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A new report sheds light on consumer preferences for branded ingredients in nutritional supplements

It stands to reason that shoppers are more likely to trust nutritional supplements made with quality ingredients. And just as is the case in most consumer markets, ‘quality’ is synonymous with ‘brand’.

The best brands invest time and money in product R&D as they have reputations to maintain. When someone purchases a Chanel fragrance or a Rolex watch, for example, they know they are buying the best of the best. We trust that the product is an embodiment of the brand’s expertise, experience and premium values. And when it comes to nutritional supplements, perceptions and desires are no different…

According to the ITC Insights 2023 Consumer Supplement Survey, consumers around the world have a “strong appreciation” for branded ingredients and are often willing to pay a premium for them (1).

Trust & transparency

The survey of 3,500 supplement users found that many people “always look for” branded ingredients, with the key attributes they hope to find being ‘quality’, ‘established safety’, ‘trust’, ‘clinically studied’, ‘regulatory/legal compliance’ and ‘efficacy/efficacious dose’. The survey also highlighted that consumers are often willing to pay a premium for products with branded and proven ingredients.

A key factor here is transparency. Consumers are more likely to trust brands that offer clarity and full disclosure. Products that make ‘false or misleading claims’, have ‘non declared ingredients’ or ‘undetected contaminants’ were the biggest concerns voiced in the ITC survey. On the flip side, transparency ranked high among the drivers of trust, with ‘believable label claims’ and ‘references to back them up on the website’ being ranked as important.

For GELITA, scientific research and verifiable references are the foundation for all our ingredients, and we operate with complete transparency. In the beauty from within market, for example, this is one of the reasons why VERISOL^® has been the go-to branded ingredient since its launch in 2012, with more than 3.5 million consumers now taking it daily for its beauty benefits. VERISOL^® simply checks the boxes of consumer needs:

• Quality
• Established safety
• Trust
• Clinically studied
• Regulatory compliance, and
• Efficacy.

Proven benefits for skin, hair & nails

VERISOL^® is composed of pure collagen peptides that stimulate fibroblast cells in the dermis, substantially increasing the renewal and repair of collagen, elastin and proteoglycans – as demonstrated by a number of clinical studies – showing impressive results with economical, low dosing.

For instance, one study found significant eye wrinkle reduction after eight weeks of VERISOL^® supplementation (2). Another demonstrated a significant increase in skin elasticity compared to placebo – and this was even more pronounced in women over the age of 50, who also showed improved skin moisture (3).

VERISOL^® is also clinically proven to reduce the incidence of cracked or splitting nails and to improve brittle nail symptoms including peeling, irregular edges and roughness (4). It has positive benefits for hair too, and can significantly increase hair thickness and follicle cell proliferation (5). It has even been proven to help reduce cellulite both visually and using the ‘pinch’ test (6).

Among its many regulatory certifications, VERISOL^® has an approved Foods with Function Claim for skin elasticity in Japan, ANVISA-certified skin health claims in Brazil, and numerous claims authorised by Health Canada. It is available in traditional as well as fish collagen options to suit different consumer preferences – each delivering the same levels of efficacy.

Get in touch with our experts today, to find out more about our branded ingredients.

References

(1) ITC Insights 2023 Consumers Supplement Survey, pp. 93-112.

(2) Proksch et al. (2014): Oral Intake of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides Reduces Skin Wrinkles and Increases Dermal Matrix Synthesis. Skin Pharmacol Physiol 27:113-119.

(3) Proksch et al. (2014): Oral Supplementation of Specific Collagen Peptides has Beneficial Effects on Human Skin Physiology: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Skin Pharmacol Physiol 27:47-55.

(4) Hexsel et al. (2017): Oral supplementation with specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides Improves Nail Growth and Reduces Symptoms of Brittle Nails. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017 Dec;16(4):520-526. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12393.

(5) Steffen Oesser (2020): The oral intake of specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides has a positive effect on hair thickness. Nutrafoods. 1:134-138. DOI 10.17470/NF-020-0019.

(6) Schunck et al. (2015): Dietary Supplementation with Specific Collagen Peptides Has a Body Mass Index-Dependent Beneficial Effect on Cellulite Morphology. J Med Food 18:1340-1348.