Beauty & Wellness Briefing: The beauty supplement market is expanding as beauty and wellness continue to merge

Part of this growth is driven by consumer behavior formed during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“In 2019, retail sales were at $26.2 billion [for vitamins and supplements], but as the pandemic pushed health and immunity into the spotlight, the market surged by 22.1% to reach $32 billion in 2020,” David Hamlette, health and wellness research analyst at Mintel market research company, told Glossy. “This initial boom continued into 2021, with sales climbing to $34.8 billion. However, as pandemic-related concerns began to ease, so did the rapid growth.”

The market slowed significantly in 2022, up just 0.6%, followed by 3.5% growth in 2023 to reach $36.2 billion. Growth in 2024 is estimated to have been around 3.2%. 

“While the explosive growth of the early pandemic period has tapered off, the category has now stabilized and continues to see a gradual, sustainable rise,” Hamlette said. “The good news is that consumer interest in health and wellness remains strong.” 

For some brands, reaching this evolving supplement consumer means adding beauty benefits into the mix. 

The beauty supplement category has traditionally included vitamins and drink mixes benefitting the hair, skin and nails but has more recently grown to include supplements targeting cellular health, the microbiome and gut, all of which impact our outward appearance. 

“Beauty and wellness is collapsing in on each other,” Henry Davis, CEO of Sakara Life, told Glossy. “It is an artificial divide that retailers have put in place.” 

Davis — who led Glossier as president and COO from 2014 to 2018 and joined meal delivery company Sakara in 2023 — has big ambitions for the beauty category. 

On Monday the company launched Beauty Biome, a $65 daily capsule supplement that targets gut health for healthier skin, at the retailer Credo. “Over 90% of our clients have been asking us for supplements and over 75% have been asking us for beauty [offerings],” Davis said. 

Sakara debuted its supplement line in February with offerings that target cell health, sleep and metabolism. But Beauty Biome, and its distribution through Credo, is a more direct leap into beauty. 

“We’re very focused on an all-body [approach], and the biggest organ in your body is skin, so that’s something we’re obviously very focused on and interested in,” Davis said. “It’s a very natural and obvious opportunity for us to do more [in beauty], and Beauty Biome is our step in that direction. [We’re] really trying to collapse these categories in on each other and be the people that tell that story.”

But the merging of beauty and wellness isn’t necessarily new. For example, L’Oréal-backed Timeline, a Swiss company launched in 2020 and known for a proprietary molecule said to increase cell longevity through ingestibles, launched a line of moisturizers called Timeline Skin Health in 2023 to complement its oral supplements. 

A representative for the brand told Glossy that Timeline has seen high double-digit growth so far this year. That’s partially been driven by its newest launch, The Eye Cream, which retails DTC for $150 and is powered by the same anti-aging compound found in its vitamins. 

According to Mintel market research company, just under half of supplement users surveyed this year have also taken a beauty supplement. However, the majority of beauty supplement consumers surveyed agree that regular health supplements are just as effective in maintaining their appearance.

“Beauty supplements are currently perceived as a ‘nice-to-have.’ … To establish itself as a ‘must-have’, the category will need to advance science-backed messaging and demonstrate proven effectiveness,” Joan Li, beauty and personal care senior analyst at Mintel, told Glossy. 

“High-income adults, particularly those aged 55 and older, are showing a growing interest in products designed to promote anti-aging benefits, improve skin firmness and boost elasticity,” said Mintel’s Hamlette. 

Many oral vitamin brands have also expanded the beauty supplement category. For example, MaryRuth Organics, a liquid vitamin line launched in 2014, entered the beauty supplement space in 2022 with a biotin hair gummy followed by a $75 sugar-free liquid vitamin for hair health the next year. The latter is currently a bestseller, and in April, the company expanded the line to include new flavors. This offering has been clinically tested to improve hair growth and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. 

Collaborations and partnerships have also been category drivers. For example, Skin Laundry, the laser facial provider, and Nutrafol, the beauty supplement brand backed by Unilever, just announced a new partnership to promote an inside-outside acne treatment protocol. It includes a recommendation for laser treatments and oral supplements. The campaign, which will run through August, includes special promotions for brand clients who patronize the partnering brand. 

As previously reported by Glossy, vitamin therapy was first used in Western medicine in the early 1900s to treat issues like rickets or scurvy, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that vitamins gained mass popularity. The category is projected to reach $239 billion by 2028, according to Research and Markets.

Executive moves: 

• Tracy Kline is the new group president of specialty beauty retailer and content site Violet Grey. Her CV includes nine years at Macy’s-owned Bluemercury, most recently as its head of merchandising and spa. 
  
• Byredo founder Ben Gorham is leaving the brand. Gorham founded the luxury fragrance brand in 2006 and sold it to Spanish beauty conglomerate Puig in 2022.
  
• Luca de Meo is the new CEO of Gucci-owner Kering. He previously served as CEO of carmaker Renault Group. François-Henri Pinault previously held the CEO role at Kering and will stay on as chairman of the board of directors. 

News to know:

• Beautycounter founder Gregg Renfrew is back with a new yet similar company called Counter. Her longtime brand Beautycounter shuttered in 2024 after 11 years in business. Renfrew’s new company has a similar lineup of skin care and color cosmetics including vitamin C serum, tinted moisturizer and lipstick. Beautycounter sold omnichannel, including through DTC e-commerce, retail and MLM sellers, while Counter will be DTC with “brand partners” who are able to earn commissions on digital referral links. 

• Unilever is set to acquire Dr. Squatch from growth equity firm Summit Partners. Dr. Squatch is an omnichannel men’s brand that sells soap, body washes, deodorant, hair care and skincare with unique scents like Wood Barrel Bourbon and Pine Tar. As previously reported by Glossy, the brand has garnered attention recently for its buzzy marketing campaigns that tap into pop culture. For example, the brand recently sparked attention, and some backlash, after launching a limited-edition bar soap made from ambassador Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater.
  
• Two co-founders of beauty brand Dieux, Charlotte Palermino and Joyce de Lemos, are set to launch a digital tool called Sun-Screener to help consumers unpack the safety and efficacy of sunscreen ingredients. Apps that can scan product barcodes to provide data on consumer products, such as Yuka and Think Dirty, have proven incredibly popular over the past few years.
  
• Coty, the multinational beauty conglomerate that makes Gucci, Burberry, Chloé and Marc Jacobs fragrance, is reportedly for sale. Coty also owns consumer beauty brands like Kylie Cosmetics, CoverGirl, Rimmel, Max Factor and Sally Hansen. According to WWD, Coty is interested in selling its luxury and consumer divisions separately. The news has not been confirmed by Coty.
  
• Estée Lauder Companies-owned Clinique is betting on TV marketing for the first time in a decade. The company plans to promote its three-step skin-care system in new ads. It comes on the heels of the brand launching on Amazon Premium this spring to widen its consumer base. 

Stat of the week:

There is a growing opportunity in the shaving cream category, according to a report published earlier this month by market research firm Research and Markets. The category was valued at $19.75 billion in 2024 and could grow to $31.49 billion in the next five years. Opportunities identified by the firm include premium and specialized shaving creams such as those for sensitive skin; natural or organic offerings; and those that speak to consumer values like vegan, cruelty-free and biodegradable options. Current leaders in the space are Beiersdorf AG, Cremo Company, P&G, Colgate-Palmolive, Dollar Shave Club and L’Oréal Group. 

In the headlines:

Chipotle CEO says AI has cut hiring time by 75% — it ‘ensures we have the best talent that’s available.’ Social platforms like Reddit and Pinterest are striking more retail media partnerships. Sprite’s heat-activated digital billboards suggest a future spot for OOH in the media mix. Brands are drumming up tactics to boost consumer sentiment during a fraught summer. WTF is conscious unbossing?

Listen in:

Blending the old and new, Lisa Mattam’s 10-year-old clean skin-care brand Sahajan uses cutting-edge clinical testing to validate ancient Ayurveda traditions and ingredients. “If I’m going to tell people that this old-world science can transform their skin, I have to prove it to them,” she told Glossy. Mattam breaks down the cost, timeline and unseen challenges of clinical testing in this week’s episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast. 

Need a Glossy recap?

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