GLP-1 beauty side effects expose nutricosmetic niche as deficiencies rise

Expanding research is identifying nutrition as a missing piece in GLP-1-related skin changes, giving rise to a new segment of beauty products built around nutrients that support the skin during GLP-1 use.

A recent review, published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal, argues that rapid weight loss from GLP-1 medications pushes the skin into a state of breakdown and repair. However, it occurs at the same time the user loses their appetite, and their food intake declines. The review suggests that the combination of GLP-1-induced skin restructuring and nutritional deficit may aggravate negative skin health symptoms associated with weight-loss drug use.

According to the research, nutritional-deficiency diagnoses are not uncommon among people using GLP-1 medications. 

“During rapid weight loss, the skin is undergoing major structural remodeling,” US-based oculoplastic surgeon Dr. Kami Parsa, co-author of the research, says.

“The paradox is that just when the skin may need nutritional support the most, the patient is often consuming substantially less.” The review calls this a “nutritional-dermal mismatch,” meaning the skin needs to rebuild but lacks the raw materials to do it.

Parsa links the nutritional deficiencies to “Ozempic face,” a term referring to the hollow-face look that drew attention as a side effect amid the drug’s rise.

For beauty brands, the gap between what the skin needs during GLP-1-use and what people are consuming is not a clinical concern, but a market signal — one that is actively shaping beauty and wellness’ convergence.

Multiple brands have recently launched and expanded products that target skin, hair, and nail health through nutrition, with dedicated GLP-1-focused lines. 

Cymbiotika, for example, introduced a beauty peptide supplement built around collagen and ceramides. Meanwhile, Midi Health brought its women’s health supplements, including a Daily GLP-1 Support product, to Ulta Beauty shelves.

As the drug’s popularity holds, the result is an early-stage category of skin care products designed for the GLP-1 era, where nutrition may take the lead over topicals.

When skin lacks the fuel

Beauty supplements are increasingly targeting skin, hair, and nail health as nutrition becomes more closely linked to beauty.

People taking GLP-1 medications often develop hollowed temples, flattened cheeks, deeper lines around the nose and mouth, and sunken areas around the eyes, a look nicknamed “Ozempic face.”

While “Ozempic face” has circulated vocabularies for years, it was often understood to be caused by rapid weight loss. The review argues that multiple compounding factors are to blame.

The review explains that the face loses fat first. The outer fat compartments shrink, while the deep ones are mostly preserved, leading to uneven loss that causes hollowing. The skin cannot keep up with the speed at which it is meant to shrink, and then it starts to sag.

Second, collagen changes. Healthy skin replaces its weakened type III collagen with strong type I. However, rapid weight loss causes this process to deteriorate, whereby the strong collagen breaks down but is not replaced fast enough, and the skin is left thinner and less firm.

The review says nutrition could play a major role in targeting “Ozempic face.” According to the research, when people eat far less on GLP-1 drugs, they often do not get enough of the vitamins and minerals the body needs to make collagen.

The analysis found that around 22.4% of patients using GLP-1 medications received at least one nutritional-deficiency diagnosis within 12 months. Of that, 13.6% were vitamin D deficiency. 

The review also identifies inadequate protein and deficiencies in iron, vitamin B12, folate, zinc, and copper, which are particularly concerning for skin health, as these nutrients play biological roles at every step of collagen production.

Deficiencies in this case can lead to losses in skin integrity, collagen synthesis, and tissue repair.

Filling the nutrition gap

GLP-1 medications can reduce appetite and food intake, raising new questions around nutritional intake during weight loss.

In the era of lost appetites and rapid weight loss, nutrition is becoming increasingly intertwined with skin health, and companies are ramping up their targeted solutions. Supplements brand Cymbiotika has launched its Liposomal Beauty Peptide Complex, designed to support healthier skin, stronger hair, and healthier nails from the inside.

The formula uses Cymbiotika’s liposomal delivery technology, which helps with nutrient absorption. It combines clinically studied ingredients, including Verisol Bioactive Collagen, Ceramosides, hyaluronic acid, tripeptides, zinc, copper, and silica.

Clinical testing behind the ingredients shows a timeline of benefits. After two weeks, Ceramosides help improve the skin’s hydration and reduce the appearance of fine lines. 

After four weeks, Verisol Bioactive Collagen promotes skin elasticity. After eight weeks, the ingredients work together to support healthier hair growth. Finally, after twelve weeks, Verisol supports stronger nail growth.

As nutrition-focused beauty carves out its place in the market, Midi Health is expanding access to its solutions with a retail launch at Ulta Beauty, placing midlife-focused supplements at over 300 locations across the US. Notably, the lineup includes a Daily GLP-1 Support supplement.

The supplements target women going through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond, marking Ulta Beauty’s first partnership with a dedicated women’s health care platform.

Stores will carry five products: Berberine+, Daily Brain Boost, Daily Cortisol Support, Daily Fiber+, and Daily GLP-1 Support. According to Midi, the expansion gives women access to solutions “built for their biology.”

Ingestible beauty innovation

Beyond GLP-1-specific lines, the ingestible beauty category is seeing a wave of launches built around nutrition and skin health, betting that consumers will keep demand steady for nutrition-based solutions.

Gelagen recently launched an ingestible beauty gummy combining collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and grape seed extract to support skin health. The company positions the product as a complement to daily habits like hydration, balanced nutrition, sleep, and sun protection, rather than a replacement for topical skin care.

The company said the launch “reflects a broader category of consumer products centered on the relationship between nutrition and personal wellness.”

Meanwhile, Laboratoire introduced Blue Cell Elixir, a powdered nutricosmetic that blends Novastyne Glow, a collagen-derived peptide complex, with liposomal vitamin C, zinc, niacin, biotin, and retinol. According to clinical trials, the formula helps improve skin hydration, elasticity, and firmness while reducing the depth and surface area of wrinkles.