With more consumers becoming increasingly aware about what they put into and onto their bodies, natural product solutions continue to gain share in both the nutrition and cosmetic markets. Viki Shah talks to Roz Martin, Founder and CEO Martin Biotech on her new luxury range of marine nutricosmetics called “Amphis” which have been scientifically developed to offer a more comprehensive and holistic approach to maintaining skin, bone health, hair and nails while combating the effects of ageing from the inside.
WHAT ARE NUTRICOSMETICS?
“The definition of a Nutricosmetic is a product that is ingested (as food, beverage, supplement tablets or capsules / drops) that contains ingredients with the ability to stimulate specific biological processes in the body, and thereby improve one’s external appearance. Simply put, these are products like capsules, drinks and liquid gels that you can take orally to help improve the growth of proteins like collagen in the skin or keratin in the hair. The reason these kinds of products are so popular now, is we have learnt that by taking nutrients into the body so that they work on the inside is far more effective than applying topicals products, because cells grow inside us rather than on the outside”.
TELL US ABOUT AMPHIS?
Several years ago, while attending one of the world’s foremost international conferences on ageing, I clearly saw the choices available to women. In the main auditorium, detailed presentations on invasive surgical procedures and facelifts made for uncomfortable viewing. Nearby, I was instead drawn to a seminar on the role of nutrition and healthy living as a technique to combat skin ageing… and an idea sparked. It seemed so clear – it did not have to be traditional creams, nor must it be external interventions! Nature was the key and it was only nature that could decelerate the effects of ageing.
I realised there and then, that the ocean, as nature’s most powerful force was home to the nutrients needed to build naturalcompound supplements. On my return to Ireland, I began working closely with several anti-ageing compound pharmacists and scientists, developing products that would help improve the skin, hair and nails. Several hundred experiments and two years of lab work later, Amphis was born – A luxury marine based beauty nutrition range using some of the finest sea plants from around the coast of Ireland. The Amphis Ritual is a daily step wise beauty nutrition approach to internal beauty and overall wellbeing.
So we have three products in the Amphis range, Amphis Cosmetic Cleansing Green Algae Tea, Amphis Skin Nutrients capsules and Amphis Hair & Nail Nutrients liquid oral sachets. Our green algae herbal tea drink is a product that helps to naturally cleanse the skin and body tissue and helps provide a clean base for the other Amphis products to work from. Think of it as a “cleanse” before you start the regimen. With our Amphis Skin Nutrient capsule supplement and sachet products, we are using the potent properties of natural marine compounds and protein stimulators to delay premature ageing in the skin cells and to boost keratin-producing cells in the hair follicles and nail beds.
WHAT IS THE USP OF AMPHIS?
Amphis products use only the finest nutrient-rich natural ingredients from the ocean such as giant sea kelp, sea plants and sea minerals along with powerful antioxidants and vitamins to «naturally» help beautify the body and fight the effects of ageing.
HOW DOES AMPHIS WORK?
Amphis uses specific marine complexes to help the body to perform a certain function. What are the complexes? Amphis Cosmetic Cleansing Tisane with Sea Algae Complex We have chosen our sea algae for the tisane because of its powerful source of electrolytes as well as purifying chlorophyll which helps cleanse the blood. Polysaccharides in algae act as natural detoxifiers of heavy metals and other toxins. Amphis Skin Nutrients with Age-delaying Sea Kelp Complex A species of Giant sea kelp was favoured for the Amphis skin Nutrient product, as sea kelp contains essential nutrients that benefit the skin, such as omega 3’s, vitamin A, vitamin B and magnesium which help protect the skin cells from premature ageing and also sea kelp provides an antiinflammatory response to skin cells. Amphis Hair & Nail Nutrients with Keratin Sea Mineral Complex A species of sea plant was chosen because if its nutrient- rich mineral base, such as calcium, iodine, magnesium and potassium and other phytonutrients. Many of our land based plants are lacking in mineral quality however sea plants don’t. These nutrients are particularly important in the process of making keratin cells, for hair & nails.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AMPHIS?
Inspired by the beauty of nature and power of the sea, our complementary luxury range has been scientifically developed to help you improve the outer appearance of the body, skin, hair & nails while combating the effects of ageing on the inside. Each one can be used individually or for best results, as part of the daily Amphis Ritual, all carefully playing a specific role.
• Improved hair & nail growth
• Improved appearance in skin
• Helps and assists the body to rid toxins
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS OF AMPHIS?
Why have we chosen ingredients such as sea plants, sea algae, sea kelp within our formulae for a number of reasons? One because they are one of the most nutritionally dense foods in the plant kingdom. Secondly, they are an abundant source of vitamins, minerals & polysaccharides. And lastly, because they are particularly known for their large amounts of bioavailable (easily absorbed by body) minerals such as iodine, iron and calcium, and their ability to balance body’s PH.
Our approach is based on using the power of the finest marine sea plants and natural compounds to tackle the effects of ageing on the inside while improving and beautifying the skin, hair & nails on the outside. Or think of it in simple terms as ‘using nature to deal with a natural process’.
The Amphis entire range is sugar free, paraben free, shellfish free, not tested on animals, certified for Halal & Kosher consumers and the tisane is certified 100% Organic. Roz Martin says, “Amphis works from the inside-out, just like a healthy diet or the body’s reaction to exercise and fitness. Our approach with Amphis is based on using the power of naturalbased compounds to tackle the effects of ageing. We are using nature to deal with a natural process. Our tisane helps to naturally cleanse the skin to provide a clean base from which to work on. While our supplements are created using the natural compounds and protein stimulators to amplify an existing physiological or biological process – delaying premature ageing and assisting keratin-producing cells.” Amphis is available at pharmacies across the UAE and online at BasharaCare.com for online GCC and KSA orders. Keep up to date with the latest Amphis news on social media @amphisbeauty.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE AMPHIS RITUAL?
The Amphis Ritual has three steps.
STEP I – Amphis Cosmetic
Cleansing Tisane (1 herbal tea drink per day) Amphis Cosmetic Cleansing Tisane is a specialist blend of organic herbal green tea – a powerful antioxidant, combined with Amphis Sea Algae Complex , Mate Green tea, Rooibos, detoxifying herbs including Dandelion, Fennell and Guarana and natural grapefruit flavouring to make a refreshing tea that will support the cleanse of the body and skin from within and help towards creating a base for the Amphis supplements to work.
STEP II – Amphis Skin Nutrients (2 capsules per day)
Free radicals can cause accelerated skin ageing – Amphis Skin Nutrients, a rich skin food supplement has been formulated to provide skin cells with powerful antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and hydrating sea-sourced ingredients which include Amphis Age-delaying Sea Kelp Amino Complex TM, Hyaluronic Acid, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Astaxanthin, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Lycopene and Co Enzyme Q10.
STEP III – Amphis Hair and Nail Nutrients (1 oral liquid sachet per day)
Amphis Hair and Nail Nutrients is the first and only nutritional keratin boosting liquid on the market, a food supplement that contains a unique formula Amphis Keratin Sea Mineral Complex TM which accelerates the growth of strong, lustrous hair and strengthens nails. This unique orange flavoured keratin boosting liquid delivers marine actives which work from the inside out, using vitamin-enriched sea minerals from the ocean, the world’s most powerful natural resource. Nutrients include Calcium, Silicon, Iodine, Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B2, Biotin Selenium, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B3. Biotin helps to maintain normal hair growth. Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and nails. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) contributes to the maintenance of red blood cells. Riboflavin also contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. Vitamin B12 has a role in the process of cell division. Vitamin C contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. Calcium has a role in the process of cell division and specialisation.
ABOUT NUTRACEUTICALS:
A nutraceutical is any substance that is a food or a part of a food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease. Such products may range from isolated nutrients, dietary supplements and specific diets to designer foods, herbal products and processed food