Panel discussion on...

Beauty from within

Walter Fiore
Scientific Director, ROELMI HPC

Member of AgroFOOD Industry Hi Tech's Scientific Advisory Board

Over the past decade, the beauty landscape has undergone a profound transformation. We have moved from a culture focused on masking imperfections to one that embraces the idea of beauty as a longโ€‘term expression of inner balance. Today, consumers increasingly understand that skin quality is shaped by metabolic efficiency, microbiome harmony, emotional wellโ€‘being, and the bodyโ€™s ability to adapt to stress. In this evolving context, nutricosmetics are no longer perceived as simple โ€œbeauty supplements,โ€ but as tools capable of influencing the biological foundations of skin health. The next wave of innovation will be defined by systemic thinking, measurable outcomes, and a more responsible approach to ingredient development.


1) Beauty claims are entering a more mature phaseโ€”one that values scientific meaning over marketing vocabulary. Consumers want visible results, but also clarity on why an ingredient works and how it interacts with the skinโ€™s biology. This evolution is also influenced by the regulatory landscape, which increasingly requires beautyโ€‘related claims to be supported by measurable and physiologically relevant endpoints.


One of the clearest examples is the rise of skin longevity. Instead of framing aging as something to โ€œfight,โ€ the conversation is shifting toward supporting the skinโ€™s ability to maintain structure, function, and resilience over time. Claims related to elasticity, barrier integrity, dermal density, and hydration dynamics resonate because they speak to longโ€‘term skin health. This perspective aligns with a broader cultural shift: aging is increasingly seen as a dynamic, adaptable process.


Another area gaining momentum is inflammaging, the chronic lowโ€‘grade inflammation that accelerates visible aging. Consumers intuitively understand the connection between lifestyle, stress, diet, and skin quality. As a result, ingredients that modulate oxidative stress, immune balance, or barrier function are becoming central to the next generation of claimsโ€”especially when supported by biomarkers that demonstrate systemic benefits.


Microbiomeโ€‘related claims are also evolving from trend to scientific category. The balance of the skin and gut microbiota influences hydration, sensitivity, and inflammatory responses. Postbiotics, fermented ingredients, and bioโ€‘inspired actives are opening new opportunities for claims grounded in ecosystem modulation rather than singleโ€‘target actions.


Among the most established biomarkers used to substantiate beautyโ€‘fromโ€‘within claims, parameters such as TEWL, skin elasticity, dermal density, collagen organization, and inflammatory markers (e.g., ILโ€‘6, TNFโ€‘ฮฑ) provide robust and reproducible endpoints.


Looking ahead, the most credible claims will integrate metabolism, inflammation, microbiome, and barrier function into a coherent scientific narrative.


2) The global rise of GLPโ€‘1 medications has created a new biological scenario that the beauty industry cannot ignore. Rapid weight loss often brings visible changes: hair shedding, loss of facial volume, and the soโ€‘called โ€œOzempic skin.โ€ These effects reflect shifts in nutrient availability, cellular turnover, and energy allocation.


GLPโ€‘1 agonists reduce appetite and caloric intake, temporarily limiting amino acids, essential fatty acids, and micronutrients required for keratin synthesis and extracellular matrix turnover. These metabolic shifts may also influence insulin and IGFโ€‘1 signaling, both involved in hair follicle cycling. Nutritional support through omegaโ€‘3 and omegaโ€‘6 fatty acids, phytosterols, and selected probiotic strains may help counteract inflammatory and metabolic stress during this transition.


The microbiome also plays a central role. Its influence on nutrient absorption, immune modulation, and metabolic signaling suggests that postbiotics and fermented ingredients may help buffer some of the stress associated with rapid metabolic change.


In the coming years, innovations will increasingly integrate metabolism, skin biology, and hair physiology into unified solutions. This will require new clinical models capable of capturing metabolic, dermatological, and microbiomeโ€‘related endpoints simultaneously.



Holistic Beauty & the Wellโ€‘Beauty Journey

3) Holistic beauty is no longer a conceptual trend; it is a biological framework supported by growing scientific evidence. Several interconnected axes shape the skinโ€™s appearance and resilience:

  • the gutโ€“skin axis, linking intestinal permeability, microbiome composition, and systemic inflammation
  • the gutโ€“brainโ€“skin axis, where stress, mood, and sleep influence sebum production, sensitivity, and inflammatory responses
  • the circadian axis, which regulates repair, barrier renewal, and antioxidant capacity

Although each axis operates through distinct pathways, they are biologically interconnected: gutโ€‘derived metabolites influence neuroโ€‘immune signaling, stress hormones modulate intestinal permeability, and circadian rhythms coordinate repair processes across both the gut and the skin.

Innovations in this space increasingly focus on supporting these networks. Probiotics, postbiotics, and fermented ingredients help modulate the gut ecosystem; adaptogenic and neuroโ€‘active compounds support stress resilience; and ingredients aligned with circadian biology help optimize nighttime repair.


A notable trend is the migration of ingredients from other health categories into nutricosmetics. Cognitive support actives, metabolic modulators, and stressโ€‘response ingredients are being reformulated for beautyโ€‘fromโ€‘within applications, expanding the boundaries of what nutricosmetics can achieve.


6) The future of beauty is not topical or oralโ€”it is integrated. Clinical evidence increasingly shows that combining topical and ingestible solutions can enhance hydration, elasticity, luminosity, and overall skin quality more effectively than either approach alone.


The biological rationale is clear:

  • topical products act on the barrier and superficial layers
  • ingestible ingredients influence the dermis, extracellular matrix, metabolism, and inflammatory pathways

From a mechanistic perspective, topical formulations reinforce barrier lipids, hydration dynamics, and local inflammatory responses, while ingestible actives modulate fibroblast activity, collagen crossโ€‘linking, systemic inflammatory mediators, and oxidative stress. When combined, these mechanisms converge on both epidermal and dermal compartments, creating a more synchronized repair and renewal response.


This dual approach is particularly relevant in dermatology, where oral support can enhance preโ€‘ and postโ€‘procedure recovery for treatments such as chemical peels, laser resurfacing, or microneedling. Ingredients that promote tissue repair, collagen synthesis, or inflammatory balance can improve both patient experience and outcomes.


Integrated clinical designs increasingly evaluate combined endpoints such as TEWL, dermal density, collagen organization, inflammatory biomarkers, and microbiome composition, providing a more holistic view of product performance.


Regionally, Asia has long embraced integrated beauty routines, while Europe and the United States are rapidly catching up. Younger consumers are adopting โ€œinsideโ€‘outโ€ rituals that combine sensorial pleasure with functional benefits.


9) While sustainability does not determine biological efficacy, it increasingly shapes ingredient development strategies. Consumers expect solutions that combine scientific performance with responsible sourcing, reduced waste, and transparent environmental metrics. The current phaseโ€”often referred to as Clean Beauty 3.0โ€”demands transparency, traceability, lifeโ€‘cycle assessment, and responsible innovation.


Key innovations include:

  • lowโ€‘impact manufacturing processes
  • upcycling of byโ€‘products into highโ€‘value actives
  • biotechnology and fermentation as circular production models
  • dataโ€‘driven sustainability metrics

The challenge is methodological: the industry must adopt rigorous tools to assess environmental impact and avoid superficial narratives. As sustainability becomes a core expectation, companies will need to demonstrate not only efficacy but also responsible sourcing, reduced waste, and meaningful environmental stewardship.

Conclusion

The future of nutricosmetics lies in systemic thinking, scientific rigor, and responsible innovation. Beauty will increasingly be viewed as a reflection of internal health, and ingredients will need to address the biological networks that shape skin resilienceโ€”metabolism, microbiome, inflammation, stress, and repair. The integration of topical and oral solutions, combined with sustainable development practices, will define the next era of beauty from within. As consumers seek solutions that are effective, transparent, and aligned with their values, the industry has an opportunity to redefine beauty as a longโ€‘term expression of wellโ€‘being.

Panelists

Vincenzo Zaccaria

Bionap (Active Group)

James Kyffin

ADM

Colton Clason

ADM

Lindsay Sumners

ADM

Sathya Sooryan

Arjuna Natural Animal Nutrition

Dom Orlandi

Aroma New Zealand

Alexandra Wesker

Aseno

Vincent Wood

AstaReal

Behnaz Shakersain

AstaReal

Karen Hecht

AstaReal

Claudio Isenburg

Cerbios-Pharma SA

Leah Bessa

De Novo Foodlabs

Katia Merten-Lentz

Food Law Science and Partners

Veronique Brun

Biotexia (formerly known as Fytexia)

Oliver Wolf

Gelita

David Foreman

Herbal Pharmacist Media

Armando Antonelli

Hylobates Consulting

Isabella Corsato Alvarenga

IFF Pet

Arthur C. Ouwehand

IFF Health

Renee Machen

IFF Pet

Antonella Riva

Indena

Dayna Lozon

Intertek Assuris

Brandon Walters

Intertek Assuris

Ray A. Matulka

Intertek Assuris

J.F. (Jake) Burlet

CanBiocin Inc.

Ronaldo Avella Lavado

Pda (Paul Dick Associates)

On behalf of International Probiotics Association (IPA)

Aida Gadzhieva

IQVIA

Karen E. Todd

Kyowa Hakko USA

Francesca Susca

Lallemand Animal Nutrition

Cassandre Dujardin

Lallemand Health Solutions

Mary Joe Fernandez

Layn Natural Ingredients

Jessica Simonis

Clinical Nutritionist

Rajiv Khatau

Lodaat Pharma

Greg Cumberford

Natures Crops International

Sybille Buchwald-Werner

Newday

Guus Kortman

NIZO Food Research

Thaila Cristina Putarov

Phileo by Lesaffre

Russ Kelley

Phileo by Lesaffre

Bernadette Beadle

Phileo by Lesaffre

Alicia Kasch

RIBUS

Steve Peirce

RIBUS

Maggie McNamara

Saanroo

Shaheen Majeed

Sami-Sabinsa Group

Linda Carola Baggi

Sacco Srl

Salma Zahidi

Seppic

Cem Dik

Syensqo

Laetitia dโ€™Ursel

People Science

Noah Craft

People Science

Lindsey Wendt

Crystal Lotus Veterinary Care