Top trends to watch in beauty supplements for 2024
With increasing consumer interest in holistic wellness, the trends to watch are reflecting a shift towards a more integrative approach to beauty.
Scalp care
Hair growth cycles are known to be affected by age, stress, hormones, and vitamin deficiencies, which can prompt weakness, damage, and excessive shedding.
But lately, haircare has shifted to focus on scalp health, as brands are placing greater emphasis on incorporating ingredients that promote a nourished scalp, Marie Drago, founder of probiotic skincare brand Gallinée, explained during NutraIngredients’ Probiota conference.
"Today’s more 'holistic' view of beauty is very beneficial to this market, as is awareness that the less you put on your skin, the better for its health. The scalp is a really rising area in the skin microbiome because there is a trend for skinification of hair care and the more you treat your scalp the more you treat your hair,” she noted.
UK hair brand Glowwa launched its inaugural ‘Hair Food’ as an all-in-one supplement to support hair growth and reduce shedding. It includes biotin, B12, folic acid, zinc, lysine, MSM, niacin, B5, B6, vitamin C and coconut water.
Similarly, Australian wellness brand Vida Glow’s once-daily Hairology Capsules are designed to reduce hair thinning. It includes patented organic pea sprout extract AnaGain which has been found to reduce hair loss, brown seaweed extract to support healthy thyroid hormones which can help control the growth of healthy hair follicles, and zinc, selenium and biotin.
And UK-based Viviscal has launched ‘Scalp Nourish’, designed to support a healthy scalp with hyaluronic acid, biotin and antioxidants to fortify root follicles. All Viviscal products also include marine protein complex AminoMar C, which has been found to help new cell growth.
Toolboxes
As skincare enthusiasts are seeking holistic approaches to beauty and wellness and interest rises in established skin care routines, skincare 'toolboxes' are beginning to emerge as a trend.
The supplement and skincare brand You’re Looking Well (YLW) launched in November 2023 with a ‘carefully calibrated routine of science-backed skincare and supplements’ that comprises a day cream, a day pill, a night cream, and a night pill — designed to work in harmony.
The supplements aim to support the gut microbiome, whilst the topical formulations bolster the skin’s unique ecosystem of bacteria, according to head of nutrition at YLW, Sophie Medlin.
Japanese brand Lycopure is centered around BH Tomato, a ‘functional tomato’ claimed to contain four times more gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) - recognized for its calming properties - than a standard tomato.
The brand offers a kit containing a topical serum designed to maintain the elasticity of the skin, a 50ml ‘shot’ to improve sleep quality, skin health and mood, and a 10g jelly shot for stress relief.
And UK-based brand Advanced Nutrition Program offers ‘Skin Complete’, bringing together two one-a-day supplements in a pack to act as ‘the first step in your skincare regime’. Skin Vit A+’ contains vitamin A and vitamin D, and ‘Skin Antioxidant’ contains extracts of green tea, grapeseed, turmeric root, bilberry fruit, betacarotene, lutein and lycopene.
Sun protection
Sun protection has catapulted in popularity in recent years as consumers have realised the huge anti-aging benefits.
And as studies emerge on the effect of blue light on skin, protection against both environmental and electronic pollution becomes key for formulations, and brands are beginning to explore the opportunities that ingestibles can offer against UV protection.
French brand Jaldes’ ‘Oxelio Protect’ is a supplement designed for protecting fair skin from UV damage. It contains tomato carotenoids Lycopene and Beta-carotene to protect skin against the sun's rays, which contribute to the premature aging of skin. The product also contains zinc, selenium and vitamins C and E to help protect cells against oxidative stress triggered by sun exposure.
And the Spanish Cantabria Labs’ sun protection brand ‘Heliocare’ has launched an oral supplement designed to ‘offer an internal line of defence against harmful UV radiation’. The product is formulated to offer free radical defence with the patented ingredient Fernblock, derived from the fern Polypodium leucotomos, suggested to defend skin cells from damage caused by the sun and protect skin cell DNA.
Teenage acne
As the demand for specialized wellness solutions surges, teenage skincare supplements are gaining prominence, with B vitamins a prominent ingredient across the board for hormonal balance.
Wild Nutrition, the women’s supplement brand based in England, has released ‘Food-Grown’, a daily multi-nutrient designed for teen girls. Vitamin B6 is included to contribute to the regulation of hormones to reduce acne, and riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B12 and vitamin C are included to contribute to reducing fatigue.
The herbal supplement brand HRI from the UK, has released ‘Teen Skin’, which includes botanical extracts and live cultures for gut health, designed for teenagers and young adults to ‘keep their skin spot-free’. It contains B vitamins to regulate hormone activity and aid energy release, chromium to balance blood sugar levels, and antioxidants eight berry extracts to help protect cells from oxidative stress.
And US wellness brand Codeage has added ‘Teen Clearface+’ to its product lineup. The formula, designed for those aged 12 to 18, combines vitamins A, C, D3, and E, and zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, and chromium. It also includes vegan omega-3, a skin probiotic blend, pantothenic acid, niacin, and iodine to further provide clear skin support, as well as organic fruit powders and amino acids.
