This year’s NutraIngredients-USA Awards recognized winners in the Beauty-from-Within Product and Ingredient of the Year categories, reflecting the growing emphasis on clinically validated and science-backed solutions in the ingestible beauty market.
We spoke with the winners of each category to gain insight into the R&D process behind their submissions and the industry’s impact on innovation in the beauty-from-within retail space.
Xtressé Hair Growth Gummies win Product of the Year: Beauty from Within
Xtressé, a supplement developed to support hair growth, received the Beauty-from-Within Finished Product award, which was added to the 2025 NIU Awards lineup to broaden the scope of recognition to include both ingredient and consumer-facing innovations.
Notably, the gummies are biotin-free and instead are formulated with ingredients such as NAD+, taurine, horsetail extract, pumpkin seed extract, saw palmetto, ashwagandha and turmeric extract. The product was created in collaboration with dermatologists specializing in hair restoration and is positioned as a vegetarian, clinically supported option in a crowded category.
“Xtressé stands apart because it works,” said Mike Jafar, CEO of Xtressé, told CosmeticsDesign US. “We collaborated with dermatologists who specialize in hair loss to develop a formula that targets root causes from within.”
He added that the product development process was “driven by collaboration and science,” with input from a team of hair restoration experts.
The company designed the product to address consumer demand for natural, drug-free solutions to hair thinning and loss, particularly among women experiencing stress or hormonal changes. According to Jafar, the recognition from NutraIngredients-USA demonstrates that consumers “expect transparency and real efficacy” in beauty-from-within formulations.
RED ORANGE COMPLEX named Ingredient of the Year: Beauty from Within
Bionap USA received top honors for its RED ORANGE COMPLEX, a standardized extract sourced from three varieties of Sicilian blood oranges. Clinically studied for its various skin care benefits, the ingredient is formulated to reduce oxidative stress, support even skin tone and protect against UV-induced damage.
The unique growing conditions of Sicily’s volcanic soil near Mt. Etna contribute to the ingredient’s phytochemical profile.
“RED ORANGE COMPLEX is helping to redefine expectations for what a beauty-from-within ingredient should offer,” Tyler Ris, vice president of sales at Bionap USA, told CDU. “It demonstrates that clean-label, plant-based ingredients can be both potent and scientifically validated.”
In addition to its clinical support, RED ORANGE COMPLEX carries certifications including Non-GMO Project Verified, VeganOK, Kosher, Halal and Purity-IQ, he added.
As an award recipient, the recognition underscores the importance of rigorous validation in this competitive category, he said. For brands seeking to differentiate in the beauty-from-within space, Ris urged the selection of “premium, branded ingredients that approach science with integrity” and to prioritize those with data from peer-reviewed clinical studies.
While Xtressé gummies are a consumer-facing supplement and the RED ORANGE COMPLEX ingredient is a branded botanical extract, both NIU award winners highlight a shared emphasis on transparency and scientific credibility.
