Since entering South Korea nearly eight years ago, the company’s ingredients are now applied in about 60 finished products in the market, with beauty-from-within ingredients like MintyBright, DracoBelle, and AnaGain being particularly popular.
According to Dr Torsten Grothe, Mibelle’s Head of Food & Health, the focus on healthy aging and beauty from within for its product portfolio is a “strong fit” for what the firm can offer and Korean market needs.
“Importantly, most of our ingredients are water-soluble. It’s easy for formulators to work with them—you can make jellies, gummies, liquids, and beverage powder sticks etc. They also have a nice, pleasant taste,” Dr Grothe told NutraIngredients at CPHI/Hi Korea 2026, which took place from took place from August 25 to 27 in Seoul.
Additionally, he said that powder sticks are especially well received in South Korea due to the ease of consumption, convenience, and portability.
Apart from application formats, Dr Grothe believes low daily dosage is key for the beauty-from-within category going forward.
“Some ingredients like collagen are great, but you have to take 2 to 3g per day to have the full efficiency. For DracoBelle, we are able to achieve the same results for skin moisture, skin density, and prevention of wrinkle formation with just 100mg.”
Another trend he observed is sustainability. While Korea is less concerned than other markets regarding animal-derived products, vegan solutions are getting increasingly popular, he explained.
Popular in Korea
DracoBelle is a water-soluble powder extract from organically grown Moldavian Dragonhead. It boosts collagen production in skin tissues by activating the anti-aging and longevity intrinsic pathway of AMPK/ FOXO, which is known to directly support the build-up of extracellular matrix.
Studies have shown that it can increase the skin’s hydration, elasticity and density. A study published in 2025, involving more than 100 female participants, showed that daily intake of 100mg of DracoBelle significantly increased skin thickness, particularly dermal density, along with continuous improvements in hydration compared to placebo.
Another well-performing ingredient in the Korean market is MintyBright, an extract derived from dried apple mint leaves.
A study published last year showed that it could inhibit melanin synthesis, leading to visible effects in Mediterranean female participants. After 84 days of supplementation, skin lightness and brightness have significantly improved compared to the initial condition. Additionally, the depigmenting effect resulted in a more even skin tone.
In the pipeline
Dr Grothe shared that the company is currently running a few clinical trials, spanning areas including men’s health, physical activity, and sexual wellness. It is also looking to launch a new prebiotic targeting the gut-brain axis at VitaFoods Europe next year.
Depending on the ingredient, Mibelle conducts studies involving different populations.
“For MintyBright, for example, it was important to have people with dark skin, so we had a skin coloration index of four to five as inclusion criteria for the clinical trial,” he said. “We try to customize the study parameters so that even if we perform a clinical trial in Europe, it should also fit for the Asian markets. In some cases, we do perform clinical trials in Asia.”
In Asia, its major markets include Japan and South Korea.
“Thailand is a little challenging because the Positive List is quite short. In Korea and Japan, we can work with most of our ingredients. All our ingredients are halal-certified, so they are suitable for South East Asian markets like Malaysia and Indonesia.”
Although its portfolio for China is smaller, it is active in the market, particularly for AnaGain, an ingredient derived from organic pea sprouts that stimulates specific signal molecules in the dermal papilla required to reactivate hair growth.
