April 14, 2021 Published by

From beauty gummies to collagen powders, there’s no denying that the supplement category is experiencing an exciting surge in growth and creativity. Once more commonly the domain of health food stores or supermarkets, today supplements can be found at retailers of all kinds, including prestige and luxury department stores, beauty specialty, and even salons and spas. Ninety percent (90%) of US female beauty consumers already take a daily vitamin and/or mineral for general health purposes.

Increasingly, consumers are seeking an inside-out option to enhance their beauty routine, flocking to brands for products that promise to help promote glowing skin, strengthen hair and nails, support weight goals, aid digestion, and contribute to overall well-being.

To understand her supplement habits and expectations, as well as what constitutes the perfect supplement, TBC surveyed more than 3,000 females from the US to ascertain her point of view.

Supplements for one, supplements for all!

While anti-aging usually dominates when it comes to a beauty routine, hair and nail health are the top reasons she currently reaches for a vitamin or other supplement. Other concerns she’s currently addressing with supplements include:

Figure 1: Top Beauty Concerns Addressed with Supplements

Concern Percentage
Hair growth/health 54%
Stronger nails 47%
Clear skin/overall skin health 34%
Restore collagen/skin firming 34%
Improve metabolism/weight loss 34%
Anti-aging/fine lines & wrinkles 26%
Antioxidant skin protection 20%
Skin hydration 20%
Skin glow 17%

 

For those consumers who don’t take supplements of any kind, her main reasons are cost (37%), followed by ‘I tried supplements in the past and didn’t notice any effect on my health’ (25%). There also appears to be a disconnect with consumers on how or even why to use supplements: 25% of non-users say supplements are confusing; 23% say ‘I don’t know how to use supplements’; and 19% don’t understand what supplements do.

Confusion aside, interest in beauty supplements is keen. Of those who don’t currently take a supplement specifically for a beauty concern, 97% say they are open to the idea of trying them.

No surprise here, but when it comes to shopping for beauty-specific supplements, consumers want value for their money, and more than half (57%) say Amazon.com is their primary retail destination for purchasing supplements, followed by Walmart (46%), a drugstore (34%), and Target (29%). Other retailers where she shops for supplements include a vitamin store/online (25%), the grocery store (19%), warehouse retailers (16%), and Sephora/Sephora.com (16%).

 

Brands She’s Buying

With so many new brands entering the supplement arena in recent years, there’s no lack of choice when it comes to the products and brands she’s buying. The brands dominating her shopping cart include well known industry veterans such as Murad and Perricone MD, as well as newer offerings such as Olly and SeroVital.

Nearly two out of three women (65%) expect beauty brands to offer supplements that complement their traditional skin, hair, and body care routines and products. Eighty-two percent (82%) of consumers believe the best way to meet their beauty objectives is to adopt an inside-out approach using supplements.

Figure 2: Beauty Supplement Brands She’s Purchased

Brand Percent
Nature’s Bounty 57%
vitafusion 26%
Olly 24%
Garden of Life 17%
Vital Proteins 12%
Murad 11%
Perricone MD 9%
SugarBearHair 7%
Pacifica 6%
SkinnyFit 6%
SeroVital 5%
Viviscal 5%

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