Next in ingestible beauty: Precision probiotics from kimchi and collagen companions

Spotlighted in Innova Market Insights’ Top Trends for 2025, the “Taste the Glow” consumer trend embodies the expansion of beauty-related claims into food and beverage products. Key advances in the field include a precision probiotic isolated from kimchi to target skin conditions. Meanwhile, collagen remains a leading inclusion, boosted by complementary ingredients like OptiMSM that improves skin thickness and hydration. 

As drivers of demand behind functional beauty ingredients, the majority of Gen Z and Millennial consumers surveyed by Innova Market Insights say that they want to buy food, beverage, or supplement products for their personal appearance. Younger consumers crave functional soft drinks, tea, and chocolate, and are highly receptive to novelty and creative packaging.

Nutrition Insight speaks with Bioiberica, AB-Biotics, Balchem Human Nutrition & Health, and ADM on the latest market insights and scientific advances propelling ingestible beauty. 

Trends in beauty-from-within

Around two-thirds of consumers now recognize skin health as a key indicator of overall health, highlights Mónica Gomez Navarro, marketing manager of Branded Ingredients at Bioiberica.

“This helps explain why demand for skin-focused products is expanding beyond the traditional demographic of older women, with consumers across age groups and genders actively seeking out products that allow them to both feel and look their best.”

Gomez Navarro adds that the fundamentals of popular nutricosmetic formats tend to remain consistent, even as specific ingredients or benefits fall in and out of fashion. “Consumers want what they’ve always wanted: convenience, reassurance, and enjoyment.”

“Right now, the hottest formats fulfilling these needs are products like fortified teas, yogurts, and other dairy products that lend themselves to a moment of ‘me’ time. Quick and easy options like fortified gummies also remain firm favorites.”

 Biotics are increasingly paired with complementary nutrients that have established roles in skin function.Miquel Bonachera, co-founder at AB-Biotics, observes that biotics are increasingly paired with complementary nutrients that have established roles in skin function. “Probiotics or postbiotics combined with zinc, support skin maintenance, while pairings with niacin or vitamin C target oxidative stress and antioxidant defense.”

“Hyaluronic acid also appears frequently in hydration-focused formulations. There’s also a growing interest in psychobiotics combined with melatonin in markets where it’s permitted, as brands and consumers alike recognize the role of stress management in holistic skin care.”

In terms of geographic activity, Bonachera says Asia-Pacific continues to lead in innovation due to strong consumer awareness of inside-out beauty approaches. Holistic formulations addressing both appearance and emotional well-being are rapidly growing in North America, while European demand maintains its focus on regulatory compliance and evidence-backed ingredients.

Boosting collagen function

While the beauty-from-within market as a whole is booming, Jessica Arnaly, senior marketing and business development manager at Balchem Human Nutrition & Health highlights that collagen’s mainstay status is sustained by “especially strong growth.”

She says Balchem’s OptiMSM is a “perfect complement” to collagen for skin health. “Our methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) ingredient is a source of organic sulfur that aids collagen formation and other key building blocks of skin, like dermatan sulfate and hyaluronic acid.”

“It also supports the body’s network of defenses through production of glutathione, a crucial antioxidant that helps support the immune system via methylation and other epigenetic processes. All this helps keep our hair, nails, and skin looking their best as we age.”

A recent, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial compared the effects of 12 weeks of daily supplementation with either collagen alone, collagen plus MSM, or placebo on various skin parameters. 

Arnaly says the results were significant: “While the group receiving collagen showed a noticeable improvement in skin density and wrinkle depth compared to both their baseline and the placebo, participants who received both MSM and collagen experienced additional and enhanced skin benefits.”

“Skin roughness was reduced in both supplement groups, but to a greater extent in those receiving both MSM and collagen,” she continues. “Additionally, only participants taking collagen plus MSM showed increased skin thickness and hydration.”

Combining collagen with MSM, OptiMSM is ideal for inclusion in increasingly popular functional food and beverage products marketed as “GLP-1 receptor agonist companions.”While avoiding clumping and residue, Arnaly touts OptiMSM as ideal for inclusion in increasingly popular functional food and beverage products marketed as “GLP-1 receptor agonist companions.” Products of this type are nutritionally dense foods or supplements designed to minimize skin issues that can occur as a result of rapid weight loss. 

“This can include deflation, dehydration, and sagging — symptoms often referred to as ‘Ozempic face,’” she notes. “Thanks to its skin firmness benefits, OptiMSM makes an effective addition to any food and beverage solution that aims to support users throughout their GLP-1 journey.”

Glow with hyaluronic acid

Bioiberica spotlights a recently published peer-reviewed study published in Dermatology and Therapy supporting the skin health benefits of its hyaluronic acid matrix ingredient, Dermial. 

Featuring a high concentration of hyaluronic acid (>60%), collagen, and other glycosaminoglycans, including dermatan sulfate, Dermial is marketed as the first hyaluronic acid matrix ingredient for beauty-from-within. 

“The results showed its powerful regenerative and moisturizing properties, alongside a unique ‘glow’ effect, all of which was achieved at six weeks with the low daily dose of 60 mg per day,” says Gomez Navarro.

The trial involved 60 healthy female participants aged 35–65 with signs of natural skin aging, who were assigned either a daily supplement of 60 mg of Dermial or a placebo. At six and 12 weeks, researchers observed significant improvements in skin wrinkles and smoothness (at six weeks), as well as roughness and pH balance (at 12 weeks), compared with the placebo group. 

“Participants in the Dermial supplement group also displayed a significant increase in skin brightness and hydration, as well as decreased scaliness and skin temperature at six and 12 weeks,” Gomez Navarro elaborates.

“Participants over 55 years old showed significant improvements across many skin barrier function parameters and skin properties, including brightness or glow, hydration, deformability, smoothness, roughness, scaliness, and temperature.”

Bioiberica has created concept formulations for yogurts and milk beverages featuring Dermial — trending formats that demonstrate the ingredient’s stability and adaptability, even when subject to pasteurization or ultra-heat treatment.

Growing attention to gut-skin axis

Studies investigating ingestible beauty options through the gut-skin axis are on the rise, indicating opportunities to leverage microbiome-supporting solutions.

“The most recent introduction to our postbiotics suite, Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305, has clinical evidence demonstrating outcomes associated with stress management, mood support, and sleep quality in addition to support for specific demographics,” says Vaughn DuBow, senior director, Product Portfolio Marketing, Health & Wellness at ADM.

He details that research on healthy young women (average age of 21.5 years) experiencing premenstrual symptoms indicate that supplementing with L. gasseri CP2305 postbiotic may help improve skin appearance. “The data also shows L. gasseri CP2305 postbiotic may support positive moods, reduce stress or anxiety, help improve vaginal discharge, and help reduce occasional constipation for these healthy young women.”

This research also finds that the effects of L. gasseri CP2305 postbiotic on skin appearance and vaginal discharge may be mediated through the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. “During the premenstrual period, supplementation with L. gasseri CP2305 postbiotic maintained estradiol levels and increased progesterone during the luteal phase,” notes DuBow.

ADM has also explored probiotic blends that address tailored skin health concerns with probiotics Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347 (ES1), B. animalis subsp. lactis CECT8145 (BPL1), and L. casei CECT9104 (BPL4). DuBow says the blend may help support relief for dry, itchy skin and help improve skin health.

“We have also assessed our Smooth Skin Formulation containing ES1, BPL1, and L. rhamnosus CECT8361 (BPL15), with findings showing it may support overall skin health, gut microbiome diversity, and clear and healthy skin.”

ADM’s beauty and wellness library is continuously expanding its range of bioactives and other plant-derived compounds. “A key example is our recently published study on Novasoy. The triple-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled pilot study examined, in postmenopausal women, the effects of oral soy isoflavone supplementation (Novasoy 400) for 12 weeks, compared to a placebo,” says DuBow.

“Although statistical differences between groups were not reported, preliminary findings revealed a correlation between women who produced higher levels of S-equol (a gut-derived metabolite formed from soy isoflavones) and positive effects on skin under-eye smoothness, skin hydration, and barrier function. Further research would elucidate these findings.”

More on functional biotics

AB-Biotics’ AB-Sakei 65 is a probiotic ingredient that taps into the gut-skin axis, details Bonachera. “AB-Sakei 65 consists of our proprietary strain, L. sakei proBio65 — isolated from kimchi, is designed specifically for people managing sensitive or reactive skin and experiencing dryness, tightness, or occasional flare-prone discomfort.” 

It works by modulating systemic immune activity associated with skin barrier balance as seen in clinical trials where AB-Sakei 65 was associated with reduced levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-6, as well as the allergen specific antibody IgE.

Additionally, Bonachera notes people taking the probiotic showed reduced levels of molecules that are associated with the severity and discomfort of flare-ups in sensitive and atopic-prone skin. 

“In addition to these immune-related findings, participants receiving AB-Sakei 65 also saw improvements in skin hydration parameters, including moisture and sebum balance,” he adds.

Looking at future product development, he anticipates research will focus on a more integrated approach that explores how internal and external solutions work together. “As consumer understanding of the skin microbiome deepens, we’re seeing growing interest in combining ingestible products with topical applications built on the same scientific principles.”

“This creates a natural opportunity for us to explore cosmetic formats that complement our oral solutions, particularly using inactivated strains that offer the stability and texture compatibility that topical formulations demand.”