Nutricosmetics Quench The Appetite for Beauty

Beauty foods have been around for quite some time with innovations coming from Europe and Japan. The international marketplace is more receptive and familiar of  nutricosmetics than the Western front; however, it appears American consumers are finally buying into the idea of “eating beauty.”

A Business Insights report called “Future Product Opportunities in Cosmeceuticals: Innovation in Foods and Drinks with Beauty Benefits” noted the United States is poised to be a strong market, with the highest spend per capita for both cosmeceutical personal care products and nutraceuticals. In 2006, the U.S nutraceuticals market was worth $21.3 billion, according to the report.

The functional beverages sector is the area where companies focusing a lot of innovations and exploring the idea of “consumable beauty.” For example, Nestlé released a collagen-enriched low-fat drink as a brand extension of its Day & Night yogurt line in Hong Kong. French manufacturer Compagnie Fermière de Vichy launched a sparkling mineral water infused with antioxidants and aimed at women in their 40s, and a natural collagen drink called TOKI is modified with HAI™, an amino acid extract from Hijiki seaweed, and was launched into the U.S. marketplace earlier this year. 

A catapult helping to deliver the concept of consumable beauty to the United States is Borba, a manufacturer that produces a line of cosmeceutical products, originally marketed in Sephora and Nordstrom. Borba’s functional beverage called Skin Balance Waters are enhanced with antioxidants, vitamins and botanicals, and are formulated to address specific skin conditions. Interestingly enough, Anheuser-Busch purchased the water range last year. Mainstream players have also jumped the bandwagon. For example, Pepsico unveiled its Aquafina Enhanced Hydration skin care line; and Coca-Cola tested the waters in Japan with its Biyo range of drinks containing biotin, rose hips extract and hyaluronic acid for good skin.

So, what’s on deck for the upcoming year? It appears more food products will be making their way into the mainstream marketplace. Niche companies such as Ecco Bella have already experimented with beauty foods, offering products like chocolate bars enhanced with botanicals and nutrients. And, the success Danone’s success with its Activia probiotic yogurt for beauty has paved the way for additional innovation within the yogurt/dairy sector.

For additional information on nutricosmetics and other recent consumable beauty launches, read Happi’s article: “The Nutricosmetics Market” by Christine Esposito.

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