To understand where the nutricosmetic category should focus, it is crucial to recognize that the visible side effects of GLP-1 therapy are not pharmacological skin reactions, but actually the consequences of losing 15-22% of body weight quickly, with reduced caloric and micronutrient intake along the way.

A consistent clinical picture is now emerging as we learn more about the impact of this type of rapid weight loss. Body composition sub-studies from STEP-1 and SURMOUNT-1 show lean-mass losses of roughly 25-45% of total weight lost (1, 2). Pharmacovigilance and label data flag telogen-pattern hair shedding in around 2.5% of semaglutide users and around 7% of female tirzepatide users (3). Already we are seeing dermatologists treating ‘Ozempic face’ as a recognizable issue with the same underlying mechanism of accelerated subcutaneous fat loss running ahead of what the skin and its connective tissue can remodel (4). On top of all that, menopausal women lose around 2% of dermal collagen per postmenopausal year (5). This is the area the nutrition-cosmetic category has to work with.

So how should the nutricosmetic segment evolve?

The industry will need to expand its scope. For two decades, “beauty-from-within” meant in many cases a so called ‘hero ingredient’ in a single benefit area such as collagen for skin, biotin for hair, omega-3 for inflammation. The GLP-1 consumer, however, needs a more comprehensive product or product stack. Protein sufficiency for lean tissue, collagen peptides and connective tissue support for skin density, targeted micronutrient repletion for hair, and hydration support to manage adherence and gastrointestinal symptoms. None of these alone is sufficient, so what is genuinely innovative is delivering them together in a way that fits an appetite-suppressed consumer who can only eat small portions.

Helpfully, the evidence base actually exists to drive this innovation. Hydrolyzed collagen peptides have built a credible randomized-trial portfolio, with 2024 meta-analyses showing consistent effects on skin hydration, elasticity, and dermal density across multiple sources and durations (6). Protein and amino acid sufficiency during weight loss is also well documented by PROT-AGE and ESPEN (7, 8). Iron, zinc, vitamin D, and B12 status are established modulators of hair and skin endpoints. However, industry should not try and pull the wool over GLP-1 users’ eyes, for example biotin has limited evidence outside real deficiency (9), while several botanical actives have weak clinical files, and oral hyaluronic acid is moderate at best. Product manufacturers in the category should be truthful and rely only on solid scientific data.

Product format is also very important. A GLP-1 user with a reduced appetite and small portion tolerance cannot easily drink a 500ml nutrient shake. While a 150ml to 200ml liquid product might be manageable for this type of consumer, additional micronutrients should be supplied in the most convenient way possible, such as in a small chewable format. Effective formulations will be nutrient-dense per gram, not per serving as conventionally defined. Per-meal protein delivery of 20g to 30g in a small-volume liquid, paired with leucine enrichment for older users, is a practical target.

On top of that, different cohorts need to be considered. Active users in months three to twelve of GLP-1 therapy have the most acute need. Maintainers, including those off treatment, face skin recovery and weight-regain risk. Perimenopausal and menopausal women lose collagen on two trajectories simultaneously and need formulations that acknowledge that, while lifestyle weight-loss consumers pursuing similar outcomes through diet and exercise have a related but less acute need. This means that there is not one product serving all four categories.

Claims discipline will also be crucial as positioning a food supplement as treating hair loss caused by medication for example is not possible under most regulations around the world. A credible alternative is to link claims on the underlying physiology, where authorized wording already exists, including skin hydration, skin elasticity, normal hair growth, normal protein metabolism, maintenance of normal bones and connective tissue. Real World Evidence (RWE) and consumer studies are useful additions to call-out user perceived benefits. While beauty retail rewards sensory differentiation and aspirational identity, strong scientific evidence should be the basis to market GLP-1 support products.

In relation to channels, the picture will fragment rather than consolidate, with pharmacy and clinical channels continuing to expect scientifically sound substantiation and precise positioning. However, telehealth platforms already collect the variables that matter most for personalization, include rate of weight loss, age, menopausal status, baseline protein intake, and history of pattern hair loss and it is these platforms that are the natural channel for metabolic-beauty products because the GLP-1 patient data are already there.

Looking ahead, opportunities for the category go beyond GLP-1 alone. The late-stage pipeline of weight-loss drugs already includes dual and triple agonists and non-incretin appetite-suppressing mechanisms. We recently sized the anti-obesity medication market at more than USD30 billion at list price in 2024 and project continued growth across the decade (10). The visible secondary effects we are discussing today such as hair loss, facial volume loss, and skin laxity are mostly downstream of rapid weight loss itself rather than of any one molecule. A category designed to tackle those issues will age better than one designed around a specific brand of medication.

In conclusion, the nutricosmetic segment has a chance to mature from a marketing proposition into a clinical-adjacent one, sitting alongside obesity care rather than imitating it. This will require evidence-led ingredient choices, science-based claims, formats that fit the physiology of an appetite-suppressed consumer, and an explicit acknowledgement that we are supporting the journey rather than treating its side effects. If we get this right, the category and the consumer benefits.