Ingestible skincare in high demand as holistic “skinimalism” beauty surges, Lycored finds

01 Jul 2022 --- A study by Lycored shows that as people embrace more holistic approaches to skincare, the demand for ingestible products rises. Millennials grow seemingly more interested in “skinimalism,” popular in Asia, and the western market needs to adapt to that, suggests the company.

“There is evidence to suggest that the pandemic accelerated the focus on holistic skin health,” Caroline Schroeder, marketing communications manager at Lycored, tells PersonalCareInsights, when asked what could have caused the statistics to spike.

Lycored surveyed 490 consumers in the UK and France and asked whether they had bought ingestible skincare products within the last year. 

Thirty percent replied affirmatively: an increase from 14% in 2017. The percentage was especially high among millennials, with  57% for people aged 25 to 34, compared to a mere 16% for 55 to 64-year-olds.

Schroeder says that millennials are putting greater emphasis on lifestyle factors like sleep, diet and exercise.“Skinimalism”
Taking into consideration that these figures are specifically high amongst the millennial age group, Schroeder suggests that it might be related to a shift called “skinimalism”. 

While the beauty industry is often overwhelmed with new fads and trends, one that has made a gradual climb to popularity is known as “skinimalism”, or skin minimalism. Less is more is the prevailing tendency. Reduce your spending, wear less, and use less.

“Whether it’s because of a desire to save time and money or reduce their environmental impact, many younger consumers are starting to move away from multi-step topical routines, and putting greater emphasis on lifestyle factors like sleep, diet and exercise, as well as emotional and mental well-being,” Schroeder explains.

“In another Lycored survey, 53% of Americans said they had thought more about the relationship between their diet and their overall health during the pandemic. The same number had reflected more on the relationship between their diet and their physical appearance.”

How will the industry handle the shift?
The change in the western market and the beauty and skincare industry as a whole is under close surveillance, but Schroeder explains that the market is in a good place right now.Fifty-three percent of Americans said they thought more about the relationship between their diet and their health during the pandemic.

Ingestible skincare used to be strongly associated with Asian markets, but the category has had a major global expansion, and Lycored believes it will continue to grow because consumers are increasingly open to the concept of taking a supplement for their skin.

Furthermore, Schroeder says that beauty brands will have to continue to add ingestible products to their ranges. “Another change we’re likely to see is continued growth in ‘hybrid’ products that meet more than one need.”

“One of the big selling points of ingestibles is that they can offer benefits beyond the skin. Astaxanthin products, for instance, will commonly highlight immune and cardiovascular support as well as skin health or beauty.”

“There’s a lot of demand for those kinds of hybrid products. For example, we’ve found that active consumers are very interested in the idea of a hybrid supplement that can both promote a healthier relationship between their skin and the sun, with other benefits, such as antioxidation,” she continues. 

Beauty-from-within
In recent news, collagen proteins manufacturer and supplier Gelita unveiled two gelatin products, Soluform, which is a protein booster and Verisol HST for beauty applications. They were touted as “hassle-free” in production and ensured great taste and texture for supplement gummy solutions while they delivered the health benefits consumers demand at the same time.

PersonalCareInsights covered Lycored’s tomato extract, Lycomato, in detail in a recent article. It is effective in limiting MMP-1 secretion, an enzyme responsible for collagen damage, by approximately 50%. Additionally, it may help restore pro-collagen secretion. Therefore, supplementing with Lycomato can minimize oxidative stress-induced damage, resulting in improved skin health and appearance. 

By Mieke Meintjes