US: The “beauty from within” trend blurs boundaries

66% of 18 to 49 year-old women in the US say they prefer a natural look

One of the latest trends in the US market is the merging of the health and beauty sectors.  Manufacturers are crossing the lines into new territories – using their credentials from one to tap into the other. 

The spread of K-Beauty to the US has influenced the trend towards a more natural look, as consumers become more invested in fixing beauty issues instead of covering them up.  In fact, 66% of 18 to 49 year-old women in the US say they prefer a natural look, up 4% since 2016.  This has led to the emergence of “beauty from within.”  This trend also made its way from Asia, where the idea of beauty is strongly linked with health and wellness.  "Beauty from within" takes skin and haircare regimes away from a topical approach, and towards a digestive one.  It’s the next step towards giving consumers skin and hair solutions that complement a natural look. 

At a category level, this has paved the way for drink add-ins and supplements which promise beauty benefits. And in terms of fomulations, we now see popular beauty ingredients being used in beverages (collagen gin, anyone?) and vice versa. 

Kantar Worldpanel US monitors how consumers use personal care products, as well as how they consume beverages, creating a prime position to understand how brands are blurring the lines between the two categories.

Here’s five examples of how brands and retailers are looking to capture some of the “beauty from within” space:

1)     Sephora
Sephora has taken valuable shelf space to dedicate to “inner beauty” - offering drink mixes and supplements to add to skin and haircare regimes.  To encourage women to enter this new category, Sephora has bundled a group of their favorite products in one introductory package, allowing consumers to try a variety and stick with what they like.

2)      Evian
The bottled water brand has long been ahead of the curve – with its celebrity-endorsed natural Mineral Water Facial Spray having been on shelves for over a decade. The spray, positioned on Evian’s water heritage, promises to cool and hydrate skin, and even blend make up.

3)     Burt’s Bees
Jim Geikie, general manager of Burt's Bees, said on the launch of the natural skincare brand’s range of plant-based protein powders: “For three decades…we’ve held the belief that real beauty and well-being should be nourished from the inside out.”  The brand also launched a chai tea flavoured lip balm, an example of blurring the boundaries between beverages and personal care in both directions.

4)     Briageo
This premium haircare brand launched a green juice-inspired range.  The shampoo and conditioner come packaged in a fruit juice-like bottle and contain a “daily dose” of vitamins and healthy ingredients like kale, apple, and matcha.

5)     Hint
Hint, a flavoured-water brand, has expanded to sell sunscreen with scents that match its range of water flavors. The connection is intended to create fun experience for consumers when using the sunscreen and reinforce the natural credentials of both categories.

Get in touch to find out more about how Kantar Worldpanel can help you identify and leverage opportunities from trends like “beauty from within” and naturalness.