Countdown to Beauty-from-Within Webinar

Whether it’s a scoop of collagen in your morning coffee for younger looking skin or a biotin capsule for thicker, lustrous hair, there is no shortage of ingestible beauty products. Ahead of our beauty-from-within webinar, we sat down with our esteemed panel to hear what they’re most excited about, what benefits consumers are seeking and what predictions they have for the category.

Beauty developments—brought to you be science 

“I think both ingredient suppliers and brands are paying more attention to the market demand for effective supplements to target skin/hair health and appearance. The category is benefitting from an increased demand of wellness products considering their relationship with beauty,” said Giorgio Dell’Aqcua, Chair, New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists. “I am excited to see that beauty from within is evolving from simple formulations based on vitamins, minerals, collagen, etc. to more complex and sophisticated ones containing phytochemicals from plants inspired by traditional medicine and with validated clinical data.”

Paula Simpson, Innovation, Product Development & Branding Consultant at Nutribloom Consulting pointed out that advancing research in aesthetic-focused nutrition, plant-derived and nutraceutical ingredients in understanding their “mechanism of action” and physiological benefits is helping industry to formulate higher quality and efficacious nutricosmetics.

“Products today are more multifunctional or ‘wholistic’ vs formulations 5-10 years ago. For example, products today may include ingredients that indirectly influence skin or hair health, supporting systemically vs targeted aesthetic conditions (i.e. gut health, cardio-tonic, mental health or detoxification support),” explained Simpson.

The gut-skin axis

Sudipta Veeramachaneni, Vice President and Chief Science Officer, GNC, said she’s most excited about some up-and-coming areas of scientific research, including ingredients that benefit the skin through the gut microbiome and ingredients combating the negative effects of the environment.

“The Microbiome: This area of research is fascinating as scientists are uncovering how much the gut microbiome plays a role in the appearance of our skin. We’re seeing more clinical studies evaluating gut-modifying ingredients, such as probiotics, and their effect on the skin. And the science doesn’t stop in the gut, there’s an entire microbiome that lives on the surface of our skin. This type of research helps companies like GNC to develop products or services that target microorganisms for both inner and outer beauty.

“The Environment: I’ve also seen more published research recently on ingredients that impact the effects of the environment on the skin (such as blue light from electronics, pollution in the air, or UV rays from the sun). For example, there is data on antioxidant ingredients showing that ingesting a supplement has the potential to protect the skin from sunburn (think of it as “nature’s sunscreen from within”). I’m interested to see if this catches on with consumers as much as we are seeing it discussed in research,” noted Veeramachaneni.

Ravyn Cullor, Editor, CosmeticsDesign-USA, is also keeping her eye on the gut-skin axis. She said she has seen microbiome focused supplements of functional foods which primarily work in other categories (i.e. prebiotic soda Poppi) making skincare claims.

“Microbiome is becoming a more common claim for all beauty products and ingestible beauty products have definitely jumped on that trend. You also see a lot of brands marketing their ingestible beauty items as a post-pandemic lifestyle product and as an anti-aging item,” observed Cullor.

What consumers want

Simpson said benefits that consumers are seeking out is simple: To feel good with supportive aesthetic benefits. The panel agrees that consumers are interested now more than ever in a more ‘wholistic’ approach, with both internal and external well being addressed in their daily beauty routine.

“A lot of these brands believe the pandemic has adjusted how consumers more broadly think about beauty, including ingestible beauty,” said Cullor.

Veeramachaneni said that while consumers are continuing to seek traditional benefits of beautiful hair, skin, and nails, they’re also beginning to more deeply understand how overall health influences how they look and feel.

“This means seeking holistic wellness solutions, including restful sleep, balancing hormones, and keeping gut health in check,” she added. “We’re also seeing products with multiple benefits in addition to beauty (such as beauty plus sleep, beauty plus digestion, beauty plus stress support) as well as products with more targeted benefits (such as postpartum hair support).”

Dell’Aqcua cautioned that brands better be ready—consumers are eager for the promises on the bottle to be apparent in the mirror.

“Consumers expect to see real changes in their appearance. These effects could be a better skin texture, stronger hairs, an overall healthier look. Also, they would like to see the benefits as soon as possible.”

What to expect

Whether it’s forecasting trends or deciphering scientific research that informs innovation, the panel will draw upon their vast experience to discuss a variety of pieces in the ingestible beauty puzzle, including:

• How research in aesthetic-focused nutrition is advancing
• The proliferation of microbiome-focused supplements for skin
• The challenges encountered when designing products and how GNC navigates them
• The key to building successful ingredients and products
• Why consumers are thinking about beauty much more broadly, which has resulted in the beauty-from-within category to expand across all ages, genders and demographics
• Our panel will weigh in on trends they see coming down the pike at trade shows and in research papers