THE JOURNAL

It's Party Season: Here Are the Supplements We Swear By Nothing kills the festive spirit like hangovers, dull skin, fatigue, and cravings, and whilst how you eat, sleep, and move is paramount to keeping you as well as possible, there are definitely supplements that can help along the way. So, we’ve rounded up our ultimate hit list to help get you through the holiday season and make hangovers, sleep deprivation and post indulgence cravings a little less disruptive.   Best Overall: Cellular Hydration What is it: This is our clinically proven hydration powder complete with electrolytes and botanicals that support hydration, energy, focus, exercise and cravings. Whilst Sodium is the electrolyte that most people talk about, we already know we get more than enough of this from our diet. Magnesium and potassium, on the other hand, are key electrolytes that we aren’t always hitting with our diet, and help combat fatigue and support energy, cognitive function, muscle function and the nervous system. (1) And, since alcohol depletes both, replenishing them can be particularly supportive during the festive season. It also has:   Maca, one of our favourites adaptogens, traditionally used for energy, hormone balance and resilience.   Vitamin C, which helps reduce tiredness, combats oxidative stress, supports the nervous system, and importantly during the holidays – protects collagen synthesis.   Finally, it contains inulin, prebiotic fibre, to feed the good bacteria and support the gut microbiome. (2)   Why it’s good: This is going to give you a lifeline when you’re feeling tired and run down, whether it’s from a few too many drinks or late nights. Because it also supports appetite, it can help cut down on the food noise that is common when you’re overtired and underhydrated, and help keep energy consistent.  How to use: 1 serving in 500ml of water. Don’t stop at one glass, get your 2-2.5L in and supercharge it with electrolytes throughout the day.   Best for Detoxification: Deep Detox  What is it: Deep Detox is a powerful formula to support your liver and its natural detoxification pathways. It includes NAC (N-acetyl‑cysteine), which helps restore your liver’s glutathione, its main antioxidant, allowing it to neutralise toxins more effectively and protect liver cells from damage. (3) It also has choline, a vital nutrient for helping the liver export fat, preventing fat accumulation, and supporting healthy cell membranes. (4) Next, milk thistle provides potent antioxidant and regenerative support. Research has shown its ability to reduce liver oxidative stress, boosts antioxidant enzymes, and support liver cell repair. (5)  Why it’s good: With the holidays comes late nights, stress, more alcohol and lots of indulgent food, and because of this, the liver has to pick up the slack, working much harder to support detoxification. Deep Detox can give your liver the extra support in needs for both phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification. It's important to note, however, that no supplement will negate the potential liver damage that is possible from binge drinking, so it’s important to drink modestly and approach it in a balanced way.   How to use: 2 capsules at bedtime. Night-time is your body’s natural “rest and repair” window, giving Deep Detox the best chance to support liver recovery while you sleep.  Best for Gut + Cravings: Essential Fibre+   What is it: Essential Fibre+ is your daily gut hero, a carefully blended mix of 11 plant fibres and botanicals designed to restore balance from the inside out. With 7 g of fibre per serving, it helps keep digestion moving, feeds your microbiome, and supports metabolic health. PHGG and psyllium husk work together to bulk and soften stool, making sure your system empties fully and comfortably. (6)  Cinnamon and fennel seed extract add a little extra magic, helping support healthy blood sugar levels and relaxing stomach muscles to ease occasional digestive discomfort. And if you’re a sensitive gut type? Don’t worry, this formula is Low FODMAP too.  Why it’s good: The festive season throws a lot at our gut: alcohol, sugar, refined carbs, and unpredictable meal timings can all nudge our microbiome out of balance. That can ripple out into digestion, bowel regularity, energy, skin, and more. Fibre is quietly heroic here; it doesn’t just feed your microbes, it also interacts with stomach stretch receptors to give your brain that “I’m full” signal. This helps keep overeating and insatiable cravings in check. Essential Fibre+ is the ally your gut and your metabolism will thank you for.  How to use: Mix 1 serving into 500 mls of water on an empty stomach or 30 minutes before a larger, more indulgent meal.   Best to Calm the Nerves: Essential Magnesium  What it is: Magnesium is the ultimate mineral multitasker and one of the most important nutrients for whole-body balance - especially for women. Involved in over 300 biochemical reactions, magnesium plays a role in everything from energy production, electrolyte balance and metabolism to muscle health, cognition and nervous-system function. Each serving delivers 300 mg of elemental magnesium in the two most bioavailable forms: magnesium malate and magnesium glycinate. Magnesium malate fuels cellular energy production by feeding the Krebs cycle to help support a more efficient and stable metabolism, while Magnesium Glycinate brings a soothing side to the duo; it promotes relaxation, steadies the nervous system, and helps support core body temperature for deeper, more restorative sleep. And, because magnesium is easily depleted by stress, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine - all of which are super common at this time of year - supporting your magnesium levels can make a meaningful difference in how you feel and function.  Why it’s good: This season can bring on a lot of anxiousness, stress, and throw off sleep schedules. Essential Magnesium can support support the nervous system and promote good quality sleep, even if you’re schedule doesn’t allow for a lot of it.   How to use: 2 capsules before bed.   Best to Beat the Bloat: Digest + Debloat    What it is:  Unlike digestive enzymes, digestive bitters help stimulate your own digestive system to work harder. They stimulate bitter receptors in the mouth, gut, and liver, which triggers a boost in stomach acid, digestive secretions, and bile flow. This primes the digestive system to break down food more efficiently and helps ease discomfort or sluggish digestion. What it includes:   Wild Yam: Traditionally used to soothe spasms in the digestive tract calm discomfort.  Chamomile: A calming herb that relaxes the gut and supports smoother motility, ideal for easing tension-related discomfort.  Dandelion Root: A classic bitter that stimulates stomach acid and bile production, supporting fat digestion and reducing feelings of over-fullness.  Artichoke: Known to promote healthy bile flow from the liver and gallbladder, supporting digestion of heavier meals.  Lemon Balm: Traditionally used to support the gut-brain axis, easing digestive discomfort linked to stress while supporting overall digestive comfort.  Mugwort: A warming bitter herb that encourages digestive secretions and primes the system for digestion.   Gentian: One of the strongest traditional bitters; it enhances stomach acid, enzyme production, and overall digestive efficiency.  Together, these botanicals help wake up your digestive system, support smoother breakdown of food, and relieve the discomfort that often follow indulgent or heavy meals.  Why it’s good: Think of it as your digestive sidekick, ready to support a more efficient system and quickly ease occasional digestive discomfort. And the best part? It’s compact enough to slip neatly into a clutch bag.  How to use: Take 1.5ml neat or with water just before your meal or if you’re organised,10 minutes before. If you forget to use this as a pre-meal tonic, you can take this fast-acting tincture after a meal as well.  Best for High Performers: Essential Creatine   What is it: Creatine is another underestimated multitasker, quietly underpinning far more of your daily vitality than you may realise. Best known for its fitness fame, creatine is a fundamental to energy production, acting as a rapid-response battery that keeps your muscles and brain powered when they need it most. Research shows it can improve strength and exercise performance, support lean muscle, and even bolster cognitive function, particularly during stress, sleep loss, or mentally demanding tasks. (7, 8) Its benefits extend beyond the gym: creatine helps buffer cellular energy, supports healthy ageing, and may even reduce markers of neurological fatigue. In short, it’s one of the most well-studied, reliably effective, and surprisingly holistic nutrients you can add to your daily routine.  Why it’s good: With less sleep and more stress, cognitive energy is a must have during the holidays. Creatine is like an emergency energy reserve for your brain, which is why it becomes especially useful when sleep is in short supply. When you’re tired, the brain is starved for energy and studies show creatine can help buffer this dip; in sleep deprived individuals, 1g per 10kg body weight of creatine improved working memory, mental clarity and reaction time, as well as the perceived impact of poor sleep. (8). While it can’t replace sleep, creatine helps your brain stay a little sharper and more resilient until you can finally catch up, especially if you’re burning through your cellular creatine supplies with workouts.    How to use: 1 scoop in the morning in your coffee, matcha or water. It takes 2-4 weeks to replenish Creatine stores, so consistency is key here.  SHOP BLACK FRIDAY SALE References 1. Pilchova I, Klacanova K, Tatarkova Z, Kaplan P, Racay P. The Involvement of Mg2+ in Regulation of Cellular and Mitochondrial Functions. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:6797460. doi: 10.1155/2017/6797460. Epub 2017 Jul 5. PMID: 28757913; PMCID: PMC5516748.  2. Le Bastard Q, Chapelet G, Javaudin F, Lepelletier D, Batard E, Montassier E. The effects of inulin on gut microbial composition: a systematic review of evidence from human studies. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2020 Mar;39(3):403-413. doi: 10.1007/s10096-019-03721-w. Epub 2019 Nov 9. PMID: 31707507.  3. =Ntamo Y, Ziqubu K, Chellan N, Nkambule BB, Nyambuya TM, Mazibuko-Mbeje SE, Gabuza KB, Marcheggiani F, Tiano L, Dludla PV. Drug-Induced Liver Injury: Clinical Evidence of N-Acetyl Cysteine Protective Effects. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2021 Dec 6;2021:3320325. doi: 10.1155/2021/3320325. PMID: 34912495; PMCID: PMC8668310.  4. Sedhom SS, El Wakeel LM, Barakat EMF, Shousha HI, Shamkh MA, Salama SH, Zaky DZ, El Kholy AA. The impact of choline supplementation on oxidative stress and clinical outcomes among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized controlled study. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2025 Aug 17;16:20406223251358659. doi: 10.1177/20406223251358659. PMID: 40838115; PMCID: PMC12361734.  5. Das SK, Vasudevan DM. Protective effects of silymarin, a milk thistle (Silybium marianum) derivative on ethanol-induced oxidative stress in liver. Indian J Biochem Biophys. 2006 Oct;43(5):306-11. PMID: 17133738.  6. Yasukawa Z, Inoue R, Ozeki M, Okubo T, Takagi T, Honda A, Naito Y. Effect of Repeated Consumption of Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum on Fecal Characteristics and Gut Microbiota: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, and Parallel-Group Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2019 Sep 10;11(9):2170. doi: 10.3390/nu11092170. PMID: 31509971; PMCID: PMC6769658.  7. Chilibeck PD, Kaviani M, Candow DG, Zello GA. Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Open Access J Sports Med. 2017 Nov 2;8:213-226. doi: 10.2147/OAJSM.S123529. PMID: 29138605; PMCID: PMC5679696.  8. Gordji-Nejad A, Matusch A, Kleedörfer S, Jayeshkumar Patel H, Drzezga A, Elmenhorst D, Binkofski F, Bauer A. Single dose creatine improves cognitive performance and induces changes in cerebral high energy phosphates during sleep deprivation. Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 28;14(1):4937. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-54249-9. PMID: 38418482; PMCID: PMC10902318.  Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat any medical or psychological conditions. The information is not intended as medical advice, nor should it replace the advice from a doctor or qualified healthcare professional. Please do not stop, adjust, or modify your dose of any prescribed medications without the direct supervision of your healthcare practitioner.