Eat your vegetables. An apple a day… We all know the nutritional value of vitamins. Experts insist there is a lot of value in applying vitamins A, C, E and the rest, as well. Consumers are buying into the idea of supplements for skin, too. According to data from Spate New York, on average, there are 77,100 searches for skin-related supplements in the U.S. every month. Moreover, searches for skin-related supplements have grown 31.8% since last year.
 
Spate New York analyzes more than 20 billion online search signals to answer three questions for the beauty and wellness industry:
 

• What’s the next big trend?
• Who’s owning the space?
• How to position the trend?

 
For skin care product formulators, supplements and vitamins answer several needs. “Hyaluronic acid, collagen, and vitamin E are the top searched ingredients for skin-related supplements,” said Spate Co-Founder Yarden Horwitz. “We’re not seeing growth in edible-related foods; however, ingredient groups such as crystals, postbiotics, and chlorophyll have been growing in search volume.”
 
In November, London-based Beauty Pie introduced a five-item lineup of supplements that includes a multivitamin, vitamin D, omega-3, probiotic to improve gut health, and collagen formula to boost skin elasticity. While the jury may still be out on collagen ingestibles, nearly everyone agrees that topically-applied vitamins and collagen are beneficial.
 
The Power of Vitamin C
Ron Robinson certainly understands the benefits of applying vitamin C to skin. The founder and CEO of BeautyStat built an entire brand around the power of the material. Earlier this year, beauty industry insiders named BeautyStat’s Universal C Skin Refiner one of the 100 greatest skin care products of all time. In 2020, Vanity Fair named Universal C Skin Refiner as the best vitamin C serum. BeautyStat helped change the way consumers think about vitamin C when it comes to skin care. But according to Robinson, his formula is vastly different than other vitamin C skin care products on the market.
 
“We use one of the highest levels (20% pure L-ascorbic acid) of pure vitamin C available in an over-the-counter cosmetic product,” he told Beauty I&O.
 
Furthermore, BeautyStat has three patents protecting the ability to encapsulate pure vitamin C so that it does not degrade or oxidize.
 
“Many competitors turn orange brown due to oxidation,” insisted Robinson. “We are the only company that has this technology given the exclusive patents.”
 
Robinson explained that BeautyStat compared its formula with leading competitor vitamin C products and found that its formula retained its color after 46 days. In contrast, three competitive formulas became noticeably darker during that time.
 
“We also combined our 20% pure vitamin C with EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate, a potent antioxidant found in green tea),” he added. “This combo helped us get significant results in an independent clinical test.”
 
In that test, 32 subjects completed the study of consumer perception and clinical evaluation of Universal C Skin Refiner. In a skin firmness test, after four weeks of product use, there was a mean improvement of 21.2% based on Cutometer R0 measurements. According to BeautyStat, the improvement observed was highly significant when compared with baseline. Three-quarters of the subjects showed improvements after four weeks of product use.
 
Researchers used a Visia CR Imaging System to determine product efficacy on crow’s feet fine lines and wrinkles. After four weeks of product use, there was a mean percentage improvement of 13% based on image analysis. BeautyStat maintains that the improvement observed after four weeks was highly significant when compared to the baseline. Furthermore, 94% of subjects showed improvement after four weeks of product use. The Visia CR Imaging System was also used to measure hyperpigmented skin. After four weeks of product use, there was a mean percentage improvement of 1.3% based image analysis. The improvement observed after four weeks was significant when compared to the baseline. Seventy-two percent of subjects showed improvement after four weeks of product use, according to researchers.
 
Results aside, Robinson insists texture, too, separates Universal C Skin Refiner from its competition.
 
“Other vitamin C serums can be watery and runny, or sticky and tacky, or oily,” he said. “Ours is silky and velvety and absorbs quickly leaving a natural finish. Consumers are telling us that their pores look smaller after one application; and they are ditching their makeup primers because of the texture.”
 
BeautyStat Universal C Eye Perfector also contains EGCG, which the company said is 98% pure. Rich in polyphenols, it soothes irritation and inflammation. Furthermore, Universal C Eye Perfector reduces sebum production to help minimize pores, according to Robinson.
 
Alexia Wambua is founder of Native Atlas, an indie beauty brand. She recently detailed some skin care ingredients that may find their way into formulations in the near future.
They include:
 

• Panax Ginseng: Cultivated from South Korea, this ingredient is known for its potent phytonutrients and ability to brighten the skin.
• Passionfruit: Promotes elasticity for firmer skin. Its polyphenols help repair UV damage and oxidative stress.
• Pineapple: High in vitamin C, it helps combat acne and protect from skin-damaging free radicals to provide an immediate glow. Pineapple is rich in alpha hydroxy acids that exfoliate dead skin.
• Lemon: Provides intense hydration that smoothes and plumps the skin to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. With its high pH levels, lemon can decrease inflammation and oil.
• Vitis Vinifera: Grapeseed oil is full of vitamin E, which works to build, protect, and assists in the production of collagen. It also strengthens skin texture and increases crucial enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase.

 
Much Room for Mushroom
Mushroom is another edible material that can be found in BeautyStat’s topical formulas. Universal Pro-Bio Moisture Boost Cream is formulated with a bio-fermented Nutrient Complex made of bifidus and reishi mushroom extract. Robinson said these ancient, rare fungi help balance the skin’s moisture mantle.
 
Earlier this year, Spate said Google searches for mushrooms rose 22.4%. More specifically, searches for reishi mushroom supplements rose 55.5% during the period and searches for turkey tail mushroom supplements rose more than 52%.
 
Within the skin care category, Spate found search interest was concentrated around a few products. Origins Mega Mushroom line was the most searched, followed by Volition’s Snow Water Mushroom Serum, and Tony Moly’s Golden Mushroom Sleeping Mask, according to Spate.
 
The magic of mushrooms is nothing new to dermatologists and cosmetic formulators. Kojic acid, a mushroom derivative, is an alternative to hydroquinone.
 
With interest in CBD growing, some observers have suggested it will fuel interest in mushrooms, too, as consumers seek natural alternatives in their wellness routines.
 
A Place for CBD
Robinson and the BeautyStat team understand the skin-caring benefits of CBD, too. “We took a deep dive into this ingredient, researching its origin and benefits, as well as benefits in skin care and its potential and overall compatibility with our formula,” he told Beauty I&O. “CBD is a natural, highly-effective anti-inflammatory as well as an impressive emollient, delivering these unique and therapeutic benefits when applied to the skin. While safe and effective for all skin types, it has proven to be particularly useful for people who face challenges with sensitivity, inflammatory conditions, redness, and dehydration.”
 
According to Robinson, hemp oil-infused skin care products aid in minimizing the appearance of skin damage by soothing and revitalizing stressed-out skin. Hemp—the lush, green botanical rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—helps visibly calm the look of redness and leaves skin smoother, more even-toned, and younger-looking.
 
“We have receptors, found naturally in our skin, that mimic the benefits that CBD has to offer,” he explained. “Compatible with effective CBD-infused formulas, these natural receptors are able to work in tandem with the product, when applied, to keep the skin in peak condition.”
 
A study published in the Journal of Natural Products confirmed Robinson’s views on the skin care benefits of cannabidiol. CBD exerts protective effects in human keratinocytes via the modulation of the caspase-1-IL-1β axis, supporting its potential skin health applications, according to a team of researchers.
 
The team evaluated CBD’s protective effects against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in human keratinocyte HaCaT cells and explored its mode of action. CBD (10 μM) protected HaCaT cells by alleviating H2O2 (200 μM)-induced cytotoxicity (by 11.3%) and reactive oxygen species (total- and mitochondrial-derived). Several NLRP3 inflammasome-related genes including CASP1 and IL1B were identified as potential molecular targets for CBD’s antioxidant effects by multiplexed gene and network pharmacology analyses. CBD treatment down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of CASP1 and IL1B (by 32.9% and 51.0%, respectively) and reduced IL-1β level (by 16.2%) in H2O2-stimulated HaCaT cells.
 
Furthermore, CBD inhibited the activity of caspase-1 enzyme (by 15.7%) via direct binding to caspase-1 protein, which was supported by data from a biophysical binding assay (surface plasmon resonance) and a computational docking experiment. In addition, CBD mitigated H2O2-induced pyroptosis (capase-1-mediated cell death) and apoptosis by 23.6 and 44.0%, respectively.
 
As demand grows for effective ingredients, formulators are turning to ingredients that benefit skin inside and out.