Beauty Trend: Nutricosmetics and Dermarine

While we're all well used to the vagaries of seasonal beauty trends, regularly rolling our eyes at black lips/stupid letterbox liner eyes and sundry other looks we'd never ever actually wear, there's a genuinely new and interesting trend on the rise.

It's nutricosmetics (also known as nutriseuticals), ingestible supplements that aim to beautify from the inside. Differing from vitamin supplements in that they're tailored and targeted treatments for specific ailments, nutricosmetics typically tackle issues like weak hair, psoriasis, joint complaints and skin problems.

While it's not really all that new an idea - after all, products like Imedeen and PureLogicol's collagen supplements have been available for years - the trend has gained momentum in recent months (remember Sun to Drink?) and we can expect to see an increasing variety of products on offer.

Which brings me nicely to Dermarine. Irish made, the product was developed in Wicklow by a company called Gaia Biotechnology.  Using Irish oysters which are packed full of amino acids, peptides, phospholipids and anti-oxidants, popping a couple of these boyos a day can help deliver stronger hair and harder nails. Skin complaints and ageing skin can also benefit. And sure of course, at the very mention of the O word, I immediately began to wonder - does this stuff act as an aphrodisiac, too?

A month's supply costs €49, and can be bought online from www.gaiabiotech.com.