Why nutricosmetics could be the next big thing in beauty

We all know that beauty is skin deep – but what if the secret to outer beauty really lay within? The industry and consumers alike have embraced the notion that there is undoubtedly a correlation. People are increasingly turning to natural, well-being oriented solutions to nourish from the inside to create an outer glow, and now, nutricosmetics are emerging as a hot new trend.

Although the concept has been around for several decades – the term was coined by Swedish biochemist Ake Dahlgren in the 1980s – it has taken a while for nutricosmetics to go mainstream. Now, they’re gaining popularity: studies suggest that the market could be worth $6 billion by 2024, with the APAC region representing a 30-40% market share. But what exactly are nutricosmetics? And what’s all the hype really about?

What are nutricosmetics?

Embracing nutricosmetics requires a complete revision of your approach to beauty. Instead of applying products to the skin to eliminate imperfections, it’s a question of “treating” the problem from within. Using nutrients, micronutrients, and other active compounds, nutricosmetics combine dietary supplementation with skincare. 

These supplements include vitamins that can benefit the skin, hair, and nails. Many people are already familiar with these compounds, including zinc, omega fatty acids, certain enzymes, and even dietary collagen. There’s also newer active ingredients emerging, including prebiotics and probiotics that aim to improve skin health by balancing the skin’s microbiota. Nutricosmetics are offered in different formats, including capsules, vials, pills, capsules, sachets, and even gummies.

Why are they trending?

It almost goes without saying that the pandemic has transformed consumers’ buying habits and priorities. People have become more health-conscious and this extends to every aspect of their lifestyles, including their beauty routines. They’re thinking about how they can make their bodies more resilient and how overall health can enhance their outer appearance.

These supplements give the skin the ability to better protect itself from external aggressors. Including pollution, cigarette smoke, and even stress. In essence, the issue is taken care of at the source; in place of trying to reverse the effects of these aggressors, the body is better equipped to resist them.

This goes hand in hand with the rising trend of holistic beauty. This philosophy blurs the boundaries between beauty and well-being, emphasizing that beautiful skin and a healthy lifestyle are intrinsically connected. Through optimal diet, physical exercise, stress management, protection from pollutants, and crucially, the right products, you can look and feel better.

Nutricosmetics could be the next beauty essential

There are numerous benefits of nutricosmetics, from fighting hair loss to making the skin more supple, moisturized, and radiant and they can even help combat the aging process. Of course, the best way to stay nourished is a healthy diet and exercise, however, these supplements can be a powerful complementary step in a beauty routine. 

It will certainly be interesting to see how the market develops. For beauty brands, could be an interesting new offering to create products that work in synergy with nutricosmetics, so they can enter into this lucrative market. There are many possibilities, but one particularly interesting avenue is products targeted at collagen. 

Conserving or supporting collagen production, for example, is a powerful anti-aging tool. However, it can be tricky to achieve, as collagen is produced in the deeper level of the skin, the dermis. Therefore, a two-pronged, nutricosmetic-plus-topical-treatment could be an interesting proposition.

Pomarage^TM, for instance, is Provital’s sustainably-sourced plant-based anti-aging ingredient. In vitro tests have already demonstrated a 382% increase in collagen – so imagine what could be achieved via two angles. Nutricosmetics are opening intriguing new angles for beauty brands, so they should consider how they can create synergies.