Trends report 2024 – Holistic Health: Embracing Self-Care

In a post-pandemic world, consumers are increasingly aware of how crucial it is to take into account every aspect of their health, while also considering their gut microbiome as a key organ to care for. By embracing the holistic health approach, consumers take self-care by the horns and introduce daily rituals to promote and maintain their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This awareness leads consumers to actively seek products that contribute to a healthier lifestyle. Lallemand Health Solutions teams have identified the future trends that will drive consumer demands in the next years.

SELF-CARE IS HEALTHCARE

According to Google Trends, the number of searches for “self-care” has nearly quadrupled since 2018 – an all-time high. Self-care isn’t just a passing trend – it’s a lifestyle shift that underscores holistic health and personal development (1).

Covering all aspects of their well-being, consumers make thoughtful choices to maximize the chance of living a long, fulfilled life. 52% of global consumers state they are adopting a long-term approach to their health (3). They integrate beneficial, lasting, and permanent changes in their daily habits, not to redress a specific health issue, but to strive for long-term health and happiness. These changes are within reach, such as adjusting a diet, working out or taking supplements. This proactive approach is driving the demand for dietary supplements as well as functional food and drinks, with digestive health, immune health and mental health being the top benefits consumers are looking for when using supplement. With probiotics covering many health needs, they appear as a relevant solution for consumers. 71% of global supplement consumers state they are appealed when a product is claimed to contain probiotics (2) and 23% of global consumers state they have taken nutritional supplements as a mean to improve their health in the last two years (4).

STRIVING FOR HAPPINESS

Maintaining good mental health and emotional wellness is a priority for individuals, as it is now considered on par with physical well-being and established as an integral part of overall health. In fact, 49% of global consumers state they measure good health by assessing their mental wellbeing (2).Consumers pursue a greater sense of happiness and enjoyment in their lives. As a result, consumers are actively looking for solutions to enhance their well-being through mental health. When asked about how consumer measure good health, 49% of consumers answer that they look at their mental wellbeing, reflecting the importance of a healthy body in a healthy mind.

Consumers are therefore looking for adapted solutions to support their mental wellbeing that can be easily incorporated in their day-to-day.  Moreover, consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about the gut-brain connection, leading to a stronger interest towards probiotics supplements that support mental health, also known as psychobiotics. Thus, 27% of probiotic consumers use them to reduce stress, as compared to 22% in 2019, highlighting the growing awareness consumers have acquired on psychobiotics (6). In 2020, sales of mood and mental health supplements in the US soared by 29.4%, followed by an 11.5% increase in 2021. Last year, an estimated 6.6% growth was observed. By 2025, experts predict that this market will be 2.5 times larger than its size in 2017 (5).Now, 66% of supplement consumers state they want to support their cognitive and mental health by using supplements (4). In the probiotic category, only a few have been clinically studied to support the gut-brain axis for a mental health support, and Lallemand Health Solutions remains a pioneer in studying this area. Cerebiome® by Lallemand is the most documented psychobiotic to help moderate the physical and psychological symptoms of occasional stress and feelings of anxiety. It is backed by 5 doubleblind, randomized and placebo-controlled human studies and over 10 preclinical studies. Cerebiome® is the first probiotic to have obtained authority-approved health claims on the gut-brain axis in Canada and in Brazil.

SHINING FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Nurturing physical appearance is an integral part of the self-care journey. Consumers recognize that the efforts they invest today in their skincare routines will ripple into their future selves. In a market saturated with topical skincare products, beauty supplements emerge as a differentiating approach for brands.  Although the beauty from within supplement market is still a niche of the overall beauty market, with 67% of global consumers recognizing the link between skin health and overall health (7), the nutricosmetic market is expected to keep experiencing a healthy growth in the next years. The nutricosmetics market is rapidly expanding, reaching $8.09 billion in 2023, and is projected to reach $11.91 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 8.05% over the forecast period (8).

This holistic approach recognizes that beauty is multidimensional, encompassing elements like following a well-balanced diet, adopting an active lifestyle, managing occasional stress and taking nutritional supplements. Other than direct skin health benefits, consumers seek formulas that address multiple health benefits, such as mental health or gut health. As awareness for the gut microbiome and skin appearance raises, more individuals are embracing probiotic supplements, also named as skinbiotics, to enhance their skin health from within, positioning probiotics at the forefront of modern beauty rituals. 14% of probiotic supplement consumers use probiotics to improve their skin appearance (10). Nutricosmetics offer the potential of unlocking one’s true radiance. By providing probiotics that target wellbeing on multiple fronts, Lallemand Health Solutions is empowering individuals to discover their most vibrant selves.

With that in mind, Lallemand Health Solutions has conducted a clinical trial on Cerebiome® formula on the gut-brain-skin axis. The results will soon be revealed on this proof-of-concept clinical trial conducted on 33 participants on stress and skin appearance. “Beauty supplements are seen as way to complement topical skin care routines and promote skin health from within.” Elodie Aragon, Product Manager, Lallemand Health Solutions.

ADDRESSING WOMEN’S NEEDS

Women are pivotal consumers in the realm of proactive self-care routine, seeking natural ways to maintain their well-being. The fluctuating levels of ovarian hormones throughout the menstrual cycle affects physical and emotional health. These fluctuations not only influence reproductive health, but significantly impact women’s overall health during their lifespan. Women have diverse and lifelong needs and are prone to opt for several natural solutions to take care of themselves. In 2023, the global women’s health and beauty supplements market is evaluated at $56.02 billion, expected to reach $79.29 billion by 2030, with an expected CAGR of 5.1% (9).

In recent years, pre- and postnatal nutrition products launches have witnessed a strong growth. Women are looking to stack the odd in their favor in reproductive health and fertility and add supplements to their diet, and this translates in the market, as in 2022, 58% of pre- and postnatal nutrition products launches were supplements products. Furthermore, pre- and postnatal nutrition product launches had a 16% CAGR between 2018 and 2022. In 2022, 58% of the launches were in the supplements category (10).

Lallemand Health Solutions will soon reveal more details about new clinical findings from a study held in Montreal, Canada, including 180 healthy pregnant women. Results are showing significant beneficial impacts of probiotics in the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy, for both mothers and babies.

EFFORTLESS CONVENIENCE IN THE FORMAT

A self-care routine also translates into a moment of enjoyment, or even indulgence. If consumers are increasingly opting for over-the-counter supplements due to their proven efficacy in health management, it’s also true that they experience a certain pill-fatigue. Consumers are seeking clean and convenient options without compromising on quality. Creative supplement formats are gaining traction globally as supplement brands embrace innovation to stand out and appeal to consumers. The numbers tell a clear story: consumers want more enjoyable ways of getting their nutrients. In fact, 57% of global consumers states good taste is an important feature they consider when purchasing nutritional supplements (3) and 24% of global consumers states ease of use is an appealing attribute they consider when purchasing a health product (4).

Fueled by the increasing demand for supplements that are not only delicious, but also convenient and effortless to consume, the gummies supplement market is experiencing a dynamic growth observed globally, having reached $9.4 billion in 2023, with an estimated CAGR of 7.6% between 2023 and 2028(11), making them the fastest-growing format in supplements. Non-pill formats now make up one-third of the market and continue to grab market share, while growth in traditional pill formats is declining (12).

In response to this trend, Lallemand Health Solutions, in partnership with Canada-based experts Herbaland, has developed gummies formulas, packed with probiotics for gut health and postbiotics for natural defenses.

Download the full Trends report 2024: Future Horizons in the Microbiome Space

1. Google Trends, 2023.
2. FMCG Gurus, Health and Wellness Survey, 2022.
3. FMCG Gurus, Top Ten Trends for 2022.
4. FMCG Gurus, Nutritional Supplements Survey, 2022.
5. Nutrition Business Journal, 2023.
6. FMCG Gurus, Probiotics Survey, 2022.
7. FMCG Gurus, Skincare Health Survey, 2023.
8. Mordor Intelligence, 2023.
9. Grand View Research, Women’s Health And Beauty Supplements Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report 2023 – 2030.
10. Innova Market Insights, Nutrition Focus: Prenatal and postnatal nutrition, 2023.
11. Mordor Intelligence, Gummy supplements market size & share analysis – growth trends & forecasts (2023 – 2028).
12. New Hope Network, 2022.