From magnesium to vitamin D and an Amazonian power berry: 13 expert-approved things helping the makeup and wellness expert feel better
Trinny Woodall thought that she has escaped Covid. The founder of Trinny London revealed that while many people she knew had had the virus, she'd never been infected herself. This week however she took to Instagram to share the news that over Christmas, she'd caught it, and revealed the impressive supplement regime helping her recovery.
“I’ve done this [supplement] regime for so long and been around people who’ve had it and not got it, I thought this is brilliant, I am immune!” she reflects.
She explained how she’d been feeling extraordinarily tired over the festive period. But it wasn’t just end-of-year exhaustion. A test from her pharmacy confirmed she had the disease. After “a few days of feeling really horrible,” she began to feel well enough this week to appear on camera once again. On the mend, but nursing a cough she said: “I just feel very, very, very tired, not the way I want to come into fighting January that’s for sure! I’m not feeling my strong self!”
Always one for a mood-boosting outfit, she wore her father’s 40-year-old Turnbull and Asser indigo nightshirt and two cashmere scarves, the same shade of vibrant peacock blue. “When I’m like this I always try to put on my favourite colour because then it makes you feel a bit better.”
Trinny once invited us to see her 97 drawers full of beauty products (what she calls her 'skincare library') and with her passion for supplements, it’s no surprise that her wellness stash is just as impressive. I, for one, am always keen to see what new things she has discovered. There’s always something I haven’t heard of that's cutting edge and backed by research. The person she has to thank (and indeed does thank regularly - “I don’t know what I’d do without him” ) is pharmacist Shabir Daya, co-founder of Victoria Health , one of the most trusted authorities in the business, who she explains recommended the supplements in her regime. (Not of caution: please seek advice from your health practitioner before taking supplements. We find that the experts at Victoria Health are very good at responding to queries).
We wish you better Trinny! Meanwhile, here's her recovery regime in full.
Pure Magnesium Bath Flakes by Better You 1kg £9.95 & Pure Magnesium Oil by Life-Flo £12
“I’ve just run a bath with magnesium flakes which are magnificent things," says Trinny. The mineral, which is absorbed through the skin, helps combat the aches she experienced as a symptom of coronavirus and through being in bed for a long time. "When you get Corona, you can get very achey," she says. At night she applies it to her skin in the form of a magnesium oil .
DLux 3000 Vitamin D Oral Spray by BetterYou, £7.95
It's so important to take vitamin D at all times, even when you don’t have coronavirus, explains Trinny. "I take about three spritzes which is quite high [dosage]" She likes the sublingual method of delivery (i.e. taking it under your tongue) which makes it more absorbable.
MORE GLOSS: Why everyone needs to take vitamin D right now
Camu Camu Vitamin C Liposome by Physica Energetics (currently sold out) Try Sevenhills Organics Camu Camu Powder £6.99 & Liposomal Vitamin C by YourZooki £39.99
Vitamin C is one of the key vitamins to take right now and while Trinny has been taking liposomal vitamin C sachets by Your Zooki for some time, she's keen to share a new one she is taking in addition recommended by 'Wholistic Dermatologist' Julia Hunter MD whose skincare she also uses. Camu camu is an Amazonian Berry which, says Hunter has "more concentrated natural vitamin C than any other known botanical in the world." Trinny mixes two scoops in water adding how important it is to drink water for recovery.
L-Lysine 500mg by Lamberts Healthcare, £10.95
L-Lysine is an amino acid that's antiviral and commonly used to treat cold sores. Shabir tells us: "Lysine firstly is an antiviral and most antivirals have a broad spectrum of activity so there is justification in using antivirals as both in the prevention and in treatment of any viral infection. Secondly, lysine combines with arginine in the body to enhance thymus activity – the thymus gland is a gland involved in the immune system because it ensures greater amounts of white blood cells called phagocytes." An immunity powerhouse!
Zinc Complex by Terranova £12.60
Anti-viral zinc has been flying off the shelves in the pandemic and is one of the key immune and respiratory health minerals and has been shown to shorten the length of a cold. Trinny takes it daily.
Triple Flu Defense+ (2020-2021) by Dr Nenninger, £27
Triple Flu Defense is a homeopathic liquid that targets seasonal flu and viruses. The formula is new each year depending on that year's bugs, explains Trinny. She takes 20 drops a day.
Magnolia Rhodiola Complex by Victoria Health, £28
Trinny has again turned to one of her favourite supplements Magnolia Rhodiola, which she told Get The Gloss was one of her top remedies for low mood. "I have started taking this because I wanted something to give me a bit of energy. Magnolia rhodiola is brilliant if you are menopausal or perimenopausal. It lifts your mood - we all lift a mood lifter right now."
She adds that this and Sage Complex are very good for perimenopause and menopuase "if you don’t have another kind of hormonal support but I would look at HRT support for anyone going through [it]."
Sibergin Ginseng Root Extract by HealthAid, £15.99
"I’m also taking Siberian Ginseng [to] help give me some strength, " explains Trinny. "It supports natural performance and helps boost energy and vitality."
Daily Immunity by Victoria Health, £26
There are so many factors that can negatively impact the way our immune system works - poor sleep, a bad diet, stress, lack of vitamin D, dehydration. This complex has a comprehensive blend of supportive ingredients including astragalus, which according to Shabir 'works to increase interferon and white blood cell counts, both of which are vital to detect infection-causing bacteria and viruses'. It also contains olive leaf, garlic, vitamin D, medicinal mushrooms , probiotics, vitamin C, and zinc."
Horseradish and Garlic Complex by Viridian Nutrition, £12.65
This is a new supplement for Trinny as part of her recovery. Shabir recommends this complex to help speed recovery from a cold. "It contains horseradish extract, garlic, buffered vitamin C and zinc all known for their role in reducing the duration of a cold. Horseradish contains volatile oils which enhance circulation, aid digestion, reduce nasal congestion and helps warm the body. Garlic helps support the immune system and is known for its antimicrobial and antiviral properties," he says.
Antibacterial, antiviral and good for treating digestive complaints, it is the only honey to be scientifically graded for its medicinal properties, with an impressive price tag too.
MORE GLOSS: Best winter supplements to take for the immune system