Inner beauty takes centre stage in China

As the global beauty industry evolves, “inner beauty” is rapidly moving from trend to transformation.

The oral beauty market is being fuelled by a consumer shift towards holistic, inside-out wellbeing.

With nearly 60% of consumers now combining topical and ingestible anti-ageing approaches, the convergence of beauty, nutrition and science is redefining product innovation, opening new opportunities for ingredient suppliers.

Against this backdrop, the in-cosmetics Group co-hosted a high-impact seminar with the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Commerce in the ancient capital of China and of Terracotta Army fame, Xi’an, in late May.

Bringing together over 100 leading Chinese players and manufacturers across botanical extracts, collagen and hyaluronic acid to explore the future of ingestible beauty it shone a light on this thriving market.

The seminar focused on translating fast-growing consumer demand into actionable strategies for ingredient innovation, market entry and global expansion.

The lines between skincare and nutrition are dissolving. Integrated routines, pairing topical products with ingestibles, are now mainstream, driving demand for dual-use ingredients that work both internally and externally.

Collagen and hyaluronic acid continue to dominate due to strong awareness and efficacy, while botanical extracts add powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and brightening benefits. Together, they form the backbone of the ingestible beauty market.

Anti-ageing is no longer just skin deep. Today’s consumers, especially those aged 25–35, seek holistic solutions spanning brightening, anti-glycation, sleep support, hair health and overall wellbeing.

Three ingredient categories are shaping the category:

• Botanical extracts: Lead in natural anti-ageing, brightening and antioxidant protection
• Hyaluronic acid: Supports hydration and skin structure repair
• Collagen: Boosts firmness and regeneration

These ingredients are increasingly used in complementary, synergistic formulations, unlocking both efficacy and market scale.

A number of leading beauty brands’ successful stories were used as case studies, demonstrating how they are capitalising on this shift:

• FANCL & POLA are pioneering ingestible anti-ageing and brightening powered by botanical–collagen blends
• Shiseido leverages traditional Oriental botanicals for targeted skin concerns
• L’Oréal integrates ingestible and topical systems using collagen and hyaluronic acid
• Bloomage exemplifies vertical integration, linking ingredient innovation with ingestible product lines

The common thread is science-led, multi-benefit formulations with shared ingredients across categories.

To compete in this fast-evolving space, companies must:

• Differentiate: Develop targeted, high-performance ingredients (e.g. anti-glycation, sleep support)
• Upgrade quality: Focus on ingestible-grade purity, absorption and efficacy
• Strengthen compliance: Meet food-grade and dual-use regulatory standards
• Go global: Leverage platforms like in-cosmetics to connect with international brands and buyers

The industry is moving away from low-cost competition towards high-value innovation, where success depends on compliance, clinical validation and application versatility. Companies that can deliver premium, dual-use ingredients will capture the most value.

The seminar underscored a clear message: inner beauty is the next growth engine of the cosmetics industry. As topical skincare growth slows, ingestible beauty is becoming the most reliable driver of long-term expansion.

For industry players, the opportunity is immediate and significant. Early movers who invest in science-backed, dual-use ingredients and global partnerships will be best positioned to lead this next chapter of beauty innovation.

For more insights into Inner Beauty, why not visit in-cosmetics Korea (Seoul, 1-3 July) and its focus on Inner Beauty

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