Opportunities for beauty-from-within abound in China and India, with young consumers, niche ingredients key

An elevated emphasis on personal well-being, greater consumption of dietary supplements, and multi-function claims that serve both health and aesthetics needs are said to be some of the key factors driving the nutricosmetics sector.

Data from Future Market Insights indicated that the global beauty supplements market is estimated to grow at CAGR of 13.6% to reach USD4.456bn by 2033.

In Asia particularly, a sizeable market share is held by China, where increasing consumer demand and spending in this category has prompted companies to venture further into it.

For instance, Chinese majors such as BTN, Bloomage Biotech, and S’Young Group have been pushing out ingestible beauty products in recent years.

In 2022 alone, Bloomage Biotech launched three nutricosmetics brands, including China’s first hyaluronic acid drinking water named WHATER, as well as WPLUS+, which is dedicated to creating functional products focusing on skin care, body care and nutrition. 

Also vying for a slice of the pie are overseas firms, such as Shiseido. The Japanese cosmetics giant introduced its beauty-from-within brand INRYU​ to China in 2022. It is slated to launch a new set of beauty supplements in the format of ampoule drinks​ this year.

According to Jekyl He, market research analyst at ChemLinked, consumers these days prefer to consume ingestible beauty products as part of their daily diet, and expect them to be convenient and delicious.

“Products containing functional ingredients, and that come with good taste and are convenient are favoured by consumers. This has led to nutricosmetics formats expanding from capsules and tablets to jellies, gummies, drinks, etc. Some companies have also incorporated them in coffee and chocolate products to boost their appeal. ​

“To remain competitive, brands need to strengthen their R&D capabilities through increasing scientific investment or collaborating with other food and pharmaceutical firms to develop unique formulas and technologies,” ​He said.

Currently, sodium hyaluronate and collagen are the most widely accepted ingredients among Chinese consumers, leading to numerous brands launching products containing these.

“The ingredients and efficacy of products play a critical role in consumers’ purchasing decisions. For ingredients that are familiar to skin care consumers, they can be more swiftly accepted and recognised by ingestible beauty consumers.​

“However, it may be rather difficult for emerging brands to acquire market share in the [hyaluronic acid and collagen] categories. They may seek opportunities in other relatively niche areas, such as astaxanthin and ergothioneine, which have already been applied in skin care products.”​

Where opportunities lie​

Based on data from ChemLinked, 82% of nutricosmetic users in China are women.

Among them, the post-90s (people between born between 1990 and 1999) have been identified as the core consumption group of ingestible beauty products.

This group is believed to have heightened awareness of skin care and greater willingness to try different “beautifying methods”.

“Consumer demand for ingestible beauty products vary based on factors such as skin condition, gender, age group, and personal care habits. ​

“For instance, females aged between 20 and 24 tend to gravitate towards nutricosmetics with skin brightening claims to address dullness, while those above 25 show a greater interest in anti-ageing products like collagen peptide drinks to maintain skin elasticity.”​

In addition, male consumers are increasingly looking for nutricosmetic products, especially those with hydrating and anti-hair loss functions, signalling opportunities for companies to tailor products for this emerging group.

Another hotspot for growth​

Similarly in India, beauty supplements are being seen by consumers as a component of a comprehensive wellness regimen, and an easy and accessible method to meet their needs.

As a result, more companies are looking to capitalise on this growing demand. One example is derma skin care brand AVEIL​, which has expanded into the dietary supplements sector.

Its Hair Health Kit consists of tablets and capsules, with each day’s dosage comprising different nutrient combinations to boost cell regeneration and stimulate hair growth.

The ingredients, which are claimed to be synergistic and do not interfere with the activity of each other, are recognised and recommended by AVEIL’s partner dermatologists. 

According to Saumya Agarwal, Chief Strategy Officer of AVEIL, Indian consumers today highly value product safety, quality and efficacy, and brand legitimacy.

The brand has also developed a range of skin supplements that are made with ingredients such as glutathione, evening primrose oil, and curcumin rhizome oil.

Since listing these products on Amazon in December 2022, the firm has observed a “steady rise” in demand, with both skin and hair supplements performing well.

“In fact, we are experiencing nearly 150% month-on-month growth on the B2C side. This shows that consumers are aware what they are taking is helping them,” ​Agarwal said.