Taking care of health and beauty from the inside out is increasingly well understood and becoming more common practice among consumers around the world.
 
“Topical skin care products address only 20% of your skin,” according to wellness expert Howard Murad, MD. “The other 80% is affected by what you eat and drink, including your dietary supplements.”
 
Beauty and personal care routines that encompass inner wellness and nutrition can greatly amplify appearance. Preventive care is often noticeable through skin, according to Sébastien Bornet, vice president of global sales and marketing at Horphag Research. “Taking care of skin earlier in life often equates to healthier skin throughout life, and younger consumers are becoming increasingly interested in healthy aging products,” he said.
 
One consumer study published in March 2019 found that more than 50% of 18 to 24 year old women wanted to add wrinkle-defying products into their routine. “Many of these younger consumers view skin care as an investment, and they continue to look for science-first and evidence-based products to meet their beauty needs,” Bornet said.
 
Market Evolution & Expansion
As with other categories comprising the natural products industry, “beauty from within” is an entirely new landscape compared to what it was 20 years ago. “Although nutricosmetics first hit the market as far back as the 1980s, it has only experienced massive growth in the past few years, becoming the latest trend in the beauty industry,” said Jackie Rizo, content coordinator, Stratum Nutrition.
 
Today, global consumers are seeking a synergy in their routines, with ingestible products that can provide beauty benefits and improve skin health. “Nutricosmetics is the point at which nutrition and cosmetics meet. The term encompasses the beneficial effects on beauty resulting from consuming nutrients using supplements,” Rizo explained.
 
According to Market Research Future, the nutricosmetics market is expected to sustain a CAGR of 5.51% to reach approximately $8.35 billion by 2025. The report also showed that product formats other than traditional capsules, tablets, and soft gels, including beverages, powders, gummies, etc., are big sellers enjoying significant demand.
 
“Innova Market Insights reported that the CAGR of new products launched with a skin health claim was 23% between 2017 and 2020, cited Shaheen Majeed, president worldwide, Sabinsa. “The nutricosmetics market growth will increase by $611 million during 2020-2025.”
 
According to a 2020 Nutrition Business Journal report, the U.S. retail sales value of the beauty from within category is expected to grow 10.5% in 2021, up from 4.2% growth in 2020. “Beauty concerns will continue to prevail as we emerge into a post-pandemic world as market projections show continual growth through 2023,” commented Angie Rimel, marketing communications manager, Gelita. “Furthermore, by 2023 these same NBJ analysts expect collagen to comprise nearly a quarter of the beauty from within category, up from ‘only’ 13% in 2019.”
 
Marcos Lopez, regional director of business development-USA at Monteloeder, said, ingestible beauty is experiencing “tremendous” growth. “Innova Market Insights included ingestible beauty in its Top Ten Trends of 2020. Both sub-segments—beauty-from-within and clean beauty—are experiencing significant growth, as consumers continue to recognize the significant roles that nutrition and natural ingredients can play within the body in supporting healthy aging, hair and skin health.”
 
Mayumi Honma, sales and international manager at Vitamin C60 BioResearch Corporation, observed that “increasing interest in holistic health is driving the growth of the overall skin care market, which is leading to the market expansion both for nutricosmetics and skin care products.”
 
Top Trends
There’s an irony in this rapidly evolving market, according to Steve Fink, vice president, marketing, PLT Health Solutions. In some ways, he said, the cosmetics and beauty market hasn’t changed in 5,000 years; in other ways, it has changed dramatically since the beginning of 2020. Since early times of society, people always wanted to preserve youthful skin, and therefore, reducing visual aging will remain a target for nutricosmetics.
 
“But, if you’ve seen the sales volumes for the traditional cosmetics markets since early 2020, not only hasn’t there been any growth, but sales are also dramatically lower. This is not the case in the nutricosmetics beauty market, which tends to focus more on health as a driver than just appearance.”
 
Rimel, agreed, adding that visual aging has been found to be caused mainly by the loss of collagen and hyaluronic acid, in tandem with the deterioration of connective tissue, and products that counteract this activity are in high demand.
 
“Using hyaluronic acid for nutricosmetics has increased over the past few years,” said Tomoyo Takamatsu, account executive, Kewpie Corporation. “From 2020 to 2027, the growth rate of the hyaluronic acid market is forecasted to be 126%,” she noted, citing a survey from Fuji Keizai Group. “In the survey taken in 2020, hyaluronic acid awareness has reached 81.8% while collagen is 88.3%.”
 
Products such as collagen boosters, ultra-hydrators, and brain-gut balancers will shine as the most popular products in the beauty-from-within category in 2021, according to Majeed. “The COVID-19 pandemic has only served to accelerate this growth, with consumer demand for such products as those that rebalance the skin after daily use of face masks, for example.”
 
Indeed, such a dramatic global event that has drawn out for more than a year has impacted how consumers interact with brands and how they decide which products to use to stave off skin aging and promote skin health. “The pandemic and the lockdowns escalated consumer demand for well-being and personal care products, including nutricosmetics, through e-commerce channels worldwide,” Rizo commented. “This is anticipated to drive the market in the upcoming years.”
 
She observed that manufacturers are ramping up to meet demand for ready-to-go options that are easier to use and more attractive to consumers, with an emergence of new innovative formats, including ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, vials, droppers, gummies, and nutritional bars.
 
More consumers are also demanding sustainable and clean label nutricosmetics. Majeed noted a growing preference for a sensory experience. “The desire for emotional and sensory consumption is being met with an emergence of new formats, including drinks, vials, droppers and gummies,” he said.
 
Important Ingredients
Nutritional ingredients for supporting youthful appearance and healthy skin provide more than just antioxidant protection or added plumpness—actions that are well performed by myriad topicals today. Indeed, dietary supplements can exert multiple benefits in convenient doses, which is highly attractive for consumers.
 
Earlier this year, Nutrition21 debuted Lustriva, a clinically-studied ingredient that contains bonded arginine silicate and Magnesium Biotinate, a proprietary biotin formulation. The latter is a unique combination that significantly increases biotin solubility 40 times more compared to standard D-biotin, the company said. Lustriva utilizes biotin and silicon to provide nutritional and structural support and arginine to improve blood flow for enhanced nutrient delivery and activity.

Multiple preclinical and clinical pharmacokinetic studies show superior absorption of arginine and silicon from bonded arginine silicate and biotin from Magnesium Biotinate. Two preclinical studies showed that Lustriva enhances hair growth and density, increases nail growth, and improves skin elasticity and overall appearance. One double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study showed increased hair thickness in just 3 weeks, reduced facial wrinkles, and reduced fine lines and improved skin texture.
 
The ingredients in Lustriva are GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) and can be formulated into a variety of supplement and functional food/beverage applications, including ready-to-drink beverages, dry mixes, gummies, capsules, and tablets. 
 
According to Rimel, Gelita’s VERISOL Bioactive Collagen Peptides (BCP) are demonstrated in placebo-controlled human clinical studies to improve skin elasticity, reduce wrinkles (Schunck, Skin Pharmacol Physiology 2013), and reduce cellulite (Schunck, J Med Food 2015) as well as improve nail and hair growth (Hexsel, J Cosmet Dermatol 2017).
 
“Skin health studies with VERISOL collagen peptides have shown that when ingested orally, they stimulate fibroblast cells in the dermal layer of the skin to increase overall extracellular matrix formation. By doing so, they influence the skin’s collagen metabolism from the inside,” Rimel explained.
 
VERISOL BCP are hydrolyzed to a specific short peptide length enabling easy digestibility and higher bioavailability, she added. Potential applications range from collagen water and concentrated ready-to-drink liquid shots to tablets, capsules, and flavored powder mixes. “Even luxury foodstuffs such as coffee and chocolate can be enriched with natural collagen peptides, allowing for beauty care with a touch of great-tasting indulgence,” she added. “Another interesting area with growth potential is combo products, where collagen peptides are included with other active ingredients, such as vitamins and minerals for multiple benefits.”
 
Sabinsa tackles skin health and beauty with ingredients that work on specific and varied pathways, according to Majeed, such as inhibition of formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), protection of cells from damage by inhibiting free radical and singlet oxygen-induced lipid peroxidation, anti-inflammation, prevention of fragmentation and degradation of collagen and elastin, maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, enhancing immunity, and reducing stress. 
 
Artonox Artocarpus lakoocha extract, which is abundant in oxyresveratrol, produces superior antioxidant action, tyrosinase inhibition, melanogenesis inhibition, and UV protection, thus playing a protective role in the skin (Majeed, Eurocosmetics 2012). It is also known to reduce the formation of AGEs and cross-linking of collagen, thus improving skin texture (McCormack, Oxid Med Cell Longev 2013).
 
Another pathway to skin health is via the pancreas’ regulation of blood sugar, Majeed explained. “Controlled sugar levels have a direct influence on skin aging. Increased sugar levels bind to proteins by glycation to produce AGEs which in turn damage collagen and elastin (Singh, Korean J Physiol Pharmacol 2014). “Thus, by controlling the sugar levels in the bloodstream, the damage to collagen and elastin may be controlled to a great extent.”
 
Sabinsa’s Silbinol pterostilbene-rich Pterocarpus marsupium extract has been shown to regulate sugar levels in the bloodstream by inducing pancreatic beta-cells to release insulin (Tastekin, Evidence-Based Comp Alt Med 2018).
 
Skin health formulations can also be effective by targeting the microbiome. According to Majeed, studies have shown that supplementation with the probiotic LactoSpore—L(+) lactic acid producing microbial preparation containing Bacillus coagulans, MTCC 5856—improves skin health via reducing acne, eczema, and wrinkles (Kober, Int J Womens Dermatol 2015).
 
Ingredients typically known for one targeted health condition also pull double-duty for skin health. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), is typically known as a joint-health ingredient but, according to Tim Hammond, vice president sales and marketing, Bergstrom Nutrition, supplier of OptiMSM, a clinical trial showed the benefits of oral supplementation of OptiMSM on skin and anti-aging. The study reported 100% of participants taking OptiMSM experienced a decrease in wrinkle count, with an average reduction of 38%. Along with wrinkle reduction, the study also reported improvements in skin elasticity and firmness (Anthonavage, Nat Med J 2015).
 
A follow-up study published in 2020 indicated oral supplementation of OptiMSM showed decreased indicators of aging, like facial wrinkles and skin roughness, compared to placebo. Results, said Hammond, pointed toward a “significant improvement” from baseline in the severity of facial wrinkles, skin hydration, firmness, and elasticity, effectively reducing visual signs of skin aging even at a low dose of one gram per day (Muizzuddin, International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 2020).
 
Hammond explained that OptiMSM appears to work through a few different mechanisms. It reduces damage caused by internal inflammation, spurred by stress, dietary habits, or other processes, and it can also improve the foundation of the skin, including collagen and other connective tissue proteins. Lastly, MSM can increase growth and improve the appearance and condition of nails as well as skin and hair in only two weeks and four weeks, respectively, in female participants (Muizzuddin, Natural Medicine Journal 2019).
 
Another long popular ingredient, hyaluronic acid (which also does double duty helping out joints) has maintained its attraction among consumers. According to Takamatsu, Kewpie’s “clinically proven hyaluronic acid has evidence of beauty-from-within just orally taking 120 mg per day. Hyaluronic acid is well known as a ‘moisturizing agent’ in cosmetics but from our research we proved that by orally ingesting the recommended daily dosage of our pure hyaluronic acid Hyabest(S)LF-P, it supplements the increase of hyaluronic acid in the skin as well as improving crow’s feet wrinkles,” she explained.
 
Recently, Takamatsu added, new data was published on Hyabest(S)LF-P (Hsu, 2020 International Symposium on Development of New Nutraceutical Functions and Ingredients) demonstrating that it increased collagen production, which led to reduced wrinkling. “As far as we have searched, this data would be a first that has evaluated not only the moisture but also collagen connective tissue, wrinkles and elasticity,” she noted.
 
Glutathione has been relied upon as a potent antioxidant that helps other antioxidants recycle themselves, among other actions. Maria Stanieich, marketing manager, Kyowa Hakko U.S.A., Inc., explained that Setria glutathione is a potent form made through a fermentation process. “Setria has been clinically researched to help increase the body’s stores of glutathione, and can help support immunity, detoxification, and overall healthy aging properties. Glutathione can neutralize potentially harmful free radicals, eliminate toxins, as well as harmful chemicals absorbed in the body, and can reactivate other antioxidants that are important for skin, hair, and nail health like vitamin E. Further, glutathione reduces melanin production by suppressing the activity of tyrosinase and switching the eumelanin synthesis to pheomelanin synthesis.”
 
Newer ingredients expand the ability of brands to create innovative portfolios of nutricosmetic supplements.
 
Vitamin C60, according to Honma, offers “the world’s first naturally derived fullerene, a potent antioxidant compound for cosmetics that has extensive clinical data showing various well-aging/anti-aging efficacies. Fullerene has a very unique antioxidation mechanism not found in other antioxidants and scavenges free radicals in two different ways: catalytic activity to decompose free radicals and by binding to free radicals. This leads to stronger, longer-lasting and more stable efficacies of our fullerene, as proved in our clinical trials,” she explained.
 
Monteloeder’s Zeropollution is a patented multi-herbal ingredient containing extracts of rosemary, olive, Lippia citriodora, and Sophora japonica, which, according to Lopez, protect and repair skin damage caused by outdoor and indoor air pollution. It does so by inhibiting the main modifications induced by pollutants on human skin. Studies have shown that Zeropollution has two main effects: prevention, by counteracting the major mechanisms of the pollutant’s skin damage, and repair, ameliorating the damage caused by pollutants.
 
Research has shown that Zeropollution presents the following important properties to fight against air pollution-based skin damage: enhances resistance to oxidative stress, reduces the skin inflammation response, inhibits the overactivation of both hydrocarbon aryl receptors and metallothionein MT-1H, and protects skin cells from harmful UV rays, which exacerbate effects of the other environmental pollutants.
 
Meanwhile, the company’s Nutroxsun is a combination of rosemary and grapefruit extracts that endogenously provides increased protection against sun-induced damage to the skin. Lopez explained, “UV radiation is the main extrinsic factor affecting the skin. Skin photoprotection is traditionally achieved through topical sunscreens. Certain botanical ingredients can complement sunscreen use by providing internal protection. Rosemary and grapefruit extracts contain potent phenolic compounds that scavenge free radicals generated by solar radiation, which can result in inflammation, protein degradation and cellular damage.”
 
He added that clinical trials have demonstrated that Nutroxsun offers significant sun protection and healthy aging benefits and has been shown to: increase UVA and UVB photoprotection, help reduce skin oxidation, support healthy inflammation response, and gradually increase individual sun tolerance, by increasing minimal erythema dose (+56%).
 
PLT Health Solutions’ ceratiq phytoceramides provide benefits associated with youthful skin—improved overall skin health, reduced appearance of wrinkles, increased elasticity, and a more radiant appearance, according to Fink. As a natural, vegan source of ceramides (a class of lipids known as the skin’s natural sealant) ceratiq is backed by five in vitro and ex vivo studies supporting safety, efficacy and mechanism of action, plus five human clinical studies.
 
One double-blind, placebo-controlled study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of ceratiq on skin hydration and on reduction of wrinkle appearance (Boisnic, J Cosmet Dermatol 2019). The subjects received either 350 mg of ceratiq oil or placebo for 12 weeks. In the ceratiq group, wrinkles were significantly and visibly reduced, from 8 weeks compared to the placebo. The wrinkle reduction was visible for 88% of women after 12 weeks. “The results demonstrated that skin was better hydrated as early as just 4 weeks. Compared to the placebo, ceratiq was shown to offer 3 times the improvement in wrinkle visibility, 2.75 times the improvement in facial hydration, and 5 times the improvement of radiance,” Fink reported.
 
“A 4-week time frame to efficacy is of critical importance in the supplement category as it looks to compete with topical products which tend to be more experiential even as they may not offer as promising longer-term benefits,” he commented.
 
A new study on ceratiq sought to broaden knowledge of the mechanism of action and introduce data on its effects on UVB-based skin damage (Son, Nutrients 2020). This study used a model that mimics the aging process because UVB light induces photoaging in the skin.  The study yielded three key findings: 1) water evaporation from the skin was decreased, while skin moisture level and elasticity were improved, meaning that the degree of damage from the UVB exposure was attenuated; 2) skin had less loss of procollagen, hyaluronic acid, and ceramide with ceratiq intake; 3) collagen concentrations were also increased in the ceratiq group. The typical thickening of the epidermis layer that occurs with UVB exposure was minimized as well.
 
Cell culture experiments suggested that the hyaluronic acid and collagen increase with ceratiq was due to suppression of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), a protein that degrades these molecules. 
 
Based on the research, Fink reported, ceratiq was recently approved for sale in the Republic of Korea. “A multi-year effort involving scientific and regulatory collaboration between PLT Health Solutions, ingredient innovator The Robertet Group (Grasse, France), and Korean distributor NOVAREX Co Ltd (Cheongju, Chungbuk, Korea) was behind the ingredient approval. The South Korean—K-Beauty—market is one of the most demanding in the world and one of the most influential,” he stated.
 
Stratum Nutrition’s Ahiflower seed oil is a plant-based multi-omega fatty acid ingredient that contains a distinctive natural blend of beneficial omega-3, 6, and 9, according to Nena Dockery, scientific and regulatory affairs manager. She explained that both omega-3 and omega-6 play crucial roles in skin appearance and functioning. A recently published study revealed that supplementation with a combination of an omega-6 (gamma linolenic acid, GLA) along with omega-3s could be effective in managing inflammation response in skin (Balić, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020).
 
Another ability of Ahiflower is helping guard against scaly, rough skin caused by water loss in the epidermis; this benefit is shown to occur from Ahiflower’s content of linoleic acid (LA), an essential omega-6 fatty acid, the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid present in the epidermis and essential for healthy barrier function in the skin (Ziboh, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2000). The outermost layer of the skin epidermis is responsible for the key barrier functions.
 
Carotenoids like astaxanthin have been shown in multiple studies to help restore skin moisture and elasticity and help decrease wrinkle formation, Dockery noted. Stratum Nutrition’s NatAxtin is a natural astaxanthin derived from the algae, Haematococcus pluvialis.
 
According to Dockery, one study revealed that supplementation with 4 mg/daily of natural astaxanthin reduced general oxidative stress, through reductions in plasma malondialdehyde, a recognized biomarker of systemic oxidative stress. “The study also demonstrated that astaxanthin supplementation improved the composition of the semiliquid protective layer covering the outer epidermis (Chalyk, Nutrition Research, 2017),” she noted.
 
Conclusion
Today’s middle-aged and older adults look (and act) far more youthful and vibrant than their predecessors did just 50 years ago. This is largely due to healthier lifestyles and understanding about the influence of nutrition and dietary supplementation. Modern wellness regimens reflect the mindset that clean living prolongs healthier lives, and that healthy skin is beautiful skin.