As consumers worldwide increasingly seek out new ways to stay healthy and maintain a youthful appearance, nutricosmetics and nutraceuticals have been hailed as the next big thing in the beauty industry. Euromonitor International estimates that sales of beauty supplements totalled more than $2.7 billion in 2009, equating to 8% of global retail expenditure on dietary supplements.

Many industry watchers have predicted the segment will boom in the next few years, but there are significant disparities in the way the market is developing around the world, with it remaining largely concentrated in several key regions. While sales in Japan and Western Europe continue to thrive and products become increasingly sophisticated, consumers elsewhere have been slower to try nutricosmetic products appearing on the shelves of health and beauty retailers.

Nutricosmetics Generate a New Following

Until recently, women between the ages of 30 and 60 were the prime consumer target group for nutricosmetic manufacturers, especially given this group’s particular concerns with health and wellness. More important, this group generally views beauty as an integral part of that overall concept.
 
Currently, growth in nutricosmetics is being generated by two new consumer segments—men and young women. For example, younger women in Western markets are trying nutricosmetics at an increasingly early age; it is not uncommon for women in their 20s and even late teens to be taking nutricosmetics, primarily as a measure to stave off the signs of aging. Perfectil, a skin, hair and nail supplement sold in the U.K., is one such product attracting younger consumers, as it is also recommended for treating acne.

Men have also begun to try nutricosmetics. In April 2009, a new brand of hair thinning supplements, Viviscal and Viviscal for Men, was launched in the U.S. Already popular in other markets, the U.S. entry, through the Duane Reade pharmacy chain, signified an important milestone in the acceptance of nutricosmetics among notoriously results-driven U.S. consumers. The range of combination products includes supplements, treatment shampoo and scalp lotion. The capsules contain proteins to nourish thinning hair and encourage hair growth, and flaxseed, which claims to help slow the thinning of hair.
 
Similarly in the U.K., Wellman recently launched Tricologic, a supplement that also targets men concerned about hair loss. This segment is likely to see further growth, as remedies for hair loss are far more limited than those available for anti-aging.

Food & Drink Manufacturers Expand Beauty-from-Within Offerings

Interest in nutricosmetics has also been growing alongside interest in functional foods and beverages, which has led to new products that are complementary to the traditional beauty industry. Both food and drink manufacturers and supplement players alike are focusing their research and development on nutraceuticals in order to create products that enhance beauty from within.

Ingredients such as collagen, CoQ10, lycopene, lutein, green and white tea, aloe vera and grape seed all have been used in products with beauty claims, including protecting against premature aging and sun damage and promoting skin firmness.
 
Age-defying antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E, selenium, zinc, CoQ10, polyphenols and lycopene have also been among the most common antioxidants employed in functional foods and beverages as well as dietary supplements. Vitamin C, for example, has a vital function in the production of collagen in the dermis.

One of the major recent launches includes the lycopene-containing supplement Innéov Fermeté, a joint collaboration between food giant Nestlé and global personal care player L’Oréal. Lycopene was initially marketed on the basis of its cancer-fighting properties; however, it is now promoted as a beauty/skin health enhancer. Innéov Fermeté, designed to be taken daily, reportedly slows the effects of skin aging. It is currently being sold in parts of Europe and Latin America, and will shortly be launched in Britain.

November 2009 also witnessed the launch of the SunPill, a supplement touted by its producers as the “sun defence breakthrough of the decade.” Designed to enable users to stay in the sun for twice as long as normal without getting sunburned, the pill represents a small but growing segment of ingestible sun protection products. It joins existing “sun protection from within” products such as Bronzage Sublime from Juvamine (with beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, essential fatty acids and gamma linolenic acid) and Innéov Solaire from Nestlé/L’Oréal (with skin probiotic).

Collagen, a protein important for healthy hair, nails and skin that accounts for up to 75% of the body’s skin, bone and muscle tissue, is another popular beauty-boosting ingredient added to both skin care products and functional food and beverages alike. Collagen-supporting food products claim to boost the body’s natural production of collagen and promote skin rejuvenation and radiance.

Several products with collagen have been launched in different markets in recent years, including Kaiku Colageno yogurt with collagen (Spain, 2008), Nescafé Body Partner 3in1 Coffee with collagen (Malaysia and Singapore 2009) and Jelly Collagen Plus from Maruha Nichiro Corp, a functional cup jelly snack with added collagen (Japan, 2010).
 
Stress-busting gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) has also been finding its way into beauty foods and drinks in Asia for nearly a decade, following its successful application in anti-aging facial creams such as Freeze & Go Instant Smoother and Brightener. Coca-Cola launched the Aquarius Sharp Charge drink containing GABA in Japan in 2007. GABA is also used as a functional ingredient in confectionery products, as in the case of Ezaki Glico’s GABA Super Bitter chocolate. GABA claims to act as a muscle relaxant, which helps not only to alleviate stress but also to reduce worry lines and wrinkles.

Finally, there are fortified/functional and better-for-you foods, which, in addition to popular health claims, also contain a beauty-from-within element. Yili Y-Yoperi drinking yogurt, a low-fat yogurt fortified with collagen protein (China, 2008) and fat-free Vitagen Collagen Less Sugar drinking yogurt with probiotics, collagen peptides and vitamin C (Singapore and Malaysia, 2008) both target women and are just two examples of how manufacturers are adding value to everyday staple food items while simultaneously introducing the beauty-from-within concept.
 
Topical/Ingestible Combinations is the New Trend

In 2009, the Israeli ingredients company Frutarom announced the development of a new range of ingredients dubbed Nature’s Essence for Skin Care. The range targets skin issues from inside and out and is designed to treat problems such as acne, sun-damaged skin, oily or inflamed skin. They also work in conjunction with topical treatments for these conditions to speed up recovery.
 
Nivea’s Goodbye Cellulite range, launched in 2008, is also notable for its claims in tackling cellulite through the use of both a nutricosmetic pill and a cream. The Goodbye Cellulite capsules and gel both contain L-carnitine, which is reputed to aid in dissolving fat. Such products seem to be proving more palatable to consumers who are skeptical about nutricosmetics because they combine traditional topical products with less familiar delivery formats.

The advantage of this combined approach is that it often gives a more immediately visible benefit until the pills begin to take effect. One of the major sticking points for consumers has been the time delay for nutricosmetics, often of approximately one month, before they see results. This requires a leap of faith that proves too much for many potential consumers.

Emerging Opportunities—Probiotics & Skin Health

Probiotics have become some of the world’s most popular functional ingredients, with Euromonitor International’s ingredients data showing global volume usage increasing from 26,539 tons in 2004 to 44,661 tons in 2009.

Until now, probiotic promotion has centered mostly on intestinal health and immune system support, but as the category evolves with the latest scientific research, new positionings are emerging. One of these is skin health.
 
Probiotic skin health benefits can be divided into two main areas—alleviation of eczema/dermatitis in children and beauty enhancement in adult women. It is expected that as soon as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approves probiotics as a functional ingredient in infant and children’s foods, they will likely follow the same path as omega 3, which is now being added to an estimated 95% of milk formula sold in the U.S.
 
Women are moving from quick-fix treatments to longer-term preventative measures. They also know from gut-health positioned probiotic food marketing that positive effects should be expected within a few weeks, not hours. Meanwhile, probiotic dietary supplements are being employed as nutricosmetics purportedly benefiting skin health. For instance, Nestlé claims that its Innéov Solaire with Skin Probiotic, available in 12 European countries, is a breakthrough probiotic that helps protect the skin from UV rays. The company states that it is actively researching and developing new uses for probiotics, including promoting skin health and beauty.
 
Western Consumers Skeptical About Beauty Foods & Drinks

Functional beauty foods have been very well received by consumers in Asia-Pacific, particularly Japan, where beauty and flawless skin are something of a national obsession. However, Western European consumers tend to be much more cynical than their Asian counterparts. While beauty pills are gaining acceptance, it seems that others, such as certain beauty foods, are finding it harder to win over some consumers.

Even beauty yogurts, which have been one of the favored options for beauty food manufacturers, are not risk-free. The failure of Danone’s Essensis in early 2009 was proof that even beauty-from-within products in formats traditionally associated with healthy eating may still fail if consumers remain doubtful of their purported health benefits.
 
One of the biggest challenges in convincing consumers to purchase Essensis yogurt was that it was sold alongside many other yogurts all claiming health benefits of some description, but with much lower prices. In France, Essensis faced competition from products such as Activia, which, despite being more expensive than standard yogurts, managed to become one of the best selling on the market. The key difference in the success of Activia compared to Essensis was that Activia’s advertising focused on exactly how the product claimed to work, rather than focusing on the ingredients as Essensis had done.
 
Similar factors led to the failure of the much-hyped Dove Vitalize (dark chocolate enriched with B vitamins) and Dove Beautiful (including vitamins C and E, biotin and zinc) chocolate ranges, launched by packaged food giant Mars in the U.S. in February 2008. Industry insiders feted the advent of beauty chocolate as something that consumers would accept. Despite significant investment in product promotion, including a tie-in with New York Fashion Week, and the ample marketing support of Mars, high hopes failed to materialize into actual sales and the product was withdrawn at the end of 2008. U.S. consumers did not buy into the concept as a whole because they doubted the health benefits of chocolate, which is viewed as an indulgence and a product that runs counter to maintaining a healthy diet.

Undeterred by the fate of Dove, skin care line Borba and cookies maker DeLuscious launched DeLuscious Vitamin Enhanced anti-aging cookies in the U.S. in 2009. It remains to be seen whether consumers will accept beauty-enhancing cookies in light of the failure of beauty chocolate.

Innovation Faces Regulatory Barriers

The introduction of nutricosmetics in Europe remains problematic due to the lack of a clearly established regulatory system. As things currently stand, the regulatory environment for nutricosmetics is more favorable in Japan, where an established system is in place for the approval of functional foods and nutricosmetics—called FOSHU (Food for Specified Health Use).
 
The introduction of similarly streamlined legislative procedures in Europe and the U.S. could prove more problematic, thus making the introduction of new product innovations in these markets more difficult. In Europe, nutricosmetics would fall under both food and medicinal law, but the decision as to which jurisdiction applies would vary by country.

Selective Retailing May Optimize Sales

Beauty food manufacturers also face a challenge in finding appropriate retail channels through which to sell their products. The first option is to retail through mainstream outlets like supermarkets and hypermarkets, which have been thriving during the recession and its aftermath. However, this distribution strategy also poses risks because consumers are able to compare prices for nutricosmetics—sometimes unfavorably—against standard and other non-beauty ranges, as was the case with Essensis.
 
The second distribution option is high-end retailers such as department stores, where brand image is far easier to maintain but which are also facing significantly reduced consumer traffic as economic uncertainty continues. Retail value sales through department stores declined in the key Japanese and U.S. markets by 16% and 14%, respectively, over 2008/2009.
 
Nestlé appears to have learned from Danone’s mistakes, opting for high-end distribution when it launched its beauty drink Glowelle in the U.S. in 2008. Retailing at approximately $7 per bottle, it is available only in department stores, thereby avoiding any possibility of direct comparison with standard drinks. The fact that the product remains on sale in the U.S. suggests that selective retailing is the way forward.

Future Outlook

To achieve continued growth, nutricosmetics really need to take off in countries whose economies have been more resilient to the global recession, in particular the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) nations. In the still booming Brazilian consumer goods market, sales of beauty supplements are currently negligible, indicating significant opportunities to be had given the country’s obsession with beauty and cosmetic surgery.

China also offers opportunities even though overall spending on dietary supplements is much lower than in neighboring Japan ($4 per person in 2009 compared to $51 per person in Japan). India’s consumer spending on dietary supplements is even lower at less than $0.40 per person, and there are no supplements currently positioned as beauty enhancing. If the nutricosmetics segment is really going to move forward from a global perspective, it will have to focus on building sales in these key untapped markets.

Markets with strong demand for fortified and functional foods and beverages—and also high per capita spending on such products—such as Ireland ($248 per capita), the U.S. and Norway (both $194 per capita) and Australia ($192 per capita) have strong potential for beauty foods. The challenges for manufacturers will be to raise awareness and educate consumers as to how nutricosmetics work—and to prove their efficacy. At the same time, product claims should better explain the nature of ingredients so as to improve communication with consumers wanting to understand what they are ingesting.

Ultimately, Western consumers will be harder to convince as they remain much more skeptical about product claims that relate to beauty. Beauty-from-within products are expected to continue to enjoy strong consumer demand in Asian markets, particularly Japan, where the use of functional food/beverages, vitamins and dietary supplements is more widely accepted. 
    
About the Author: Anastasia Alieva is a food analyst with Euromonitor International, which she joined in June 2001. In her current position, she directly contributes to the content and quality of Euromonitor’s Packaged Foods and Health and Wellness Food and Beverages research.