A pill for prettier skin? It’s here

Something is brewing at the HQ of beauty brands worldwide, and I’m not talking about just another lip balm or face mask. Alongside topical formulations, companies are treading into the world of oral supplements to make a case for holistic beauty and wellness. Internationally, US skincare brand Murad has launched capsules that balance the gut-skin axis to clear breakouts and bottled up potent ingestible antioxidants to help brighten the skin. Meanwhile, in Japan, Shiseido’s The Collagen range uses caffeine-free patented ingredients available in three formats—powder, tablet and drink—to support skin vitality.

Some brands like Elm Biosciences, founded by Martha Stewart and Dr Dhaval Bhanushali (the latter is also on Rhode’s advisory board) a few months ago, are taking it a step further by offering comprehensive solutions like the Dual Pathway Skin System—a bundle offering that pairs its A30 elemental serum with its clinically formulated supplements. UK-based brand You’re Looking Well, which launched in 2023, offers a regime that comprises pairings of a day pill and day cream, and a night pill and a night cream, to support skin, sleep, and gut. In India, founders are drawing from personal battles with skin conditions and interest in botanical ingredients to concoct their wellness lines. We are talking morning and wind down routines, made simpler. 

“I grew up with acne and had lots of skin issues in general. I realised much later that what I put in my body mattered just as much as what I put on it. Dermatology practices today have evolved and doctors talk about these things a lot more, but back then I paid the price by relying on harsh actives that gave me dry, peeling skin and not really paying attention to what I was eating or how I was managing my stress,” says Elizabeth Issac, who started her brand Gunam Beauty in 2021.

Initially launching with topical skincare products manufactured in France (its Daily Liquid Exfoliant remains a hero product till date), Issac shifted gears a year in to expand the brand’s range to include supplements, reflecting her faith and own experience with an inside-out approach to beauty. Cut to 2025, and Gunam’s turmeric super blend and blue spirulina powder are a firm fixture in the shopping carts of its health-conscious millennial customers who are looking for ways to optimise their body that isn’t rooted in superficial claims.

“From my perspective, both as a consumer and as a founder, I think it’s very intuitive and logical that we do both skincare and ingestibles because someone who is buying a face cream today may also be interested in collagen powder,” explains Issac. “At Gunam, we see a good amount of cross-sell happening and a mixed bag of orders; customers buying skincare are giving supplements a shot and vice versa.” When you look at the numbers, this shift is even more palpable. India’s dietary supplements market, valued at ₹178 billion in 2024, is expected to reach ₹557 billion by 2033, according to an IMARC report. 

But back in 2011, when wellness wasn’t the buzzword that it is today and Instagram had not yet infiltrated our beauty standards, Ayurvedic practitioner Kavita Khosa wanted to craft something utilising the full efficacy of medicinal plants found in the Himalayan region. Rather than starting off with skincare—which would have been a safer bet—Khosa launched Purearth by banking on detox herbal tisane infusions that featured wild nettle, rosehip berries, and other handpicked ingredients and are effective in treating acne and fighting inflammation and are a rich source of vitamin A, among other nutrients.

Speaking to the complementary nature of supplements, Khosa remains a big believer of seeing beauty in its totality: “We are all multitasking like never before, and that is leaving us frazzled and time-poor. Something has to give. We have moved from skincare to self-care to holistic wellness, which is a good thing.” This doesn’t mean popping a magnesium capsule will negate your greasy lunch or magically smoothen the under-eye bags from last night’s 2 am doom-scrolling session. As Khosa tells me, “You can’t band-aid the issue.” She cites PCOS and increasing period pain as a symptom of changing lifestyles, diets, and chronic stress levels that are rampant in the younger generation looking for holistic support to deal with internal imbalances.

Not to leave out the impact of consuming TikTok-derived aesthetics and living in an Ozempic-obsessed world, Issac further adds: “At some point we had really unattainable beauty standards, like the clean girl aesthetic and ‘skinny’, making a comeback. But now, it’s about actually feeling good and healthy as opposed to just focusing on the visual.”

Meanwhile, dermatologist Dr Jaishree Sharad lends another perspective that accounts for the growing commercial interest in ingestible beauty. “Ingestibles have higher margins. They fall under FSSAI rather than strict drug regulations, and the Indian FMCG system allows broader wellness claims than pharmaceutical claims. So, brands may find it easier to launch powders, tonics, and pills than to create high-efficacy topicals. At the same time, the Indian diet is often deficient in vitamin D, ferritin, and B12, which makes the concept of ‘internal beauty’ appealing,” she explains.

While supplements help when there is a documented deficiency, and early scientific studies around collagen peptides for skin elasticity and adaptogens for stress reduction are optimistic, Dr Sharad heeds caution. “Ingestibles can support overall wellbeing, but skin improvements usually come from a holistic plan and not a single supplement. Always know its benefits, whether it is really science-backed, and make safe choices. Steer clear of snake oil.” So, while brands continue to tap into the curiosities around ingestibles, it would be best to triple-check your choices alongside a medical expert before betraying the next-door pharmacist for your daily dose of vitamins.