No Pregascription Needed: Beauty Pills

The beauty industry is rapidly evolving. It’s reaching beyond the traditional creams and foundations and making its way into the supplement aisle, and beyond. As the Baltimore Sun reported, many consumers are turning to nutricosmetics to supplement their traditional beauty regimen. Beauty from within via supplements, shakes or any type of ingestible product is making headway into consumers’ personal care cabinets. The Baltimore Sun said dietary supplements (not including weight-loss products) accounted for almost $27 billion in U.S. consumer sales in 2009, according to NBJ point-of-sale data and other sources; and approximately $520 million accounted for hair, skin and nail supplements in 2009.

From GNC to celebrity doctors, manufacturers and formulators across the board are interested in creating products geared toward beauty from within, and many women (and men) are curious about this new approach to youth. There are still questions as to how effective beauty supplements are, in addition to safety issues, as FDA doesn’t regulate supplements before they’re marketed, leaving the responsibility in the hands of the manufacturers; however, consumers are still increasingly interested in nutricosmetics. 

Fortunately, many beauty supplements have crossover benefits, meaning consumers may be taking an omega-3 supplement for hearth health and inflammation, but fatty acids also have positive benefits on skin, too. Another example is lycopene, found in tomatoes. It is an antioxidant but it also protects the skin from UV radiation, which can help manufacturers of these products have a multi-pronged approach to their marketing strategies.

I think in 2011 we will continue to see growth in this sector of beauty, and hopefully the efficacy of new products and formulations will continue to be held at a high standard.

Happy New Year.