Beauty drinks are everywhere today, and many youth seekers turning to them as a way to improve skin and get their glow on from the inside out.

In fact, beauty drinks are slated to become a billion dollar market, according to a new report from Market Data Forecast. The global beauty drink market is projected to reach USD $1115.17 Million by 2021, at a compound annual growth rate of 11.4% from 2016 to 2021.

These drinkable products are intended to improve skin appearance and sleep quality, and include hot and cold beverages, fresh fruits and vegetables and other functional beverages.  The market is segmented by product type (anti-Aging, radiance, detoxicating and vitality), ingredient type (vitamins and minerals, fruit extracts, coenzymes and proteins), demographics and geography, according to the new report. Current key players are DyDo Drin Co., Big Quark LLC, SIPA spa, Sappe Public Company Limited, The Coca-Cola Company Inc. and Nestlé S.A.

“Beauty drinks are definitely picking up steam globally,” says Wendy Lewis, the President of Wendy Lewis & Co Ltd.   “Asia is loaded with ‘collagen drinks’ with questionable efficacy. Beauty teas are also showing up in beauty retailers, and beauty waters with fruity ingredients can be found in gyms and grocery store shelves,” Lewis says. “There is also a proliferation of nutrient-rich powders to be included in beverages or mixed with water, ” she says. “The challenge is the lack of clinical evidence that most of these items actually live up to the claims, which can be extensive.”

“The trend is due to the external/consumer oriented concept that adding vitamins and/or chemicals to drinks are a good thing,” says Omaha, NE dermatologist Joel Schlessinger MD, FAAD, FAACS, Practical Dermatology’s Chief Cosmetic Surgery Editor.

“The jury is clearly out on whether any of this matters and if any of it actually gets into the body or it is sent directly to the urine to be excreted,” he says. “Additionally, the question ends up whether a drink is more efficient in any way possible than a tablet or other method.  Again, with minimal studies out there, the results are in question.”

What’s more, he adds, “these drinks are causing some harm in my patients who present with allergies.  I can't tell you how many individuals have been seen recently for allergic reactions to vitamins or some form of them.”  

More research is needed before drawing any conclusions about the safety and efficacy of beauty drinks, he says.

Heidi A. Waldorf, MD, FAAD, Director of Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, agrees. “There are a lot of beauty drinks around and absolutely no good evidence that they do anything.” 

One brand, Aethern, is undergoing a clinical trial in the US market to differentiate their brand from the pack. “It is a polyphenol blend containing a mixture of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that was specifically designed to enhance skin protection,” Lewis says.

Stay tuned.