Gelita pioneers inclusive beauty-from-within movement via holistic collagen solutions

27 Jun 2023 --- Global collagen supplier Gelita has committed to changing the narrative around beauty-from-within, away from vanity, to a more all-encompassing type of beauty for all ethnicities, cultures, genders and age groups.

Personal Care Insights catches up with Lara Niemann, category management of beauty global marketing and innovation, business unit nutrition and health ingredients, Gelita, who delves into the Verisol collagen ranges, their benefits and the company’s objectives in developing these ingestible beauty supplements.

“I think it is also a trend we see in the marketplace. It’s not just beauty-from-within, it’s not just a women’s issue and it’s not just a middle-aged women’s issue. (People feel) I’m not a demographic. We see men taking a more proactive approach in their appearance and I think beauty-from-within is not just about skin,” Niemann explains.

“Men care about their hair and nail health. They care about how they look but it’s more about how they feel. That’s the connection I want to start building around this beauty-from-within topic. It’s not about vanity.”

There are projects in Gelita’s pipeline to create products for a more inclusive demographic.

Mind-body connection to beauty ideals
Tapping into where the personal care sector is headed, there is a clear pattern where formulators and producers talk about a holistic approach to health and well-being. The beauty segment has particularly embraced this sentiment.

“It is not about vanity. It’s about psychological well-being, which impacts physical well-being. It’s that connection to how I think I look that greatly impacts how I present myself – how I feel, how my mind works – how my body works. It’s that whole connection between,” Niemann interprets.

“When you feel that you look good – when you feel confident that your hair is voluminous and your skin is glowing, it has nothing to do with how the world perceives you as beautiful. That’s it for me, and it is the crux of so many of the discussions we as an industry have about collagen and beauty.”Verisol is a proprietary gummy supplement providing a daily dose of collagen.

Generational beauty is another hot topic in the beauty-from-within space. There is a deeper understanding of how different age groups perceive and take care of their appearance.

“An 18-year-old has a vested interest in how he or she looks and feels and those needs are likely very different than a 50-something which is more ‘I’ve been there, I’ve done that,’ but we can’t discount what the younger populations want from a beauty supplement,” says Niemann.

“Aside from men, we also recognize different cultures as needs differ among ethnicities. In some parts of the world, we spend a lot of time talking about wrinkles and in other parts of the world, it’s less about wrinkles; it’s more about elasticity and does my skin sag? Or it’s about brightness and vividness of the skin and eliminating dark spots,” Niemann explains.

Progression of collagen peptides
The progression to collagen supplements was natural for Gelita because the portfolio was already based on gelatin and collagen peptides. The company’s proprietary enzymatic process differentiates it from many other collagens in the marketplace.

The process stimulates the cells of the skin’s fibroblasts and generates more collagen. The formulation has been proven to reduce wrinkle depth and volume. It also improves the appearance of cellulite and the skin’s elasticity.

“Gelita has been in the beauty-from-within segment specifically for at least the last decade with our brand Verisol, a collagen peptide for beauty-from-within,” says Niemann.

“It made sense to us as a market because I think there's lots of historical data for centuries about the impact that a collagen-rich diet or collagen can have on skin health or beauty from within.”Gelita has several products in the pipeline to address the issue of inclusivity in the beauty-from-within segment.

Collagen improves beauty, joint health, mobility, tendons, ligaments and more. “It is aligned with our strategy to target companies in the health supplementation space,” explains Niemann.

“While working with our customers on formulation on production, we can advise on what applications may make the most sense based on Verisol,” she says. Verisol HST is a specialized product that allows the formulation of a gummy supplement and delivers a 2.5 g daily dose in three gummies.

In the US, there is a significant growth pattern of the gummy format, which is also picking up in Europe, Asia Pacific and South America.

Bioactive collagen peptides
One of the star products of Gelita’s portfolio is bioactive collagen peptides, an ingredient that can easily be formulated with other active ingredients. These peptides are optimized to target specific cells in the body.

“I think what sets the bioactive collagen peptides apart is not a ‘one size fits all.’ They’re developed, designed and produced to be uniquely different from one another to provide the right key to unlock the benefits,” Niemann continues.

“We’re looking to create line extensions to the Verisol portfolio that address more than just beauty-from-within. We’re looking for those ingredients that can offer complementary or synergistic effects,” Niemann concludes.

By Inga de Jong

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