Balchem bets on booming beauty-from-within trend with science-backed solutions

16 Sep 2024 --- The nutricosmetic market continues to captivate consumers and that has companies such as Balchem creating holistic cosmetic solutions backed by science. Personal Care Insights talks to Jessica Arnaly, senior marketing and business development manager at Balchem Human Nutrition & Health, to learn more about advanced formulations, including collagen combinations to satiate heightened consumer preference for beauty-from-within products. 

Arnaly says it is a competitive market amid heightened global demand for a more holistic approach to well-being and skin care.

“This trend directly impacts the entire nutrition industry, including beauty and nutricosmetics markets. Consumers are no longer focused only on their appearance but also seeking solutions that help them feel good inside. Driven by the idea of looking and feeling their best, this shift has slightly blurred the line between beauty and well-being.” 

“People are becoming more aware of the connection between skin health and nutrition. This desire for glowing, healthy skin has fueled the demand for supplements that support beauty-from-within and nourish the body. Recent research suggests a growing number of consumers are selecting beauty or skin health as the main reason for taking vitamins and supplements, so it’s really important.” 

Data from Innova Market Insights indicates 9% year-over-year growth in supplement launches with skin health claims from 2022 to 2023.

 Jessica Arnaly, senior marketing and business development manager at Balchem Human Nutrition & Health.Science-backed skin solutions

As the nutricosmetics market continues to evolve, Arnaly says companies must seek solutions from a scientific perspective as customers are increasingly interested in how nutrients work within their bodies and buy products backed by extensive scientific research and evidence.

“Across the board, from Gen Z to millennials, we see that nearly half of them conduct research before buying. They look up ingredients online, doing their own research so it really is an informed buying process. In order to stand out in this very competitive space, we believe brands must offer advanced formulations with premium science-backed ingredients to gain credibility and consumer trust,” says Arnaly.

With the term “hero ingredients” also ubiquitous in the beauty-from-within category, Balchem believes innovation must look at combining solutions for optimum performance.

“The beauty-from-within space has, by far, been dominated by collagen type I over the past few years, leading to what some call the ‘collagen boom’ and respectfully so. The skin ingredient has both important structural and functional roles, which makes it important for maintaining the skin’s physical architecture and natural remodeling, and numerous studies confirm those benefits. For example, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis show that, on average, supplementation with hydrolyzed collagen significantly improves elasticity. However, it is a very crowded market…so brands looking to innovate and stand out from the crowd must look into combinations.”

MSM and collagen combination

Arnaly emphasizes the importance of researching ingredient combinations for optimum performance:

“Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) would be the perfect match to complement collagen formulation for skin health. MSM is a source of sulfur, which is an essential structural component of the building blocks of skin and hair and has demonstrated exciting benefits for the skin, including reduction of appearance and fine lines and wrinkles. In order to pave the way for new skin health products that deliver enhanced benefits, at Balchem we offer OptiMSM, our leading brand of MSM.”

Balchem produced a white paper to pursue ingredient combinations further. It delved into the findings of a double-blind, randomized placebo-control trial comparing the effects of collagen supplements with or without MSM on markers of skin health.

“The study demonstrated that the powerful combination provides superior results. At the end of a trial period, the groups receiving collagen showed significant improvement in skin density and wrinkle depths compared to the baseline and placebo, regardless of MSM addition. However, benefits such as increased skin thickness and hydration were only seen in those taking both MSM and collagen.” 

Balchem believes MSM would be the perfect match to complement collagen formulation for skin health.“[Concerning] reducing skin roughness, the effect was notably greater in the group receiving both MSM and collagen. We are very excited about these findings because they present new formulation opportunities for brands looking to expand them to cosmetics that such collagen offers with quality and science-backed solutions,” says Aarnaly.

Nutricosmetics future

While Balchem continues to explore and research skin and hair care solutions, it is “committed to expanding added benefits and showing those added benefits about MSM, so we will continue to invest in that space with more to come soon.”

The company is especially encouraged by data suggesting tremendous growth within the beauty-from-within market. Arnaly points to research showing the category “reaching almost US$12 billion by 2030, which is huge, so we want to be there for it. As consumers continue to take a more holistic approach to well-being, we expect brands to explore synergistic formulations combining new and longstanding nutricosmetic ingredients.”

Probiotics and gut health supplements are also being explored for potential skin care benefits. Natural alternatives are expected to go mainstream as more consumers prioritize herbal compositions.

“We also see spiritualized wellness products as the next big thing. Demand is already surging and driving the so-called skin minimalism trend, where individuals adopt essential beauty products in their skin routine and prefer solutions targeted toward specific skin problems. Science and technology will continue to drive this category.” 

While Arnaly says she cannot comment on the team’s plans for future innovations, she predicts a shift from capsules and tablets to more convenient and “fun” delivery modes such as gummies or beauty shots, which will “take over in the future.” 

By Anita Sharma