Beauty from Within Takes Off, Clinicians Shoulder Safety Amid Limited FDA Oversight

The holistic wellness sector of aesthetics is rapidly growing with the rise of supplements for hair loss, weight loss and cellulite management among many more that serve to rework physical appearance at a cellular and hormonal level. The surge, an alternative to invasiveness and also a preparation regimen for treatments, factors in nutrition that helps to regenerate vitality. However, experts warn that evidence-based discernment from providers, who house these capsules in their practice, must play a role when delivering these solutions, as FDA approval is limited.

Zhou Nutrition Sees Shift Toward Holistic Beauty, as Consumers and Professionals Embrace Wellness-Driven Solutions

Whole body wellness is a growing interest that Zhou Nutrition is seeing, says director of marketing Caitlin Probst. How the body is feeling and functioning on the inside, in turn expressing itself via the skin is becoming an avenue that many patients now pursue. In fact, drawing from Zhou’s 2020 consumer survey, the company reported that 49% of consumers identified beauty-from-within solutions as the type of new products they're most interested in, per a July 29 press release.

Zhou’s Body Smooth, a supplement that supports cellulite and texture of the skin, features 120 mg of hyaluronic acid to maintain elasticity and firmness. It also includes 100 mg of Vitamin C, an antioxidant, along with 40 mg of SOD-B Dimpless, a patented ingredient meant to reduce the appearance of cellulite on thighs when combined with a diet and exercise.

The conversation, Probst says, is shifting from solutions that reverse aging to finding ones that optimize overall health, which often starts at a cellular level, to feel good and look good, so that aging doesn't stand a chance. “We're also seeing more professional beauty practitioners like estheticians, nail technicians, hairstylists and physical trainers understand and promote the nutrients that will help their clients' beauty goals,” she adds. 

The surge in nutraceuticals targeting aesthetic concerns (like hair loss, cellulite, and skin health) reflects a growing consumer desire for beauty-from-within solutions.Courtesy of Cagkan at Adobe StockAs Nutraceutical Spend Surges, Experts Urge Clinician-Led Guidance Amid Light FDA Oversight in Aesthetic Supplement Market

Erika Sheyn, SVP of aesthetics at Guidepoint Qsight, a provider of healthcare data and analytics, says within the supplements segment of the aesthetics industry, one leading nutraceutical brand saw average patient spend increase by 53% in the last 12 months, ending July 2025, compared to the same period a year earlier, highlighting “strong category momentum.”

While using specific nutraceuticals can help repair damaged skin and improve health, researchers suggest clinicians, who use these kinds of mechanisms as a way to enhance healing and clinical results, start by educating patients and only providing high-quality, evidence-based supplements, while continuously following nutrition programs [1]. 

This is especially important given the fact that the FDA is limited to postmarket enforcement because unlike drugs that must be proven safe and effective in order to be marketed, there are no provisions in the law for FDA to approve dietary supplements for safety before they reach the consumer [2]. Robbi Grayson, the former director of new practice development at Acara Partners, a medical aesthetic business consulting agency, seconds the fact that clinicians need to provide trusted regimens.

“This limited oversight means that products are first available to consumers and only then regulatory action can occur; basically, reverse methodology,” Grayson says.

As the Aesthetic Supplement Market Booms, Providers Navigate Consumer Demand, Regulatory Gaps and the Push for Wellness-Driven Results

In murky waters like these, clinicians are seeing themselves in positions beyond researching and integrating devices that work deeply, or learning a new surgical technique to provide desired results, and have instead stepped into a realm that implores them to understand nutritional ingredients, potentially outside of their typical lens as holistic beauty and medicine becomes a reason why many patients step into practices. Since the FDA-approval of medications like GLP-1 and pre-menopausal pills like Addyi, medspas have become a landing place for pills that work from the inside out.

With weak regulatory safeguards, clinicians and aesthetic professionals must lead with evidence-based discernment, ethical practices, and ongoing patient education.Courtesy of MarekPhotoDesign.com at Adobe StockPlastic surgeon Ran Stark, MD provides his patients with a supplement regimen before surgery. He does this because he has “no way of knowing what patients’ nutritional habits are,” and he wants them to have the necessary minerals, vitamins and nutrients to optimize healing, support immune function and support the stress surgery can place on the body.

“In an industry that has grown so much, so quickly, it is understandable that regulatory bodies have simply not been able to keep up,” Grayson says. “We see things like ‘edible cosmetics’ and ‘beauty from within, [and] we can’t rely on governing bodies alone to keep our patients safe; we have to put in the time ourselves.”

As Beauty and Wellness Intersect, the Burden Falls on Clinicians to Lead with Integrity in a Lightly Regulated Space 

Grayson has been active in the spa, medical spa and aesthetic industry for over thirty years as an owner, consultant and educator, and the rise of supplements in the aesthetics industry has been a positive and powerful thing, only when done safely and ethically, she notes. The significant lack of regulation and oversight creates significant risks for patients, as it opens the door to unproven, misbranded or potentially harmful products being administered.

“In my opinion, one of the biggest hurdles is being created by our own industry and peers who choose to forgo the evidence and research and instead offer supplements, treatment plans, etc. that undermine the validity and credibility that can be provided when done right,” Grayson says.

The convergence of aesthetics and holistic wellness through supplements marks a powerful shift in how consumers approach beauty: from the inside out. However, this momentum also brings a critical need for informed guidance, clinical discernment and ethical practice, especially in light of limited FDA regulation. As the industry evolves, the responsibility lies with healthcare providers and beauty professionals to prioritize evidence-based approaches that ensure safety, efficacy and long-term wellness for their patients and clients.

References: 

1- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37001000/

2- https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/questions-and-answers-dietary-supplements#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20FDA%20is%20limited,before%20they%20reach%20the%20consumer.