Edible beauty supplements for skin health feature microalgae, collagen II and tomato nutrient complexes

14 Mar 2023 --- As consumers continue to bridge the divide between skincare and holistic internal wellness, the nutricosmetics space is flourishing with ingestible beauty solutions. Supplements with skin health claims have had an annual growth of 31% (Global, CAGR 2018 to 2022), reports Innova Market Insights.

Capsules (27%) lead the product launches, but most innovations are in gummy format, with an annual growth of 64% (Global, CAGR 2018 to 2022). Biotin is the top ingredient for these supplements targeting beauty purposes (35%), according to the market researcher.

“We have noted a growing trend among younger millennials who are taking a keener interest in their skin health and taking their skin care routines more seriously,” notes Liat Shemesh, marketing manager for astaxanthin supplier Solabia Algatech Nutrition.

“This is due to a growing understanding that skin has to be protected and nurtured from an early age and not just skin-deep but also from the inside out.”

PersonalCareInsights spotlights the latest developments from within the space of ingestible beauty, including highlights from Solabia Algatech, BioCell Technology and Lycored.

Protective benefits of astaxanthin
Innova Market Insights reports that the leading category for astaxanthin product launches in the last five years is skin health (followed by eye health and brain health). The US leads in new product launches of astaxanthin in 2018 to 2022 and the first category is skin health, while the UK is the second country in this category.

Supplement launches targeting the beauty-from-within space were five times more in 2021 than in 2017, according to the market researcher. Astaxanthin is a red fat-soluable pigment – a xanthophyll carotenoid that is found in various microorganisms and marine animals, explains the National Library of Medicine.

“AstaPure has become an important, highly sought-after beauty-from-within ingredient in the past few years with sales forecast to increase dramatically in this category in 2024,” notes Shemesh.

“Consumers are seeking trusted brands that are backed by research and bear ‘transparent’ labels,” explains Omer Grundman, VP R&D of Solabia Algatech. “Today’s consumers understand there is a clear link between skin health and what we eat and drink.”

“Astaxanthin, derived from the microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis, provides nutritional and protective benefits to the skin. Dozens of clinical studies have demonstrated astaxanthin’s ability to revitalize the skin from both within and topically.”

Solabia Algatech’s AstaPure astaxanthin grows quickly, utilizes light energy efficiently, captures atmospheric carbon dioxide and produces more food per hectare than conventional crops.

The supplier grows and processes its astaxanthin at a facility sited in infertile land in the middle of the Arava desert in Israel, whichtakes advantage of the desert’s inhospitable climate and year-round sunlight.

This same sunlight used to grow the microalgae and stimulate its production of natural astaxanthin is also used to provide electricity via solar energy from a nearby solar farm, thus reducing electricity consumption overall. Adding to sustainability and savings is the use of LED instead of fluorescent light for the maintenance of the microalgae inoculum.

Algatech utilizes closed-system photobioreactors made of glass tubes that optimize sunlight exposure while conserving water. Additionally, it uses recycled water to regulate temperature and minimize the ecological impact. The only water used for microalgae cultivation is brackish water, locally sourced, which is then desalinated and purified. 

“In contrast to other dietary supplements that aim to have effect only on the skin, AstaPure Natural astaxanthin’s strong antioxidant effect also benefits other body organs such as the eyes and immune system so customers may gain additional benefits while consuming the product,” the company highlights.

Solabia-Algatech is currently developing new delivery systems that address consumer demand for more convenient and flavorful formats for this product.

BioCell Technology introduced BioCell Collagen II, a patented pure chicken sternum collagen type II.Collagen remains a staple
Just before the pandemic hit, Europe was the leading region with the most nutricosmetic supplement launches at 41% in that period, while North America had 32% of supplement launches. The lockdown period notably drew consumers to in-home solutions, boosting sales of ingestible skincare.

“Retailers around the world have developed ingestible beauty sections in their cosmetic aisles. We’ve seen that at places like Target, CVS and Watsons,” says Douglas Jones, head of sales and marketing at BioCell Technology.

“In skincare, as with anything, there are regular and generic ingredients. What we are now seeing is the sophistication of product offerings that we’re seeing at retail.”

BioCell Technology introduced BioCell Collagen II, a patented pure chicken sternum collagen type II.

According to the company, the cartilage is specially processed through a patented method to contain high concentrations of molecularly optimized collagen type II protein and low molecular weight glycosaminoglycans such as hyaluronic acid (minimum 10%), chondroitin sulfate (minimum 20%) and glucosamine sulfate.

The hydrolyzed chicken collagen type II is readily absorbed in the GI tract due to its smaller molecule size and can be used orally and topically.

BioCell Collagen II is part of a BioCell Technology’s blend – branded BioCell Collagen – which also includes chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid. The product promotes active joints, youthful-looking skin and healthy connective tissues. It was recently halal-certified.

Tomato’s nutrient complex boosts skin aesthetics
Daily supplementation with Lycomato, a tomato-derived nutrient complex by Lycored, was found to deliver beauty results that are “scientifically measurable as well as noticeable by consumers after just 4 weeks of use,” a clinical study recently found.

The anti-inflammatory properties of carotenoids mean they can support the skin from within, balancing the effects of aging. Sourced from tomatoes, Lycomato contains standardized levels of carotenoids, which includes lycopene (15 mg), phytoene and phytofluene to support skin health and appearance.

“In this study we see that Lycomato drove a significant improvement across a variety of ages, ethnicities and skin types, as evaluated by expert grading, instrumental measurement and most importantly – user perception,” comments Elizabeth Tarshish, head of claims and clinical affairs at Lycored.

Sourced from tomatoes, Lycomato from Lycored contains standardized levels of carotenoids, which includes lycopene (15 mg), phytoene and phytofluene to support skin health and appearance.In the clinical trial, 50 healthy women of different ages (35 to 58), ethnicities (Asian, Black, Caucasian and Latino), and skin types (Fitzpatrick II-V) took Lycomato soft gels containing 15 mg of lycopene daily for 12 weeks.

Their skin condition was assessed using three methods: expert visual grading of facial markers, instrumental measurement (including assessment of firmness, elasticity and skin barrier via trans-epidermal water loss) and consumer perception via questionnaires.

The visual grading identified significant improvement to a range of parameters after both four weeks and 12 weeks of supplementation. These included fine lines, wrinkles, pore appearance, brightness or radiance, skin tone evenness, dark spot intensity, smoothness and firmness.

The instrumental measurement found significant improvement to skin firmness after the fourth and 12th weeks and significant skin barrier improvement after 12 weeks.

The self-assessment stage of the study also revealed significant results. After 12 weeks of supplementation, 86% of subjects said that using Lycomato had improved the overall appearance of their skin. While, 88% said it had improved their skin’'s elasticity, 86% said their skin felt smoother and 84% said it felt younger or healthier.

In more beauty-from-within coverage, PersonalCareInsights recently spoke to industry representatives from Nexira and Rousselot about developments involving nutricosmetics in the hair care sector, novel convenience formats and shifting target demographics.

By Benjamin Ferrer