Last week, Unilever acquired Gruns, a fast-growing US-based supplement brand that made its mark with a green gummy packed with 60 ingredients, including organic fruits and vegetables. The Beaverton, OR-based company, which is just three-years old, also sells supplements specifically for children, cognitive support, immune and energy. By its own count, Gruns ships 10 million gummies every day.

The acquisition came not longer after Unilever announced it was going all in on beauty and wellness and would merge its food business with McCormick.

As part of Unilever, Gruns joins a beauty stable that includes topical behemoths like Dove and Axe as well ingestible products like Nutrafol and Olly, two high-profile players in the beauty from within category.

According to Kline’s Beauty Nutrition: U.S. Market Brief, the US beauty nutrition market posted growth of approximately 22% between 2024-2205.

“Beauty nutrition has clearly arrived in the US with strong consumer alignment and growing adoption,” said Shruti Jain, analyst, beauty and wellbeing at Kline + Company.

“The growth is not only associated with general wellness movement, but direct co-relation between the gut and skin is also promoting the growth. Consumers are increasingly viewing beauty with wellness and recognizing that a balanced microbiome not only supports digestion but also impacts inflammation, acne, and overall skin radiance,” added Jain.

The increased use of recognized ingredients like biotin and collagen is building consumer trust.

Savvy marketing is working, too.

According to Jain, collaboration with dermatologists and celebrities is increasing awareness. In addition, convenience and lifestyle alignment with e-commerce, subscriptions and telehealth models from brands like Nutrafol, Hims/Hers and The Vitamin Shoppe has also led to the growth, according to Kline.

Shelf ‘Cred’

Retailers are also accelerating visibility and lending legitimacy, normalizing ingestibles as part of modern-day beauty routines, according to Kline.

“Specialty beauty retailers observed notable growth over the past two to three years, supported by the increasing entry of ingestible beauty products into stores like Ulta Beauty, said Jain said.  

Last year, Nutrafol introduced its products at 500 Ulta Beauty stores and online.

Plus, Ulta is doubling down on beauty from within, this year carving out dedicated aisles in select stores.

Mass merchandisers like Target and Walmart remain the second-largest distribution channel, offering consumers easy access to both premium and affordable supplement brands, according to Kline.

Leading Players

Leading brands in the US beauty nutrition market include Nutrafol, Olly, Viviscal and Garden of Life, according to Kline’s brief, which delivers a comprehensive view with market sizing, category performance, trend mapping, competitive dynamics, retail channels and forecasts through 2030.

In June 20205, Olly rolled out Olly Mood + Skin, a separate brand that offers body washes, body scrubs, and body serums in four core categories—Calm, Revive, Bright and Renew. They are designed repair the skin barrier and have mood-enhancing fragrances backed by neuroscience to transform your mood.

Garden of Life, a certified B Corp, is expanding its portfolio, too with formulations that are specific to men.

Viviscal’s strength, according to Jain, comes from its clinical proven efficacy and broad channel access

There is a steady influx of new players. Brands to watch include MaryRuth and Ritual, notes Jain.

MaryRuth’s Liquid Morning Multivitamin + Hair Growth is sold at Ulta, it contains Lustriva for hair growth and skin health.

Another brand to watch is Welleco—Elle Macpherson’s beauty wellness brand. The firm was an early player in the space, debuting in 2014. It touts proudcts like Skin Elixir, a vegan blend of natural greens and skin-supporting ingredients in a capsule that supports a clear, glowing complexion.

Looking ahead, opportunities in the US beauty nutrition lie in category expansion, topical+ingestible offerings, retail integration and also increased demand of men’s beauty wellness, according to Kline.

As more brands join the fray and the market grows, clinical claims are becoming essential.

“There is rising demand for proof efficacy and transparency increase,” said Jain.