Natural beauty in a digital world – article

We all know beauty is much more than skin-deep, but what does that really mean in the context of a 24/7 online world where so many interactions happen via 2D screens? Consumers of all ages still want to look their best no matter the context. The beauty space, however, has begun trending in a more holistic direction recently¹, placing greater emphasis on achieving that all-important outer ‘glow’ from within. The lines between skin care and makeup are beginning to blur as cosmetics brands incorporate active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid (HA) or collagen – a theme that has naturally evolved into the current nutricosmetics boom. Focusing on fueling beauty from within through skin health supplements, nutricosmetics products seem, at first glance, to be at complete odds with an online, image-conscious culture. But diving below the surface reveals a whole new world of opportunities for nutrition brands to address online beauty trends, in a thoroughly offline way.  

In this article, we’ll take a tour through three beauty topics making waves online - skin hydration, wrinkle reduction and brightness boosting. Plus, we’ll explore how one advanced nutricosmetic ingredient holds the power to address all three, helping brands ‘feed the glow’ from the inside-out.

What the tech?

First, we need to look at the foundations (pun intended) – how are online trends affecting consumers’ perceptions surrounding beauty? Paradoxically, internet culture has made us both more inclusive and faster to notice imperfections - both in ourselves and others. Young people today (particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha) have since childhood been exposed to a far more diverse set of beauty role models than previous generations, as well as practically infinite tools for research and experimentation through online searches and later through social media algorithms.²  This is reflected in the 69% of Gen Z consumers who turn to TikTok to research beauty products before purchasing.³ The greater availability of online help and information on skin care has also benefitted older consumers by accelerating awareness of the links between inner health and outer beauty. Indeed, 37% and 46% of consumers surveyed by FMCG Gurus recently stated they were trying to sleep or exercise more respectively, with the goal of improving their skin health, demonstrating a more holistic view on health and beauty.⁴ The potential for better targeted, even personalized advertisements online has also helped break down previous beauty-industry stigmas and taboos, particularly surrounding age, race and gender.

It’s not all so positive, however. According to a 2023 report by the UK’s Skin Health Alliance, 62% of young adults said using social media makes them feel worse about their skin and their appearance, and 74% feel pressure for their skin to look a certain way.⁵ There are similar stumbling blocks regarding ageing too - a brief glance at Google trends data from the last five years shows a steady uptick in interest for the term ‘healthy ageing’, however even at its peak this term received half as many searches as the supposedly offensive and redundant term ‘anti-ageing’.⁶

What should supplement and nutricosmetics brands take from these tangled themes?

Enter the matrix

Can any nutricosmetic solution address all the trends influencing the market? Historically, collagen and hyaluronic acid have been among the top ingredients associated with skin health⁷ – both in topical treatments and as supplements. Consumers already view HA and collagen as valuable functional ingredients with the potential to support skin health⁷, but they are equally recognizing the advantages of matrix ingredients that contain several components in a single, potent ingredient with market-spanning holistic benefits. Bioiberica’s HA matrix ingredient, Dermial^®, is the first solution of its kind to have activated the power of three naturally-occurring components - hyaluronic acid, glycosaminoglycans and collagen – which together deliver a synergistic effect stronger than the sum of its parts. Extracted, not created, Bioiberica’s HA matrix ingredient is derived from nature to act in harmony with the body’s natural repair and regeneration processes, making it effective at a low daily dose of 60mg. With broad applicability and convenient dosing requirements, this HA matrix ingredient is on its way to viral success in the online beauty space. Now, we need to explore specifics- namely how this solution addresses consumers’ skin care concerns.

Give me moisture

According to FMCG Gurus’ insights, over a third of consumers report suffering from dry skin.⁴ Beyond just physical discomfort, this apparently widespread condition is associated with many factors in the minds of shoppers including time scarcity, poor lifestyle habits, and financial uncertainty. Ironically, many shoppers credit their dull, dry or flaky skin to the stresses imposed by the 24/7 pace of digital life, where phones follow us to work, the gym, leisure activities and even into our bedrooms. Consumers are therefore on a mission to better their skin health, with 62% stating they drank more water over the last year to address dry skin concerns.⁴ This figure highlights a focus on back-to-basics skin care that aligns with the growing demand for beauty supplements.

With compelling scientific evidence to support its hydrating effects, the HA matrix ingredient speaks to this need for moisture-boosting nutricosmetics with a natural origin. In a recent prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study a group of 60 healthy women were recruited to test the effects of a 60 mg daily dose of Dermial^® HA matrix ingredient.⁸ Following a 12-week course of supplementation, the group who received the HA matrix showed a significant increase in hydration of the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the epidermis) as compared to baseline, with a 13.1% improvement recorded at six weeks and a 12.1% increase at 12 weeks. Meanwhile no deviations from the baseline were observed in the placebo group. Measurable results after just six weeks of convenient, low-dose supplementation is an attractive proposition for any shopper, but particularly those looking to combat the drying effects of too much stress, or screen use. 

Smooth surfing

The concept of ‘skin health’ holds different connotations for each of us, but there is one aspect that over a fifth of global consumers agree on: they are not satisfied with how their skin looks or feels.⁴ Predictably, wrinkles are among the largest and most enduring causes of this dissatisfaction. While efforts are being made to move away from negative terms like ‘anti-ageing’, wrinkle reduction remains a top skincare priority for 44% of consumers⁷, and the hashtag #antiwrinkle nets an impressive 1,851,951 posts (at time of writing) when searched on Instagram.⁹

The key here is to deliver powerful anti-ageing effects without the stigma, or the feeling that the supplement is just a temporary crutch. The ‘beauty’ of the HA matrix ingredient is that it works with the body’s natural repair and regeneration processes, providing results that truly come from within. One recent study for example demonstrated that Dermial^® induced cell proliferation and migration, increased the synthesis of collagen I and III, elastin and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and helped combat oxidative stress.¹⁰ Cellular and molecular mechanisms like these are typically altered in ageing skin, and so the HA matrix’s capacity to ameliorate them suggests valuable nourishing, anti-ageing and antioxidant properties. In fact, further research revealed that after six weeks of Dermial^® supplementation with 60mg once a day, no changes in wrinkle size were observed in the HA matrix ingredient group, whereas a 26.5% increase in wrinkle depth was seen in those taking the placebo.⁸ Results like this demonstrate that by giving the body the materials it needs to flourish, we can even give the appearance of turning back time itself.

Go for glow

Dewy skin, glass skin, clean girl aesthetic – whatever the specific label of the moment perhaps the biggest and most enduring online trend is consumers’ quest to achieve that ‘glow’. In the last 12 months alone, 506,000 videos were posted to TikTok with the hashtag ‘glow’.¹¹ So magnetic is this trend’s draw that influencers have been able to launch careers and even their own skincare lines after becoming popular for posting their glowing skin.

The difficulty with a metric like ‘glowiness’ is that it is obvious to the naked eye and, at the same time, hard to quantify. In a recent clinical trial conducted to confirm the efficacy and safety of Dermial^®, researchers used a specialized Skin-Glossymeter to objectively assess skin brightness over the course of the 12-week trial.⁸ They found that the cohort who received a daily 60mg Dermial^® supplement experienced a 20% increase in skin ‘glow’ – or brightness – at six weeks and 33.4% at 12 weeks as compared to baseline, while no notable differences were observed in the placebo group over the same period.⁸ What’s more, following the trial 69% of those who had consumed the HA matrix ingredient reported being ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with their results versus just 42% of the placebo group who said the same.⁸ On both a quantitative and qualitative level therefore, the HA matrix ingredient can help consumers’ skin shine, on- and offline.

Confidence never goes out of style

Online trends are powerful, but they are also fleeting. Ultimately, the things that truly matter to consumers - looking and feeling great within themselves – remain consistent no matter the latest craze or beauty must-have. For nutricosmetics producers then, the mission is clear: always centre safety, quality and science-backed results above all else. Tried and tested solutions like Bioiberica’s HA matrix ingredient, Dermial^®, are likely to remain popular well beyond the short half-life of an online craze and keep delivering the natural beauty consumers are looking for.

To learn more about the science behind Dermial^® and uncover how Bioiberica can help you stay ahead of the curve in the nutricosmetics market, click here.

References:

1. Mintel, Global Beauty and Personal Care Trends 2024, https://insights.mintel.com/rs/193-JGD-439/images/Mintel_2024_Global_Beauty_and_Personal_Care_Trends_English.pdf?mkt_tok=MTkzLUpHRC00MzkAAAGUhJqJHNZo_8aTqhBQ8WU3E54efwxcOQlS7uCD5QaRT0DcbtG7GZpBKasHfwp871NK28UZ-1NYI84K7cE77YHj1f85RTmNg4-sRBjsNcHbU9A

2. FMCG Gurus, Wellness and Self-Care Trends in 2023, October 2023, https://fmcggurus.com/blog/wellness-and-self-care-trends-in-2023/

3. Mintel, Trends Shaping the Future of the Skincare Industry, September 2024, https://www.mintel.com/insights/beauty-and-personal-care/trends-shaping-the-future-of-the-skincare-industry/?_gl=1*mjbxsj*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTkxNDY3NTU4NS4xNzIzMDM2MDI5*_ga_KXD2X2E7FH*MTcyMzAzNjAyOS4xLjEuMTcyMzAzNjMyMy4wLjAuMA..*_ga_ZG359D82V6*MTcyMzAzNjAyOS4xLjEuMTcyMzAzNjMyMy4wLjAuMA..

4. FMCG Gurus, Skin Health: Holistic Approaches and Financial Uncertainty, December 2023, https://fmcggurus.com/blog/skin-health-holistic-approaches-and-economic-uncertainty/

5. Professional Beauty, 62% of young adults say social media makes them feel worse about their skin, July 2023, https://professionalbeauty.co.uk/site/newsdetails/young-adults-social-media-feel-worse-about-skin#:~:text=62%25%20of%20young%20adults%20said,to%20look%20a%20certain%20way.

6. Google Trends data, limited to United States searches 2019-2024, accessed 7^th August 2024 https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&geo=US&q=anti-aging,healthy%20aging&hl=en-GB

7. FMCG Gurus, Healthy Ageing: Skin Health Global Report, 2022

8. Gálvez-Martín P et al. Evaluating the safety and efficacy of a novel hyaluronic acid matrix ingredient, for skincare: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2024. In press.

9. Instagram hashtag search, ‘#antiwrinkle’, 7^th August 2024.

10. Galvez-Martin P et al. A novel hyaluronic acid matrix ingredient with regenerative, anti-ageing and antioxidant capacity. Int J Mol Sci., 2023, vol. 24, pg. 4774.

11. TikTok hashtag trends, searched 7^th August 2024, https://ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/hashtag/glow/pc/en?countryCode=GB&period=7