The best greens powders for energy, skin and gut health

With the wellness industry still booming, we’re inundated with products promising a short-cut to total health. Now, there’s a long list of gadgets, apps, topical creams and ingestible supplements designed to bestow you with a clearer head, calmer nervous system, more energy and better sleep.

But while sea moss gel and cordyceps might possess social-media virality, they haven’t managed to make the mainstream in the way that greens powders have. Below, the experts unpack everything you really need to know about the new generation of greens supplements.

What are greens powders?

No longer the sole preserve of biohackers and A-listers, these supercharged green food supplements can now be found on the shelves in homes across the world. But, according to Philippa May, co-founder of women-first greens powder brand Naere, there’s one glaring problem with the big players: they’re created by men, for men.

“We created Nectar 01 as an antidote to the male-dominated market,” she says. “The highly successful greens powders already in the category were built around male-focused language: ’performance’, ‘optimisation’, ‘stronger’. And the supplements that were aimed at women often leaned into insecurity: ‘de-bloat’, ‘anti-age’, ‘fix your skin’, ‘bounce back’. We felt there was nothing truly speaking to women as they are, beyond problems to be solved, and instead as modern individuals navigating the natural flux of daily life, in need of support rather than correction.”

This is where the next generation of ‘greens’ powders comes in. Sitting alongside Naere is the much-hyped Lyma ID²: the latest launch for the biohacking superbrand (and its most accessibly priced offering, too). Founder Lucy Goff likes to enlist the most revered specialists in a field to power her revolutionary launches, and so ID² was created in collaboration with Professor Paul Clayton, clinical pharmacologist and a senior scientific advisor to the UK Government.

Similarly, Catherine Hurley has honed in on organic powdered fruits and vegetables, rather than a long list of trendy ingredients that may appeal to the biohacking bros of the world. Her Newroad 30 powder contains a mega-dose of polyphenol-rich fruits and berries, alongside vegetables and pulses to support the gut microbiome. In short, it’s not a hack for superhuman fitness, but a real-food supplement to boost your existing diet.

Are greens powders really worth it?

But what do the experts really think? Nutritionists largely agree that greens powders can be a wellness ally, but only when used as an adjunct to a healthy, varied diet. (If your core food groups are Pret sandwiches and cortisol, mainlining a glass of greens each morning won’t save you.)

“The starting point for me is always food,” says naturopathic nutritionist and author of The Hormone Balance Handbook, Jessica Shand . “No powder will ever replace the benefits of eating a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and seeds because whole foods provide so much more than individual vitamins and minerals alone. They contain fibre, polyphenols, phytonutrients and thousands of interactions that we simply cannot fully replicate in a supplement,” she says.

That said, we also have to be realistic about how people live. “Busy schedules, frequent travel, limited access to fresh produce, or simply not consuming enough plant variety are all situations where a greens or plant powder may be helpful,” adds Shand. “However, I would only ever recommend a high-quality product, and in my opinion those are relatively few and far between.”

So, which are the greens powders really worth investing in? Below, see the Bazaar breakdown of the supplements to stick to this year, with every one having been trialled at length by a member of the team.

The best greens powders for better skin, less brain fog and an energy boostBest probiotic – Lyma ID²

Lyma is a brand known for moving goalposts with its innovative (albeit investment-level) products, and ID² – the brand’s probiotic powdered supplement – is no different.

“The modern diet leaves most of us less than what we could be,” says Professor Paul Clayton PhD, who worked with the brand on the launch. “Lyma ID² was built to put those elements back into place – the ones that the science of the longest-living people in human history told us matter most.”

Based on the philosophy that longevity begins with a healthy gut, ID² contains a diverse range of prebiotic fibres (as no single strain benefits every section of the gut), alongside bioavailable omega-3’s and a menu of minerals and vitamins.

Personally, I saw a huge difference after drinking this one religiously for six weeks, especially in terms of bloating. At the one-month mark, my mid-afternoon brain fog had all but subsided, too. And, thanks to the genuinely pleasant grapefruit taste, I’ve been able to stick with it for several months now.

Best for skin – Newroad 30

Newroad 30 is a gut supplement containing 30 organic powdered fruits, pulses and vegetables. Rather than focusing on greens, which can be an acquired taste, founder Catherine Hurley has placed red fruits and berries at the centre of her formula. “They provide a rich source of polyphenols and antioxidants that support gut health, skin health and healthy aging,” she explains. “We still include vegetables and pulses, but their flavours sit behind the berry profile. The result is a product that delivers the goodness of both, while tasting genuinely great, making it much easier to enjoy every day.” Indeed, if you’ve struggled to commit to an earthy greens powder before, this blackcurrant-tinged powder is the one to opt for, delivering all the vitamins and minerals to create a healthy gut microbiome without the unpleasant taste.

Another benefit lies in the way Newroad 30 is made. “We freeze-dry every ingredient. Most powders are spray-dried, and this method doesn’t preserve nutrients, fibre, and polyphenols as well as freeze-drying, which also preserves flavour,” says Hurley. Everything is organic here, too – an important consideration because, as Hurley explains, “the process of drying the ingredients concentrates any pesticides present.”

Lastly, what’s not in this plant-powered powder is as important as what is. “I would not want to take a powder with additives, such as sweeteners, flavourings, colours, emulsifiers and binders,” says Hurley, which is why there are none in Newroad 30.

Best for collagen – Naere

Built by women, for women, Naere is the brand bringing ingredient transparency to the supplements space with its online Integrity Index™ — a digital service that will analyse any supplement, from any brand, and deliver you a detailed breakdown of its safety and efficacy, based on your personal needs.

This uncompromising focus on quality over quantity naturally follows through into its debut launch, Nectar 01. This powdered supplement contains 30 ingredients – four of which are patented – which is significantly less than many of its competitors.

Of course, you can delve deep into every ingredient on the brand’s website, but the headliners are: marine-derived hydrolysed collagen peptides and sodium hyaluronate to support skin and joints; algae-derived Astaxanthin for antioxidant protection; selenium for immune function; and a patented black pepper extract to improve the bioavailability of the other ingredients.

“Ultimately, the best supplements aren’t about including everything, but about choosing well-dosed, bioavailable ingredients that genuinely deliver,” says co-founder Philippa May. “And most importantly, consistency always wins. One supplement you take daily will always beat the supplement stack you forget.”

This is another one I found it easy to stick to. The slightly sweet, green taste is peculiar but not unpleasant, and I saw real improvements in my bloating and digestion, as well as more steady energy levels, after finishing my first package.

NÆRE Nectar 01 SupplementNÆRE Nectar 01 Supplement

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Best for perimenopause – The Super Elixir

One of the longest-standing powdered supplements on the market, Elle Macpherson’s The Super Elixir Daily Greens is particularly beneficial for those navigating hormonal shifts, such as perimenopause. Alongside prebiotics, four probiotic strains, adaptogenic botanicals and powdered greens is a cocktail of vitamins and minerals – from ginseng and glutamine to B vitamin – designed to boost energy and eliminate brain fog. For the skin challenges that often come at this time (think: loss of laxity and dryness) there’s biotin and zinc, too.

While this power cocktail won’t directly balance your hormones, it will provide a strong nutritional foundation to support the body through such a seismic shift. The taste is distinctly ‘green’ (if you’re picky about flavour, expect a challenge), but the energy-boosting potential is real.

WelleCo The Super Elixir™ WelleCo The Super Elixir™ Best for energy – AG1

The original greens powder, AG1 was made with athletes in mind, but the promise of extra physical energy and mental clarity means it appeals to the masses. Essentially, it’s a potent and well-varied multivitamin, containing 100% of the RDA of nutrients including vitamins C and E as well as the energy-providing B vitamins, two strains of gut-boosting probiotics, plant superfoods and stress-reducing adaptogens.

Anecdotal praise for this one isn’t hard to find: chances are, you already known one loyal devotee. However, there’s a notable lack of iron in the formula which, considering women generally require more iron than men, speaks to the brand’s male-leaning marketing. Also bear in mind the formula is a proprietary blend, meaning the brand doesn’t disclose the exact amount of each ingredient in the formula.