Most women today have a strong desire to keep themselves as beautiful and young as they possibly can. The quest for flawless skin and beauty has also spurred the growth of the new market for ‘inner beauty’ products in Korea.

Simply put, inner beauty products refer to dietary supplements, jellies and drinks promising to help rejuvenate skin.

The manufacturers claim that these ingredients are absorbed into the skin through ingestion, so their efficacy is much faster and stronger when people put them on the skin topically.

The vitamin supplements and functional diet foods that are normally taken orally have been available on the market, making up a subcategory of the beauty food business. At the moment, there are a variety of ‘edible cosmetics’ that contain collagen, hyaluronic acid or other elements, known to be good for the skin.

CJ CheilJedang had a head start in the burgeoning niche market in Korea, releasing “InnerB,” a skin moisturizing supplement in 2009. Also, “Citrus Collagen” from ORBIS, a Japanese company landed

in Korea in the same year. Other Korean companies are not far behind. Amore Pacific, the nation’s largest cosmetics firm followed up with “VB Program Super Collagen” in 2010.

Until just a couple of years ago, these orally ingested skin supplements formed a small sub-category in cosmetics sales in Korea. But reflecting the growing popularity, products in this segment have enjoyed a sharp increase in sales since they were introduced in the market in 2009.

Thanks to the wide choice of products and an aggressive marketing campaign, Korean consumers are taking attention on the interest in orally ingested skin supplements. The industry analyzes that among consumer groups women in their 20s and 30s who are keenly interested in beauty matters, driving the growth of the market.

As the buzz about these products started to build, other Korean companies continue to follow. LG Household & Healthcare followed up with “Pycnoskin,” a capsule supplement containing antioxidant pycnogenol and “L’Origine Beauty Collagen.” Daesang Welllife presented “The Beauty C-Project” in early this year.

Industry analysts see big potential in orally ingested skin supplements and the market in Korea will grow to be worth more than 1.5 trillion won, which is equivalent to that of Japan.