It seems the saying ‘beauty is only skin deep’ no longer rings true for the industry. A new trend has swept the health and beauty market, one that merges inner and outer health as one – step in the beauty supplement.
Says Euromonitor’s Eleanor Dwyer: “Beauty-positioned vitamins and dietary supplements are certainly gaining popularity” with Natural Products INSIDER continuing: “The idea of eating and drinking your way to beauty is still a novel concept in the west, but it’s also a broadening edible market, given there are so many avenues to deliver beauty nutrients: foods, tablets, chews, capsules, jellies and beverages.” In what form exactly will this inner beauty movement take shape for 2017? BD investigates:
Go with your gut
Hitting the health industry’s radar hard is gut health. The concept is filtering into mainstream consciousness at the behest of naturopaths and nutritionists who preach that 80 per cent of the immune system is located in the digestive tract. The trend has given birth to a rise of prebiotic and probiotic formulas intended to not only transform gut health, but (for beauty devotees) clear and brighten the complexion.
Explains Medlab CEO Sean Hall: “We’ve already started to see a considerable shift towards improving and maximising gut-related health. In 2017, and even the coming years, we can expect to see a continuation of this trend as consumers become self-aware and more educated as to the importance of gut health and how it affects the body, health and wellbeing, energy expenditure, skin, hair etc.”
It’s for this reason that probiotics and prebiotics are the ingredient du jour for the health and beauty arenas. Hall continues: “The growing concern for gut health ties in perfectly with the probiotic trend… Probiotics or probiotic-based products continue to trend across industries: beauty, skincare, health foods, supplements etc.” Brands such as Carla Oates’ The Beauty Chef and WelleCo (the creation of Elle Macpherson) have already found plentiful success in the field thanks to their probiotic-heavy powders – the Inner Beauty line and Super Elixir formulas respectively – that can be added to water or smoothies.
Probiotics and beauty-related supplements have also proved an interest for supplement powerhouses Blackmores and Nature’s Way. Among the former’s Superfoods line of powder additions is a Cacao + Nature Boost Prebiotics & Probiotics powder. A focus in probiotics has also seen the traditionally hippie elixir kombucha enter the mainstream market, courtesy of brands like Nature’s Way that promote the fermented liquid as an easy way to boost gut health.
The powder room
But the probiotic powder is not the only rising supplement trend. The marriage of health and beauty has seen powder supplements surge in popularity as a slew of brands are now promoting the supplement form to be sprinkled over yoghurt and cereal, if not added to smoothies. Inner health as a whole is trending right now says Swisse naturopath Cheryl Goodman: “Inner health, including supplements and diet will have a huge role to play here. Beauty and wellness begins from the inside out! If we nourish our bodies with the nutrients it needs, this will be positively reflected in how we look and feel.”
Qsilica brand communications manager Shelley Atkin agrees that powder supplements will find favour as a way to internally (and externally) transform: “While cosmetics will always be a part (and a fun part!) of enhancing beauty, 2017 will see a greater and continuing awareness about beauty from within. The supplements that draw inspiration from natural ingredients, that don’t cost the earth, and give glowing results will be the key supplements women will put into their shopping bags.”
Practicing what it preaches – Qsilica is behind a Phytonutrient Skin Support BEAUTY ELIXIR Vegan Powder – developed to complement a daily beauty routine by boosting the body with vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts and plant phytonutrients. Atkin explains: “As with digestive health people are much more aware of the effects inner health has on our appearance. Beauty supplements, taken internally will continue to be popular. Antioxidants and nutritional support is vital for beauty. Skin is also an organ of elimination so ensuring the optimal health of our digestive system, liver and kidneys is also of utmost importance.” Similarly, Blackmores recently released its Superfoods range based on this premise. A line of minerals and vitamins integrated into health food favourites cacao, coconut water and the antioxidant-rich blueberry.
Drink it up
Liquid beauty supplements are also rising in popularity. The concept is a quite literal toast to good health – a shot of vitamins and minerals to strengthen internal health and boost physical beauty. The liquid beauty boost is specialised to target specific desires with hero ingredients that can include collagen or hyaluronic acid. One of Australia’s leading nutrient brands Swisse dove into the liquid beauty supplement boom and produced the Swisse Ultiboost Hair Skin Nails Liquid to encourage collagen production and beauty enhancement.
Deciem is one particular brand that has taken to the liquid movement, forming a drinkable beauty supplement range called The Fountain that caters to skin complaints from ageing, to glow. It explains of its purpose: “Fountain is a beauty supplement brand focused on offering water-soluble, highly bioavailable forms of proven health and beauty nutrients in easy-to-take liquid formats.”
It seems haircare-focused drinkable beauty supplements are next to hit cult status, if Euromonitor is anything to go by. The website comments of what is in hot demand: “In particular, hair and nail-growth supplements have gained a following due to their quick effect, relative to supplements aimed at skin maintenance. We expect this trend to continue in the coming year.”
Image: @swisseau
