In May of this year, the influencer María Pombo, supported by Mahou San Miguel, launched Yuzz, a new drink that is defined as refreshing and healthy, designed for enjoyment and self-care, and also as a complement to the skincare routine. It was understood as the strongest evidence of the way in which the beverage industry is diversifying its portfolios with the intention of captivating an audience that is increasingly aware of health and well-being. And it is finding a space in the nutrition and cosmetics sector in which to explore synergies. And vice versa.

Consumers, especially millennials and Gen Zers, are looking for added value beyond just hydration or traditional refreshment and drinking. They look for alternatives that meet their expectations in terms of sustainability, authenticity, functional benefits or customization. Aware of this, large companies have been betting on innovation and the development of new products for some time.

The beer and spirits industry has been one of the earliest and fastest to respond, launching low-alcohol or non-alcoholic varieties on the market. And alcohol consumption has decreased continuously over the last few decades. According to June data from the Ministry of Health, in 2023 31.1% of the Spanish population consumed alcohol at least once a week, compared to 48.4% registered in 2006; and among young people aged 15 to 24, habitual consumption has gone from 43.8% to 17.9% in that same period.

This has led the sector to explore the segment of so-called functional drinks, which could exceed $250 billion globally by 2030, according to various analyses. Only in the last year, for example, Pepsi has launched its own variety with prebiotic fiber and, in our country, Ambar has presented Triple Zero Probiotica, a non-alcoholic, sugar-free beer with active probiotics.

Drinks look at skincare

As users’ interest in health and well-being focuses on the internal functioning of the body as well as its external appearance, beauty and skincare routines are becoming a prolific field for innovation in beverages. Without going any further, Yuzz bases its proposal on two active ingredients such as GreenIuronic hyaluronic acid – from the fungus. Tremella fuciformis and patented by the pharmaceutical company Vivatis Pharma-, and vitamin C, which contributes to the formation of collagen for the normal functioning of the skin and its protection against oxidation.

In addition, it is composed of carbonated water, concentrated apple juice, and aromas that evoke floral notes, such as rose and orange blossom, and fruit notes, such as lychee, peach and apricot. It is also low in calories, with naturally present sugars and no sweeteners; as well as vegan and gluten-free.
Mahou San Miguel assures that it is the perfect drink for “people aware of the importance of taking care of themselves inside and out“, although he points out that “It does not replace medical or cosmetic treatments, but it does complement beauty and well-being routines.”.

This idea of ​​the drink as a complement to skincare is also the backbone of K2O, a “drink mix” designed for advanced skin hydration, launched by Sprinter, the low-alcohol cocktail brand launched by influencer Kyle Jenner. This product, launched on the market in April of this year in soluble sachets, claims to combine electrolytes, hyaluronic acid and Verisol bioactive collagen peptides. On its website, the product states that it is designed “to promote visible beauty results from within”.

Nutricosmetics bets on drinks

The trend around “drinkable skincare” is bidirectional: cosmetic brands are also finding a territory in drinks to complement their proposals. This is the case of Symbiome, an American brand whose products are based on fermented ingredients to manage the skin microbiome and whose founders are now launching Hopkind, a non-alcoholic beer that will be launched in 2026.

According to those responsible, the new brand will collect all its knowledge and experience around microorganisms to give the drink a twist. The team had already been developing a capsule supplement designed to support intestinal health and recovery, but they considered it appropriate to change formats and opt for beer, which, in essence, is a fermented drink, low in calories and sugar with important health benefits. Thus, Hopkind would combine traditional brewing and fermentation with functional ingredients typically found in performance, circulation and endurance supplements.

A similar line has been followed by the Bloom nutritional supplements brand, which after five years on the market, in 2024 launched a line of energy drinks with healthy ingredients, such as natural caffeine from coffee bean extract, prebiotic fiber and functional ingredients such as lychee extract, apple cider vinegar, L-theanine and B vitamins.

The company says it reached $8 million in sales in the first six months and sold more than 35 million cans in its first year. The success led the brand to expand the line in 2025 with Bloom Pop, a prebiotic soft drink aimed at promoting intestinal health that made $2.7 million in its first weeks on sale. Altogether, the range of drinks already accounts for between 75% and 80% of the company’s income and its sales have increased so much that they already triple the size of their original business focused on supplements.

Bloom’s data, driven by a strategic commitment to sales through Amazon and communication on TikTok, demonstrate the attractive business opportunity offered by the convergence between skincare and beverages. The category is in full swing, also supported by the business initiatives of great influencers and content creators. It faces, however, the challenge of trust and the long term.

Most cosmetic drinks contain minimal amounts of the ingredients that promise, precisely, to enhance skin care. For example, Yuzz contains 12 mg of vitamin C per 100 ml, when the minimum recommended daily amount for adults is between 60 and 90 mg. In this sense, it is right to present itself as a complement, but it is forced to combat the short-termism of the audience to demonstrate the effectiveness of its proposal.

In an expanding segment, differentiation will be another challenge to address, as will certifying the veracity of its promises with scientific evidence, all in a territory that is increasingly susceptible to gaining regulatory scrutiny. All in all, the drinkable skincare trend and the interest it arouses among the public demonstrates consumers’ concern for boosting their health and well-being through new lifestyle and nutrition habits, and points the way for brands to respond with appropriate solutions.