Supplements are the new cosmetics. A breakthrough in the beauty market nobody expected

Trends in the cosmetics world are changing direction

The shift began in the first year of the pandemic. The global cosmetics market shrank by 8% in 2020 — the first such decline in decades (L’Oréal). At the same time the US dietary supplement market grew by a record 14.5%, and a further 7.5% the following year, to USD 59.9 billion — over USD 5 billion more than pre-pandemic forecasts assumed (Nutrition Business Journal). “Beauty from within” grew fastest: sales of collagen beauty supplements in the US rose 64% year on year (SPINS).

Consumers cut back on makeup — half the face was hidden behind a mask anyway — but began investing in what delivers a lasting effect: the condition of skin, hair and the whole body. Against analysts' forecasts, that peak hasn't subsided, and it now sets the direction for the industry.

At Onesano, where we handle contract manufacturing of supplements every day, we see it in the numbers: increasingly, enquiries come not from supplement companies but from cosmetics brands.

Beauty supplements and nutricosmetics: this wasn't a passing fad

The global nutricosmetics market is now valued at USD 7.8 to 10 billion (Fortune Business Insights: 7.78 billion; Mordor Intelligence: 10.05 billion — the gap stems from differing category definitions). Both firms forecast growth of around 8.3-8.5% a year into the mid-2030s. The more narrowly defined “beauty supplements” segment is valued by MarketsandMarkets at USD 3.96 billion, with a forecast of 5.76 billion in 2030. Collagen supplements alone, led by drinkable collagen, are already worth USD 4.5 billion and are set to grow 8% a year to 2034 (Fortune Business Insights).

Attitudes have changed for good: according to Euromonitor, 27% of people worldwide aged 45-59 take vitamins and supplements specifically with beauty and skin health in mind. NIQ (State of Beauty 2025) reports that 44% of consumers plan to buy more vitamins and supplements in the coming year, and that wellness and skincare rituals expand the beauty market by as much as 64%.

Skincare cosmetics grow more slowly than supplements

Skincare remains the largest beauty category (around 39-41% of the global market per L’Oréal), but its momentum is fading along with the whole cosmetics market: after 8% growth in 2023 the market slowed to 4.5% in 2024 and about 3.5% in 2025. Grand View Research forecasts just 3.1% average annual growth for skincare to 2033. The conclusion is clear: beauty supplements grow roughly twice as fast as skincare cosmetics.

It's no coincidence that the first supplement lines today are being launched by skincare and dermocosmetic brands. At Onesano we design such products “next to the cosmetics shelf” — we build the supplement under the client's own brand so that it complements the claims of cosmetics in the same range. The same consumer problem, two mechanisms of action, and a markedly higher basket value.

The Polish supplement market: 23 million customers already waiting

The Polish market plays in the top league of this shift. The value of the dietary supplement market in Poland reached PLN 6.9 billion as early as 2022 (up 12% year on year), and PMR forecasts it will exceed PLN 10 billion by 2028. Supplements are bought by over 75% of adult Poles — around 23 million people. Grand View Research forecasts 10.9% annual growth for the Polish market to 2030, one of the highest rates in Europe.

At the same time, the Polish cosmetics market was the fastest-growing in the entire EU in 2024 (+16.8% per PZPK and WiseEuropa), and skincare already accounts for 51.7% of its value — the highest share in the Union (EU average: 34.4%). The Polish consumer thinks about beauty through the lens of skin more than any other in Europe. It's hard to imagine a better audience for “beauty from within” messaging.

Supplements for skin, hair and nails: what you can legally communicate

The category's strength lies in the fact that many ingredients' beauty effects are backed by approved EFSA health claims. Biotin and zinc contribute to maintaining healthy hair and skin (zinc also nails), niacin and riboflavin help maintain healthy skin, vitamin C supports normal collagen production, copper contributes to normal pigmentation of hair and skin, and selenium helps maintain healthy hair and nails. To these are added the category's “heroes”: collagen peptides (collagen is about 35% of the nutricosmetics market by value per Mordor Intelligence), hyaluronic acid, ceramides and astaxanthin.

In practice, success is decided by the formula: the choice of raw material (e.g. the type and molecular weight of collagen peptides), effective doses, bioavailable forms of minerals, and the product format — shots, powders, capsules or gummies. We've covered how the process and cost of contract manufacturing works and what MOQ depends on in separate articles.

Extending a cosmetics brand's range: three investment routes

A cosmetics brand already has everything this category needs: consumer trust, a story about skin and hair, distribution and the know-how to build daily rituals. All it's missing is a product that works from within. In practice, three routes prove themselves:

• A line of beauty supplements under your own brand — sold alongside creams from the same range. Basket value rises, and supplements offer attractive margins and a high share of repeat purchases.
• A treatment-support line — designed for beauty salons and aesthetic-medicine clinics (a channel growing by double digits a year): collagen, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants supporting skin regeneration.
• Private label for retail chains — supplement production for retail and drugstore chains that are themselves actively seeking products at the intersection of beauty and health.

None of these routes requires building a plant or an in-house research department. Contract manufacturing brings the investment down to the cost of the first batch and lets you enter the market within a few months. Consumers already treat supplements like cosmetics — the question is whether the supplement on the shelf next to your creams will be yours or a competitor's.

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