Ingestible skincare heading for the mainstream, consumer study shows

Ingestible skincare is on its way into the mainstream, with millennials particularly likely to embrace the category, research by global carotenoid company Lycored has shown.

Two thirds of consumers now say they see the concept of taking a supplement for skincare as normal. Moreover, millennials are more likely to have used an ingestible skincare product than older age groups, indicating a shift in attitudes over time.

Ahead of Vitafoods 2017, Lycored surveyed 480 British and French consumers. Two thirds (66%) agreed with the statement “The idea of taking a supplement for skin health or beauty is normal.” Only 14% said the idea was “not normal.”

Over four in ten (43%) consumers in the millennial age group (18-35) said they had used an oral product to benefit their skin health at some point. This compared with 39% of 36-49 year olds, 23% of those aged between 50 and 69, and 14% of those aged 70 or over.

Lycored also explored barriers to the category. Among respondents who had never taken a pill or supplement for skincare, 46% said the main reason was that “It seems to make more sense to apply a product to my skin. The second most commonly cited reason was “I wasn’t aware I could achieve the same skincare benefits by taking a pill or capsule.” (32%). These barriers were least likely to be cited by the millennials who were surveyed, suggesting that awareness of the potential of ingestible skincare is highest among younger consumers.

Zev Ziegler, Head of Global Brand & Marketing, Health at Lycored, said:

“Ingestible skincare – once seen as a niche category – is rapidly heading for the mainstream. Consumers, particularly those under the age of 35, are increasingly recognising the benefits of supplementation for healthy, resilient skin. There’s a very clear generational shift in favour of ingestible skincare, and with further work to inform consumers we can achieve even more.”

Over the past year, Lycored has engaged in a campaign to make the ingestible skincare category more mainstream by challenging traditional attitudes to beauty.