As the connection between inner health and outer wellness becomes more evident to consumers, specialized ingredients are becoming more prominent among supplements designed to support hair, skin, nails, and more. 

“This is particularly important when nutritional gaps in the diet, chronic stress, hormonal changes, normal aging, as well as environmental factors such as sun/UV exposure can affect how skin looks and feels and can cause thinning hair,” said Jordan Miller, vice president of marketing at Nutrition21. “As a result, consumers are increasingly interested in finding dietary supplements offering science-backed solutions that can make them feel and look their best. Specifically, products that can support improvements in skin appearance and support hair growth and fullness are on the rise.”

While nutraceuticals were once thought of as a complement to topical cosmetic regimens, many consumers now view them as the first line of treatment in beauty routines, said Jennifer Martin-Biggers, PhD, MS, RN, vice president of scientific affairs at Hum Nutrition. “I believe that this trend is a result of the availability of information and education, particularly through social channels, on how specific dietary ingredients can impact their appearance goals.” 

The market for so-called “nutricosmetics” is expected to surge due to the clean beauty movement, said Sébastien Bornet, vice president of global sales and marketing at Horphag Research. “Consumers are more aware than ever of the potential side effects associated with conventional cosmetic products as a result of increased online conversations around clean beauty.” Natural botanical ingredients meanwhile are perceived as cleaner alternatives.

This consumer base may be accustomed to quicker fixes that topical products offer, so it’s necessary to market supplements realistically as long-term treatments that offer lasting benefits, said Antonio Vendrell, marketing director at Bioiberica. “Almost one-third of buyers conduct independent research before purchasing skin-care products,” he said.

Drivers & Opportunities

Companies can’t be too transparent or detailed about evidence supporting a product’s safety and efficacy. “Today’s consumers value what they put on their skin as much as the supplements they take,” said Miller. “Science matters. Substantiation and science-backed ingredients will continue to be a priority.”

Brands should also be forthcoming about whether their finished products, or just the ingredients, have been clinically studied, and whether a product contains the exact dosage featured in clinical research, Martin-Biggers emphasized.

Consumers in this segment are concerned about artificial dyes, synthetic additives, and preservatives, noted Elizabeth Tarshish, PhD, head of claims and clinical affairs at Lycored.

Many popular brands are marketing products with inclusivity in mind, said Angie Rimel, North American marketing communications manager at Gelita.

“Consumers have become less accepting of unrealistic beauty standards often portrayed in the media,” said Rimel. “The topic of inclusive beauty will influence consumers as beauty-from-within is important to generational nutrition, all gender types, as well as different skin types … The idea of inclusivity beyond middle-aged women, and bridging the gender gap, will inspire formulation and product development.”

While the beauty market has centered around women, that may be changing. “The men’s beauty market is growing beyond basic hygiene, face washes, and moisturizers,” said Liki von Oppen-Bezalel, business development director at TriNutra. “Emerging CPG companies are using packaging and marketing to cater to the male audience with an increased focus on skin, hair, and gender-neutral makeup,” she said, pointing to brands like Oars & Alps, ShakeUp Cosmetics, and Hims.

Younger consumers in general are reporting more skin- and hair-care concerns, broadening market potential, said Miller, but the core skin-health customer tends to be 25 years and older. Meanwhile, consumers begin thinking about solutions to hair issues like thinning at around age 35.

“One of the biggest drivers of demand for beauty-from-within is consumers’ focus on aging healthfully, as looking well for the long-term starts with feeling well,” said Jordan Dow, vice president of Kerry ProActive Health.

Enhanced personalization will be especially influential for those looking for relief from various skin issues. “There’s already been a rise in data-driven formulations, where products contain specific ingredients and doses tailored to consumer preferences and needs,” said Vendrell. “With such a diverse range of skin concerns experienced by consumers, from psoriasis to eczema, we see personalized nutra-beauty platforms gaining even more momentum in the future.”

Top Research Targets

The efficacy of a skin-support product is often evaluated through measurements of moisture, elasticity, collagen restoration, sebum production, and validated visual measurements. Outcomes can also be more specific for populations with acne, eczema, and other issues causing dry, inflamed skin.

Meanwhile, for nutraceuticals targeting hair growth, it’s important to measure the health and density of hair follicles, while also analyzing how an ingredient can support cellular signals in the scalp which are critical to hair growth, Miller said.

“In hair growth research, counts of new hair growth in a specific area of the scalp is commonly used, as was in our Hair Strong Gummies clinical research trial,” said Martin-Biggers. “Researchers also use subjective data to support their findings. These are observed by study participants as positive or negative changes in aspects of their appearance.”

In addition, nails are evaluated using validated devices for strength and growth rates, noted Rimel.

Many trending ingredients in today’s beauty-supplements market leverage research on how dietary ingredients can help make skin more resilient against environmental stressors.

“To understand the best outcomes for performance, researchers study typical individuals under common environmental conditions we are all subject to, like UV exposure, stress, pollution, and more who are not suffering from any type of health condition,” Dow said.

Recently, after a human clinical study linked the botanical complex Zeropollution with skin health benefits in a population exposed to high amounts of air pollution, ingredient supplier Monteloeder announced follow-up ex vivo findings on human skin cells exposed to pollutants, analyzing which inflammatory pathways the ingredient acted upon to inhibit molecules associated with UV radiation, heavy metals, diesel particles, and other pollutants.¹

In addition to these stressors, seasonal changes in humidity and temperature are another variable to consider, noted Bornet. One study on Pycnogenol found the French maritime pine bark extract helped participants retain skin hydration, elasticity, and barrier function during exposure to both urban pollution and seasonal weather change. “In addition, the study found Pycnogenol to increase skin lightening during seasonal changes when dark spots can emerge.”²

The gut-skin axis, or how modulations of gut microbiota can affect skin health, continues to garner interest. “We are seeing that more research is being done to fully elucidate the gut-skin axis via immune and inflammation, which is timely given that skin health and gut health are two categories making big waves in the supplement space,” said Martin-Biggers.

“Consumers understand the link between digestive and skin health and wellness and beauty, with 55% prioritizing digestive health also expressing an interest in skin health,” said Dow. “A balanced gut microbiome affects many different body systems,” he noted, “including the digestive system and integumentary system,” which encompasses the epidermis, dermis, hypodermis, associated glands, hair, and nails.

Tarshish noted that carotenoids exhibit inflammatory-modulating and antioxidant activity on the skin, which prevents local microbiome disruptions, in a way that seems to bypass the gut microbiome. They can also protect the skin microbiome’s integrity through UV protection mechanisms, as well as by regulating the immune system in a way that can influence the composition of microbes on the skin.

“Hormonal fluctuations can influence sebum production and lead to acne,” noted Martin-Biggers. “Hormonal changes associated with aging, like declining estrogen levels, lead to a loss of skin elasticity and other changes that contribute to the development of fine lines and wrinkles.”

Meanwhile, hormonal changes like elevated DHT levels can lead to hair loss, and changes to estrogen and progesterone can cause skin sensitivity and loss of barrier function during puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause, she noted.

“A recent study revealed a safe and effective path for women who face hair thinning, a condition commonly experienced in menopause,” said Bornet. “The study found Pycnogenol significantly increased hair density by 30% in menopausal women after 2 months. Results also showed Pycnogenol decreased transepidermal water loss in scalp skin and improved scalp microcirculation.”³

It’s important to think about aging on a macroscopic level, rather than just skin deep, Bornet added. “The factors involved in skin aging and total body aging are the same. These basic mechanisms are at work on the outside as well as on the inside: oxidative stress, inflammation, poor blood circulation, reduced collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.”

Ingredient and Product Menus

Technologies that can enhance the activity of well-established commodity ingredients can help make something novel of an abundantly-available raw material, said Vendrell. “Ingredients form the basis of product innovation and there is an opportunity to leverage well-known molecules, like hyaluronic acid (HA), with a unique twist.” 

Bioiberica’s Dermial leverages the use of matrix technology, embedding HA with other glycosaminoglycans, like dermatan sulfate and collagen, which work to hydrate and replenish skin, Vendrell said.

“By harnessing the established credibility of HA and delivering additional advantages compared to the pure molecule, it’s set to change the face of formulations in the beauty supplement landscape,” he said. “Key benefits include increasing type I collagen synthesis, which supports the maintenance of the skin’s structure and moisture content, an effect not observed with fermented-origin HA. It’s also effective at a low dosage of only 60 mg/day, lower than the amount of pure HA needed, permitting flexible formulation of nutricosmetic solutions.”⁴

Nutrition21 has developed Lustriva, a patented blend of bonded arginine silicate and magnesium biotinate that is effective at reaching skin and hair.

“Lustriva was shown to significantly support the growth of existing hair by nearly 20% in just 3 weeks, providing a thicker, fuller look,” said Miller. “Lustriva also reduced the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles as well as improved skin texture in 12 weeks. Lustriva helps to support the health of hair follicles and the growth of hair by impacting cellular signals critical to hair growth while supporting hair follicles in their active growth phase (known as anagen). In addition, the unique silicon and biotin combination helps to regulate the activity of various enzymes involved in forming and preserving proteins important to skin’s integrity and function.”⁵

Branded ingredients in the collagen space stand out, given established differences in functionality between collagen types and hydrolysis techniques.

“Verisol, a specifically-optimized bioactive collagen peptide … interacts with skin cells to unlock collagen production for optimal results and is confirmed by six Verisol-specific, high-level published clinical studies,” said Rimel.

Formulas for targeting acne from within are resonating with consumers as well, according to Martin-Biggers. HUM Nutrition offers Skin Squad, a blend of prebiotics and probiotics from Konjac root and nine strains of Bacillus, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium varieties shown to reduce acne severity and digestive symptoms within 60 days of daily use.

“As more people grasp the concept of the gut-skin axis and its impact on overall skin health, our Skin Squad has continued to garner attention,” Martin-Biggers said. “We take pride in being pioneers in this space, offering one of the first probiotic products designed to support skin wellness.”

Nutrafol, well-known for its hair growth products, recently entered the skin-health market with its latest supplement, Nutrafol Skin, which features a proprietary Synergen Skin Complex. The formula was tested in a 12-week clinical study published in Skin. After participants discontinued topicals and medications at baseline, it was linked to reductions in both inflammatory (68%) and non-inflammatory (87%) lesion counts. The supplement features several vitamins and minerals, and a long list of botanicals and probiotics.⁶

Kerry’s new Plenibiotic rice-derived postbiotic is formulated to support both skin (at 100 mg) and digestive health (at 50 mg). Supplement brands and consumers “are beginning to understand that our digestive health, our cognitive health, and total wellness are truly interconnected and that by taking care of our gut microbiome, better managing stress, promoting healthy sleep, and maintaining a strong immune system, our skin, hair, and nails will also benefit,” said Dow. 

BelliWelli has launched a new four-in-one powder marketed for its gut-centric skin health benefits, claiming to promote digestive balance, energy, a glowing complexion, and healthy hair, skin, and nails. The product, which comes in Yuzu Mandarin, Tropical Breeze, and Cucumber Lime Cooler flavors, contains 2 grams of collagen, 1 billion CFU of Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856, electrolytes, and 3.5 grams of dietary fiber.

The beauty industry is moving past purely nutrient-based solutions to include compounds unique to certain botanicals, noted Steve Fink, vice president of marketing at PLT Health Solutions.

PLT has been active in the beauty-from-within space with its ceratiq Phytoceramides, a ceramide-rich botanical ingredient that was shown to reduce the appearance of wrinkles in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. After 12 weeks of treatment, wrinkles were significantly and visibly reduced for 88% of women, and skin hydration significantly improved by week 4 at a dose of 350 mg per day.

“The persistence of gains in hydration and wrinkle reduction were demonstrated for 2 additional months after supplementation concluded,” Fink noted. “Compared to placebo, ceratiq was shown to offer three times the improvement in wrinkle visibility, and 2.75 times the improvement in facial hydration, and five times the improvement of radiance.”

Gaia Herbs recently launched Infinity Glow, gummies and capsules containing a combination of EGCG-rich green tea extract, organic reishi fruiting body, Pomanox pomegranate extract, and spearmint extract. According to the company, the formula was clinically studied to significantly reduce blemishes in the T-zone after 45 days in post-adolescent women.

Reserveage Nutrition offers its Beautiful Legs supplement, which is formulated to support the health and tone of leg veins and capillaries. The product combines Diosmin, a phytochemical, with a proprietary blend featuring Butcher’s Broom extract, resveratrol, natural pomace and muscadine from French red wine grapes, muscadine red grape extract, horse chestnut extract, grape extract, and hesperidin.

As opposed to extracts standardized to one or a few active compounds, whole food ingredients featuring a broad range of antioxidants and phytonutrients are making waves in the beauty supplements space.

“Lumenato is one of Lycored’s patent-pending ingestible skin-care ingredients made of phytonutrients and essential fatty acids from golden tomatoes,” said Tarshish. “We’ve been exploring its benefits through two recent studies—one pre-clinical, and one clinical—which both demonstrate Lumenato’s power to significantly improve the skin barrier and protect collagen in the presence of environmental stressors.”^7-8

Delivering Functionality 

There’s high demand for beauty products in novel formats, including gummies and drinks. “Taste-forward formats continue their upward trajectory,” said Dow. “Functional beverages offer consumers a pleasant consumption experience and can also accommodate a wide variety of ingredients at higher doses than traditional supplement formats. And despite limitations on active ingredient loading, gummies remain attractive to consumers.”

Water-solubility and neutral taste profile are increasingly important features for beauty-from-within ingredients, said Fink. “This allows these ingredients to be used in a much broader range of formulations including beverages, gummies, and more. This is particularly important for younger demographics where convenience is an important driver.”

It’s important to keep convenience in mind, Tarshish noted, which is where low-dose ingredients have a role to play. “If consumers have the option to take only one pill, capsule, or gummy, versus taking multiple on top of other wellness routines, this adds another layer of appeal.” 

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About the Author: Mike Montemarano has been the Associate Editor of Nutraceuticals World since 2020. He can be reached at mmontemarano@rodmanmedia.com.

References

1. Peno-Mazzarino, L. et al. (2024). Protective Potential of a Botanical-Based Supplement Ingredient against the Impact of Environmental Pollution on Cutaneous and Cardiopulmonary Systems: Preclinical Study. Current Issues in Molecular Biology. 46(2), 1530-1555. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46020099

2. Zhao, H. et al. (2021). Oral Pycnogenol Intake Benefits the Skin in Urban Chinese Outdoor Workers: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, and Crossover Intervention Study. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology. 34(3):135-145. DOI: 10.1159/000514323

3. Cai, C. et al. (2023). An oral French maritime pine bark extract improves hair density in menopausal women: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind intervention study. Health Science Reports. 6;6(1):e1045. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.1045

4. Galvez-Martin, P. et al. (2022). Comparative in vitro efficacy of a hyaluronic acid (HA) matrix ingredient containing HA, dermatan sulphate and collagen (Dermial) versus pure HA from extraction or fermentation origin. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.S1.R3806

5. Kalman, D. et al. (2021). A Randomized Double-Blind Evaluation of a Novel Biotin and Silicon Ingredient Complex on the Hair and Skin of Healthy Women. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology Research. https://www.longdom.org/open-access/a-randomized-doubleblind-evaluation-of-a-novel-biotin-and-silicon-ingredient-complex-on-the-hair-and-skin-of-healthy-women-61185.html

6. Raymond, I. et al. (2024). A Twelve Week Study Evaluating the Efficacy of a Novel Standardized Nutraceutical to Improve Acne and Skin Health. Skin. 8(1).https://doi.org/10.25251/skin.8.supp.353

7. Solomonov, Y. et al (2024). The Combined Effect of Lumenato and Ceramide in the Protection of Collagen Damage Induced by Neutrophils in Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts. Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology. 15 (2) 140-159. doi: 10.4236/abb.2024.152010.

8. Tarshish, E. et al (2023). Effect of Lumenato a Tomato derived oral supplement on improving skin barrier strength. Skin Res Technol. 29:e13504. https://doi.org/10.1111/srt.13504