A is the organ meat liver, (not always fan favourite!), but its precursor can be found in carrots, pumpkin and dark leafy greens.

7. VITAMIN K

Do you ever get dark circles under your eyes? Vitamin K plays a key role in blood coagulation and circulation - meaning it helps to soothe the look of what are essentially ‘bruises’ under our eyes.

Vitamin K can be found in green leafy vegetables, natto (the source of our vitamin K in BePure One), fish, liver and fermented raw dairy products.

8. VITAMIN C

We all know vitamin C has an important role to play in our immune system, but it’s a multi tasking nutrient. As a powerful antioxidant, it promotes oxygenation of the skin and can help bring life back to dark under eye circles, reduce wrinkles and rejuvenate the skin, hair and nails.

In the BePure Clinic, we often see dark circles associated with adrenal fatigue and allergies. Vitamin C acts to support the adrenal glands and helps to decrease histamines associated with allergies, as well as promoting natural collagen production within the body. You'll find an abundance of vitamin C in BePure Super Boost C is a tasty way to ensure you're getting your recommended daily dose of vitamin C.

9. HYDRATION

Water is not technically a nutrient... but we wanted to mention it because hydration is so important to our hair, skin and nail health. Hydration ensures that our cells work as well as possible and this includes our skin cells an skin dryness can be a sign of chronic dehydration..

To work out how much water we need to drink daily, use this formula. Your body weight in kg x 0.033 = how many litres you should be drinking everyday.

WHAT NEXT?

BePure Collagen & Ceramides is sustainably sourced marine collagen PLUS Hyaluronic acid and Peach Ceramides to soothe skin irritation, boost UV protection and skin hydration, strengthen our hair and nails, and nourish our skin for a dewy, healthy summer glow. Think of it as your ultimate support for hair, skin and nails this summer.

To make sure you're covering any nutritional gaps in your diet, we recommend taking a high quality daily multivitamin such as BePure One which contains all of the minerals, vitamins and antioxidants you need on a daily basis to achieve optimal inward and outward health. This goes alongside our BePure Three which is a high strength fish oil, containing 1400mg of omega-3s per serve.