Holistic Beauty-From-Within
If you walked down the supplement aisle ten years ago, the beauty section would consist of a limited assortment of products marketed as “hair, skin, and nails” – with collagen products being nearly nonexistent. As today’s consumers are beginning to understand how overall health influences how they look and feel, savvy shoppers are looking for much, much more. They are seeking holistic wellness solutions, such as getting a good night’s sleep, balancing hormones, and keeping gut health in check. This means products designed with multiple benefits in mind – think “beauty plus sleep” or “beauty plus digestion”, which are modern solutions to beauty needs. Case in point: Alani Nu Balance capsules, which targets hormonal balance for a better skin complexion.
The Shift To Ecommerce
Another aspect of the category that’s undergone a major transformation is the beauty aisle itself, which has shifted from primarily brick-and-mortar stores to a “virtual” aisle where you can browse a plethora of products to find what you need. For brands to win in the online beauty category, product reviews are everything. Consumers’ research is intuitive, meaning they want to know the product delivers the results they’re promised in the form of 5-star reviews, before and after pictures, and testimonials.
Product and Ingredient Trends
From an ingredient standpoint, collagen is continuing to be a standout. Astoundingly, the collagen market has doubled in size from just five years ago. Outside of skin health, consumers have become aware of the multiple benefits collagen can offer, including healthy joints and a source of protein to fuel exercise. This awareness has grown in large part due to consumer-centric brands like Vital Proteins taking a stake in education with major campaigns and its Chief Creative Officer, Jennifer Aniston. Their hero product, Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, has thousands of positive reviews with customers touting the unflavored powder’s ability to mix easily without clumping.
Consumers are also looking for a more enjoyable product experience including unique delivery formats. That’s why we’ve seen success in products such as GNC Women’s Hair, Skin and Nails Gummiesand GNC Women’s Hair, Skin and Nails Soft Chews. And delivery formats don’t just stop at ingestibles. Consumers continue to understand beauty needs to be tackled from both the inside and the outside. The inner and outer beauty story is here to stay with topical products, like cleansers and lotions.
GNC Beauty Predictions
Since 1935, GNC has been committed to meeting the highest standards of quality, safety and efficacy while applying the most up-to-date advances in nutritional science. Our teams of in-house researchers, scientists and nutritionists are constantly digging through scientific literature to find new, innovative ingredients to help consumers meet their goals, and we’ve seen some fascinating topics arise.
One of these areas involves ingredients that improve the negative effects of the environment on the skin – such as pollution in the air and UV rays from the sun. For example, there’s data showing ingesting certain antioxidant-rich ingredients can protect the skin from sunburn. And while this isn’t an apples to apples comparison since sunscreen is a topical, not a supplement, it does raise an interesting question: how does what we consume help with beauty?
Another interesting topic is the impact of the gut microbiome on overall wellness as well as on the appearance of our skin. We are seeing more and more studies evaluating gut-modifying ingredients, such as probiotics, and their effect on skin parameters. Not to mention, the skin has a microbiome all its own. Which is why you’ll see probiotics as an ingredient in topical products as well.
Consumer Considerations
As consumers search for the best beauty supplements to add to their routine, there are a few things to take into consideration. The first step is to identify health goals. If there are multiple concerns, such as digestive support as well as beautiful skin, it’s important to look for holistic wellness products that address both of those needs. It’s important to also consider product preferences, such as delivery format, flavor and price point. And finally, consumers should always look for high-quality products from a trusted, science-backed retailer like GNC.
About the expert
Rachel Jones, MS, RDN, is Vice President and Chief Nutrition Officer at GNC. A member of the leadership team, Jones oversees a cross-functional group of 40 associates at the forefront of GNC’s commitment to helping consumers Live Well. Responsible for continued innovation across both first and third party brands, she also manages the go-to market strategy of high-quality, trusted, and cutting-edge solutions that produce results for consumers. To learn more about GNC, visit https://www.gnc.com/.
