From Dinner-Table Debates to a Breakthrough Skin Supplement: The Story of NÆRE

It didn’t begin in a lab. It began at the dinner table.

For years, my father-in-law, Dr Nigel Mercer, one of the UK’s most respected Board Certified Consultant Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons, and I had the same conversation on repeat: how to age well. Really, really well.

I’d tell him, “I don’t want to have work done, it’s crazy. I want people to gasp when they see me not looking my age, I want friends to ask what's my secret, what I'm using on my skin, not who's my surgeon.”

Nigel, with his decades of surgical expertise and evidence-led aesthetic approach, would always come back with the same gentle truth: topical skincare is never enough.

“You can hydrate the surface all you like,” he’d say, “but if you don’t prevent and nourish, it’s like painting over cracks.”

Those conversations, part science lesson, part affectionate teasing about my “latest find” eventually sparked an idea that changed everything.

From Family Dinners to Formulation Dreams

Every Christmas, Nigel’s gifts were the same, the most effective skincare, the ones backed by science rather than marketing. “I genuinely think he worries about my face ageing” I laugh to Guy. “He can’t help himself - it’s the surgeon in him.”

Over time, our conversations shifted from serums to science: collagen loss, oxidative stress, hydration decline, the invisible mechanisms of skin ageing that no cream could truly fix.

Then came the Covid lockdowns. Nadia and I spent endless walks across the Bath skyline, carrying kids, talking about health, beauty and inevitably, ageing skin.

“I told her, ‘Nadia, you have to start taking collagen and hyaluronic acid - it will revolutionise your skin, I’ve got the intel!’” I had been taking Collagen religiously since the birth of my first son after reading about the positive affects it had on diastitis recti and a bonus side affect was that my skin had never looked better.

Nadia, ever honest, sighed “I already take loads of supplements. Half my cupboard is green powders, potions and pills.”

Naturally, I investigated her list, took it to friends in the beauty business and of course back to Nigel. His verdict? Brutal honesty.

“Some of these are fine,” he said. “Most of them aren’t. And almost none have solid clinical data. You need studies. You need skin mapping. You need proven, patented ingredients.”

That’s when it clicked. What if we could create one intelligent supplement, something that combined our clinical non-negotiables with our understanding of what people actually want: simplicity, efficacy, and visible results?

Six Years, Countless Formulations, One Final Blend

What followed was six years of testing, reformulating and the occasional exasperated laugh (or cry). Nadia and I tried ingredient after ingredient, brand after brand - powders, tablets, capsules forever chasing that elusive balance between scientific rigour and daily simplicity.

Our checklist never changed: it had to work, it had to be proven and it had to deliver results you could see.

The final formula became a masterclass in modern skin support:

+ Peptan® Hydrolysed Marine Collagen Peptides – Type I & III collagen clinically proven to improve skin elasticity and hydration.

+ Hyaluronic Acid – To restore the skin’s internal moisture reservoir where serums can’t reach.

+ AstaReal® Astaxanthin – A potent antioxidant clinically shown to enhance tone and defend against UV-induced oxidative stress.

+ Supergreens Blend, Selenium, Biotin and Essential Vitamins & Minerals – To support collagen synthesis, barrier function and overall cellular health.

Every component earned its place through data, not trend appeal.

Why NÆRE Exists

NÆRE was born from the belief that beauty isn’t a quick fix, it’s built, habit by habit, day by day. Our idea was 'longterm habit over quick hack'.

Consistency and potency are the difference between trying and seeing results. That’s what I wanted NÆRE to stand for, everything your skin needs, in the doses proven to work. No excess. Just simple, intelligent beauty NOURISHING and HEALING your skin and body.

Taken daily, the formulation works from within to strengthen the skin’s foundation improving firmness, elasticity and hydration, with visible results in as little as 30 days. It’s about creating lasting change, not temporary glow.

What began as a family debate about ageing gracefully has evolved into a science-backed, pro-ageing supplement and a brand for people who want results they can truly trust, feel and see.

Because as Nigel often reminds me: