The rise of inner beauty

The UK wellness industry is one of the biggest markets in Europe, with an estimated value of over 223 billion U.S. dollars (Statista 2024), so in an economic climate where beauty brands are having to work that much harder to grow vertically, should they be looking at the ‘inner beauty’ category for a lateral growth?

Health supplements once reserved for athletes and fitness junkies, such as electrolytes, protein shakes and probiotics, have now made their way from the treadmill to the bathroom cabinet.  Consumers are being targeted and educated on the benefits to skincare and overall wellbeing, and it’s big business.

The search for eternal youth is the tale as old as time, so hydration, elasticity and gut health is top of the agenda when looking at supplements. We take a look at some of the products leading the way to drive beauty from within.

Gut health

Good gut health can help with all manor or skincare issues. An unhealthy gut can release pro-inflammatory cytokines that cause inflammation throughout the body. Chronic inflammation is a common factor in many skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis.  An unhealthy gut can also negatively impact the skin's protective barrier.

The UK’s number one gut health supplement, Symprove is a patented water-based solution that’s designed to deliver over 10 billion colony forming units per shot, to promote overall gut health. 50% of people taking Symprove notice a difference in the first 4 weeks of taking it and 94% feel a difference in the recommended 12 weeks. A shot each morning is said to promote better skin, higher energy levels + more gut health benefits.

Hydration

The Mayo Clinic suggests we drink about 3.7 litres of fluids a day for men and 2.7 litre for women. It’s reported that a shocking 53% of us in the UK don’t get anywhere near those metrics (Kinectico).  Electrolytes are used by athletes and heavy exercise users to replenish the body’s vital minerals and to support hydration, and now they’re being used by the mainstream and are said to be aiding skin health too.

Drinking Electrolytes help your skin retain moisture by attracting and binding water. They can also help prevent transepidermal water loss and barrier disruption.

Electrolytes contain the right amount of sodium chloride, potassium chloride and magnesium malate to rehydrate your body.  REPOWR, started by a team of health enthusiasts and biohackers in South Africa in 2021, has the optimum amount and ratio of sodium, potassium and magnesium and is sugar-free – another plus as too much sugar can cause a chemical reaction called glycation, which damages the proteins that keep your skin firm and elastic.

According to Hux Health, ‘just one serving of HUX rehydrates 4x more than water alone and contains the equivalent potassium of three bananas and the equivalent zinc of 10x cups of spinach for added muscle recovery and immunity support. These tablets also work to reduce inflammation and protect cells from damaging free radicals’.

Charlie Wright, the Founder of electrolyte brand Humantra, is on a mission to provide all the essentials you need to live and perform at your best. Putting vibrant health and optimal performance within reach for everyone. “60% of our reviews have people saying we're helping people drink more water on a daily basis. As humans, we're made up of 75% water and the majority of people struggle with their water intake. Dehydration can cause a whole host of issues, that we think is normal. Just like Nike didn't tell us to run more, they made us want to run more. At Humantra, we will never tell you to drink more water, we're confident we'll make you want to drink more. Adding electrolytes to your water is the best (and easiest) way to feel more naturally focused & energized.” ­

Willpowders is a business ‘who are striving to improve the nutrient landscape for the betterment of overall mental health and physical well-being’ founded by entrepreneur Davinia Taylor.

"Electrolytes are absolutely essential to your body's chemistry, and when things get out of whack, they can wreak havoc on how you function. Be mindful of your electrolyte levels, especially after a sweaty workout, sauna sesh, a bout of illness or a hard and stressful day at the office or work. If you find yourself chugging water but still feeling parched, a bit woozy (full of brain fog or a “meh” mood), or are battling muscle cramps, it's time to bring in the electrolyte reinforcements.” Says Taylor.

Elasticity

We tend to begin to notice a loss of skin elasticity in our 30s and 40s. This is due to a decline in the production of collagen and elastin, the proteins that give skin its structure.  Collagen is a protein that's essential for skin health because it provides structure, strength, and hydration.

Topical skin hydrators in our skincare can only go so far to combat this, so many people turn to ingestible collagen. Vida Glow’s Procollagen + supplement is said to give noticeable results in Just 21 days and results from its clinical study and consumer panel trials show:

- 42% reduction in wrinkle count in 21 days

- 70% of women reported more hydrated skin in 14 days

- 89% of women noticed firmer skin in 21 days

“Collagen is such an important protein that keeps our skin, hair, and nails looking healthy, but from our mid-twenties, we start losing it, which leads to those first signs of ageing. By supplementing with collagen, we can help restore those levels, giving us smoother skin, better elasticity, and stronger hair and nails. Our Pro Collagen+ is the most advanced formula we’ve created, with tripeptides that are 5x more effective than regular collagen. In just three weeks, clinical trials showed a 42% reduction in wrinkles, bringing faster, visible results that not only enhance beauty but support overall wellbeing.” Anna Lahey, Founder, Vida Glow.

Traditional ingredients found in topical skincare are also being used in supplements. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that helps the skin retain moisture and gives it a healthy, firm appearance. It can absorb more than 1,000 times its weight in water.

DoSe from Victoria Health’s Hyaluronic Acid Supplement contains 300mg of pure hyaluronic acid as sodium hyaluronate in a vegetarian capsule that also contains BioPerine® and Vitamin C as Magnesium Ascorbate (a low-acid and bio-available form of vitamin C). BioPerine® is a patented extract containing piperine which supercharges the formulation to improve absorption and bioavailability of hyaluronic acid. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, helps protect cells from oxidative stress, and contributes to the normal formation of collagen for the normal functioning of the skin.

The iconic Neal’s Yard Remedies, as you’d expect, are also offering consumers supplements and tinctures to promote beauty and wellbeing from the inside.

Frankincense Intense™ Beauty Boost Supplement is a vegan nutritional supplement with frankincense extract is expertly formulated to help maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails.

"Our iconic tree logo, with its balanced roots and canopy, represents our foundational belief that inner health reflects in outer beauty. For over 40 years, we've championed this philosophy, so it's wonderful to see so much more interest and research into the gut-brain-skin axis, and the rise in psychodermatology. I personally embrace this holistic approach daily through our extensive range of herbal remedies. I rely on our Elderberry tincture during winter months and use a combination of herbs for hormonal balance. Our Mahonia tincture perfectly demonstrates this inner-outerconnection - it can be taken internally for skin health, whilst our Mahonia Clear Skin Booster is applied topically - which is clinically proven to soothe and clarify the skin.

This same philosophy guides our skincare innovations, including our extensive work with frankincense.  We’ve further enhanced the benefits of frankincense within our Frankincense Intense™ Beauty Boost supplement, harnessing its antioxidant properties alongside botanical extracts, vitamins, and minerals which are expertly formulated to maintain healthy skin - demonstrating our commitment to supporting beauty both inside and out.” Anabel Kindersley, CEO and Co-Owner, Neal's Yard Remedies

Beauty buyers’ club Beauty Pie is also seeing that skincare supplements are a popular category with its members.

A spokesperson for Beauty Pie said “Collagen remains a hero ingredient in the industry and Beauty Pie are seeing requests for this ingredient in different formats as people are becoming more aware of the benefits for healthy skin, hair & body & looking for new ways to take this. Skin focused ingredients - we've seen an increasing number of requests from our members for well-known skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Gummies are the fastest growing supplement format, and the market is expected to almost double by 2025. It’s a good way to get into the category if you have never taken supplements before.”

Protein is also important for skin health because it contains amino acids that help create collagen, a protein that keeps skin looking healthy and smooth.

Consumers are looking for ways to incorporate protein into their diet and there are some new innovations on the market that again, are not just for the gym bunnies and workout warriors.

Vieve, a brand creating protein waters and protein powders, was the first ready-to-drink protein to use collagen as its primary protein source, with 20g collagen protein and has many of the “beauty” benefits most people are familiar with from collagen.

“The unique thing about Vieve is that it has 20,000mg of collagen per bottle - that is 4-5 times the of most beauty drinks on the market”. Rafael Rozenson, Founder of Vieve Water.

Daily Shake is ‘shaking up the market’ with its dessert inspired protein shakes, offering a unique approach to nutrition by combining meal replacement shakes with beauty supplements and pre and probiotics.

Packed with pro and prebiotics, fibre, digestive enzymes, minerals, vitamins and biotin (vitamin B7, is essential for maintaining healthy hair, skin, and nails).

Daily Shake’s mission is to provide s a unique and enjoyable way to nourish the body and enhance overall well-being.

With new launches in this space happening daily, the figure of 223 billion dollars looks set to explode in the coming years, and we can expect more innovation in this booming part of the beauty market.