Beauty Industry Growth
It’s undeniable that skin care has taken over the internet in the past few years, quickly becoming the most profitable category of the beauty market. Gen Z in particular has embraced the world of serums, retinols, and face creams, spending up to a whopping $9,000 per year on self-care products.
What was seen as overkill a few short years ago has quickly become a new normal. Multi-step routines, products requiring refrigeration, and red light therapy can all be part of a regimen now regarded as standard rather than high maintenance.
Diet and Skin Care
A holistic approach to skin care recognizes that poor diet, exercise routines, and sleep patterns along with elevated stress levels can trigger breakouts and lead to wrinkle formation.
Now more than ever, consumers are paying attention to not only what foods they are eating, but also the macronutrients those foods contain. It’s no longer enough for products to taste good — they must also help a consumer look and feel their best.
Enter the “eat your skin care” trend: a practice gaining traction across several social media platforms. The trend centers around eating foods that naturally support skin health, with a raw carrot salad being one of the more popular options. Carrots contain beta-carotene, which the body converts to Vitamin A, or retinol – a key component of dermatological health. Proper diets can prevent vitamin deficiencies, which can degrade the quality of the skin.
Food intake plays a large role in overall health, with diet being a key component of skin care. While most skin care is applied topically, there is research to suggest that oral supplements can help support healthy, youthful-looking skin.
Oral Supplements for Skin Care
While many people get adequate nutrients from their daily diet, in some regions and for various reasons, people may struggle to get enough of these skin-supporting vitamins or minerals from regular meals. It may be more challenging to maintain adequate levels of some key nutrients than others. For this reason, many companies sell supplement gummies containing vitamins and minerals shown to bring beauty benefits.
The oral skin care supplement industry is projected to nearly double by 2033, reaching a global market value of $6.1 billion. Collagen and hyaluronic acid supplements lead this category, though many supplements include these two items along with a variety of other herbs, minerals, peptides, and proteins. Gummy innovation is responsible for a significant amount of sector growth.
At Truffly Made, we’re here to help your candy business stay in-the-know about food- and candy-industry trends, allowing your candy-making business to effectively pivot, adjust, or make additions to your candy production and stay ahead in the candy game. Here are some potential infusions that can help your customers eat their skin care.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s are naturally-occurring fatty acids found in foods like fish, nuts, and seeds, and play a role in skin’s function, appearance, and structural integrity. These benefits arise from the impressive anti-inflammatory properties of Omega-3s. Several studies have confirmed their ability to reduce irritation, and even soothe certain skin conditions like psoriasis or protect against UV radiation.
Fatty acids control various cellular functions, and the conversions needed to produce them occur primarily in the liver. However, many consumers’ diets fall short of providing enough of these essential acids. Dietary supplements like fish oil or other combination supplement gummies rich in omega-3s are a good way to compensate for that limitation.
Biotin
One of the most popular ingredients in skin care products, vitamin B7, otherwise known as biotin, seems to be the go-to ingredient for boosting hair, skin, and nails at the cellular level. This ingredient is essential for fatty acid synthesis, and complements collagen and other peptides for improving youthful-looking skin.
Biotin helps sebaceous glands to function, helping prevent dry, oily, and irritated skin. With a range of benefits not limited to skin health, it is often considered a popular general beauty supplement.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally-occurring polysaccharide found inside the body. Though abundant in the skin, eyes, and joints, the concentration of hyaluronic acid production decreases with age. Since this plays a key role in skin hydration and skin tone, studies have demonstrated skin health improvements in participants receiving oral hyaluronic acid supplements.
Containing stellar moisturizing properties, and supporting collagen synthesis, hyaluronic acid lends itself well to several components of skin health. In addition to keeping skin moisturized, it also plays a role in wound healing and tissue regeneration.
Collagen
Collagen can be found in the majority of anti-aging beauty products, as it is known to reduce wrinkles and roughness by boosting skin hydration. As humans age, collagen production slows down, and consumers may want to supplement with collagen products. Collagen improves skin elasticity, and is commonly used both orally and topically.
Bonus: gelatin, a common ingredient in many gummies, can help support the natural production of collagen in the body! For this reason, it is easy for makers of gelatin gummies to promote the collagen infusion as a skin-boosting combination.
Vitamin C
Skin health deteriorates when the body is deficient in Vitamin C. Vitamin C acts as an immune booster, and in some cases, can reduce the duration or severity of colds. Similarly, its antioxidant properties also promote healthy skin – the body’s first line of defense against harmful pathogens.
Vitamin C is necessary for collagen formation in the body, making it a vital part of skin health. It also increases the thickness of the skin. When paired with Vitamin E, Vitamin C has even been shown to reduce damage associated with UVA and UVB rays. Although Vitamin C is common in many fruits, some people don't get enough through diet alone and could benefit from a supplement.
Spirulina
Spirulina is a blue-green algae increasingly used as a natural food coloring, and has also been found to offer a variety of benefits for skin as well as overall health. Its natural anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties may offer support for aging skin cells, and its amino acids may also support collagen formation.
The algae’s unique, easily-recognizable color lends itself well to gummies, already the standard for vitamins. With anti-aging benefits and visual appeal, spirulina represents untapped potential in the health and wellness industry.
Sweet Skin Care
Looking to break into the health and wellness market? Recipe development can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. Truffly Made is here to make it easy for you.
Our team of expert chemists and food scientists can help adjust your current recipes, create new ones, or ensure your kitchen is up to industry standards. We can advise which infusions will work best for adding to current product lines, and help optimize your kitchen layout to automate production while decreasing costs.
Learn more about our recipe consulting and development services at trufflymade.com.