“From the inside out”: Exploring advancements in ingestible beauty solutions

The nutrition industry emphasizes that beauty-from-within solutions offer significant opportunities for brands and ingredient suppliers, leveraging a growing demand for cosmetics and holistic health products.

Nutrition Insight discusses leading ingredients, health benefits beyond skin care and tackling supplement claims with Rousselot, BioCell Technology, Balchem Human Nutrition & Health, Bioiberica, Lubrizol Life Science and ADM. 

“Consumers are no longer looking for solutions that simply improve appearance; they are seeking products that make them feel good from the inside out,” says Gaëtan Noiret, global director of Health & Nutrition at Rousselot.

“The oral beauty market is increasingly aligned with the concept of holistic beauty, emphasizing products that promote overall wellness alongside specific beauty benefits such as enhanced skin health, stronger hair and anti-aging effects.” 

He adds that collagen peptides emerged as a “top leading solution” in holistic wellness and other popular ingredients like magnesium, vitamins C and B5. “Collagen has gained widespread popularity due to its well-recognized benefits, including enhanced skin beauty and stronger hair and nails.” 

Douglas Jones, global sales and marketing manager at BioCell Technology, adds: “Consumers are looking for products with ingredients that have clinical studies to back up their use and claims.” 

He also points to the importance of convenience: “A formula can be great, but if it is not in an easy-to-consume delivery form and takes too many doses, then I think consumers will lose interest.” 

Moreover, he advises brands to “keep it simple,” noting that complicated formulas with multiple ingredients can confuse consumers. 

Collagen diversification

As the experts spotlight collagen as a leading ingredient in ingestible beauty products, Jones cautions that not all collagen is alike. 

He highlights that BioCell Technology’s BioCell Collagen comprises a “naturally occurring matrix of hydrolyzed collagen type II peptides, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid.” 

“Consumers are looking for products that can provide clinically proven lifetime wellness solutions, particularly for skin, beauty and joint health. Unlike other ingredients, BioCell Collagen is a branded ingredient that can provide these benefits.” 

He adds that various studies, including seven human clinical trials, support its safety, functional efficacy and bioavailability. 

BioCell Collagen can provide wellness solutions in skin, beauty and joint health, says Jones.The experts also highlight ingredients that complement collagen’s efficacy. For example, Jessica Arnaly, senior marketing and business development manager at Balchem Human Nutrition & Health, points to methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), a source of sulfur that has demonstrated skin benefits. 

“A recent double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial compared the effects of collagen supplements with or without MSM on markers of skin health, demonstrating that this combination provides superior results.” 

“After 12 weeks, participants taking collagen showed significant improvement in skin density and wrinkle depth compared to both their baseline and placebo, regardless of MSM addition.”

Arnaly details that only participants taking MSM and collagen reported increased skin thickness and hydration. Meanwhile, adding MSM to collagen further reduced skin roughness. “These findings open up new formulation opportunities for brands looking to elevate their ingestible beauty offering with science-backed ingredients.” 

Antonio Vendrell, marketing director at Bioiberica, details that the company’s hyaluronic acid matrix ingredient for skin and beauty support, Dermial, helps to increase type I collagen synthesis, boost elastin production and enhance skin cell proliferation and migration. 

Dermial contains a high concentration of hyaluronic acid (60–75%), along with other glycosaminoglycans like dermatan sulfate and collagen. Research indicates that it delivers antioxidant effects and helps to maintain skin structure. 

“Our latest clinical trial added ‘a unique glow effect’ to this roster of benefits, with researchers noting a 20% increase in skin brightness at six weeks of supplementation with Dermial, rising to 34% at the 12-week mark. Moreover, all these effects were achieved through a single, low dose of just 60 milligrams daily.”

Arnaly cautions that claims for supplements often face stricter scrutiny and regulatory requirements than cosmetic claims.Strict beauty supplement claims

Despite the opportunities in the nutricosmetics space, Balchem’s Arnaly cautions that while consumers are used to cosmetic claims, claims for beauty supplements often “face stricter scrutiny and regulatory requirements.”

“In the US, the FDA regulates dietary supplements under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which requires that any claims made about the supplement’s effects on the body be substantiated and truthful. Supplements can make ‘structure-function’ claims, but they cannot claim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without being classified as drugs.”

Meanwhile, she says that cosmetic claims require a different level of scientific substantiation. 

“Cosmetics are regulated under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which focuses on ensuring that products are safe for use and properly labeled. Cosmetic claims typically revolve around improving appearance, such as moisturizing or reducing the appearance of wrinkles.”

Product development for additional benefits

Rousselot’s Noiret calls on the nutrition industry to meet consumer demands for products that address new beauty benefits in skin, hair and overall wellness. 

“Improving skin qualities such as hydration, elasticity, density and reducing the visibility of wrinkles remains a top priority. Collagen peptides, such as Peptan, have demonstrated efficacy in achieving these outcomes in multiple studies.”

He also sees a vastly growing demand for hair health supplements in beauty-from-within. 

“This growth is driven by increasing concerns about hair health across all demographics. Younger consumers are turning to supplements for preventative care, while older populations seek solutions for hair thinning and loss.” 

The intersection of beauty and sleep is another area for innovation, says Noiret. “Sleep is crucial for skin repair and rejuvenation, and products that combine sleep-enhancing ingredients with beauty-enhancing properties can support holistic wellness. In this space, a recent study on Peptan showed its potential to improve sleep quality.”

Noiret sees a vastly growing demand for hair health supplements in beauty-from-within.Isabel Gómez, global marketing manager, Nutraceuticals at Lubrizol Life Science, highlights the connection between skin and immunity, as science links a weakened immune system to poor skin health. 

“Dietary deficiencies of essential nutrients such as vitamins A, B, C and E and minerals such as iron and zinc can also lead to skin problems. However, more research is needed at the ingredient level for specific beauty claims to create more credibility around beauty from within products.”

Moreover, Gómez says that protecting the skin from oxidative stress and inflammation is crucial to support healthy aging. “When the skin absorbs UV radiation, it leads to increased generation of reactive oxygen species, which can activate hyaluronidase, collagenase and elastase, further contributing to skin aging.” 

Consumer interest in gut-skin axis

Vaughn DuBow, ADM’s senior director of Product Portfolio Marketing in Health and Wellness, says an increasing consumer awareness of the gut microbiome’s effect on well-being further drives growth for ingestible beauty. 

“For beauty and skin health, the research explores the connection between the gut and skin microbiomes or the gut-skin axis. As such, microbiome-supporting solutions like prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics are gaining popularity and poised to headline the next wave of beauty-from-within innovation.”

“We’re fueling this advancement through ongoing microbiome research and a vast health and wellness portfolio with solutions designed to meet beauty goals. Two of our probiotic solutions — AD Formulation and Smooth Skin Formulation — have shown the potential to support different aspects of skin health,” he says.

DuBow details that AD Formulation may provide relief for dry, itchy skin and support for improved skin health, clear and healthy skin and skin vitality. “Evidence shows that the Smooth Skin Formulation may also help with clear and healthy skin, as well as overall skin health and gut microbiome diversity.”

In addition, he highlights how advanced technologies help develop the ingestible beauty sector. “Precision nutrition enabled by AI is a significant area of advancement, with great potential to support individual needs by analyzing genetic, microbiome and lifestyle data to recommend tailored beauty solutions for consumers.”

Gómez highlights that developing nutraceuticals that appeal to consumers and are backed by science is a complex challenge.Effective formulation challenges

Gómez from Lubrizol Life Science says that creating products that appeal to consumers and are backed by science is one of the most complex challenges in nutraceutical development. 

“When it comes to beauty-enhancing nutraceutical ingredients, they need to be well-defined and proven to work. For this reason, providing clear and specific scientific evidence backed by clinical studies remains one of the biggest challenges in building consumer trust.” 

“In addition, the total user experience has never been more present and demanded; forms that deliver the full sensory potential of beauty supplements are on the rise, especially gummies,” Gómez continues.

She says that microencapsulation technology can overcome some of these ingredient challenges by “providing benefits such as increased stability and improved absorption while making them compatible with the most innovative on-the-go nutraceutical applications.”

Bioiberica’s Vendrell adds that brands need to overcome challenges in dosing requirements, solubility, bioavailability and sensory attributes to formulate effective and attractive ingestible beauty products. 

“A gummy, functional beverage or snack bar can feature all the top skin-supporting claims, but that means little if the active ingredients are deactivated by high processing temperatures, poorly absorbed when they reach the stomach or too unpleasant for users to take consistently.” 

He advises supplement and functional food producers to consider how production affects ingredient efficacy and to select active ingredients that “offer the greatest freedom to innovate.”