Good for you on the inside. Good for you on the outside? According to London-based market research group, Canadean, there is set to be a rise in superfood ingredients in our skincare. What that means? Foods that we used to only see on our plates (and glasses) are fast cropping up in our skincare. Will it be the answer to our collective fight against ageing?
It was only a matter of time before our current obsession with superfoods, juicing, soups and smoothies would catch on in the beauty industry. Well, it makes sense; superfood for our body and soul also pays dividends for our skin. And according to Canadean market research group in London, the shift in the beauty industry towards products and brands aligning themselves to the new wellbeing trend is already underway.
Aimed at the beauty-focused health-conscious consumer, this new breed of beauty will play on the idea that ingredients which are good for you on the inside (think coconut water or antioxidant-rich berries) may also provide benefits to our external appearance.
The concept has already sparked a trend in skin-benefiting smoothies and juices and teas – or, for the more committed, food concepts such as bone broth and “souping”, which involves blending nutritious foodstuffs into homemade soups – which has propelled skincare companies to complete the 360 approach by adding it to our skincare.
“These trends are further driving interest in the connections between food, health, and appearance,” says Jamie Mills, analyst at Canadean. “This creates great opportunities for beauty brands to take inspiration from new health trends such as juicing in order to better resonate with health-conscious consumers.”
This uptake in nutricosmetics (beauty products that contain ingredients that we are more used to seeing on our plates) is picking up speed, with ingredients such as coconut oil, coconut water, goji berries and avocado oil becoming commonplace in our skincare. Take MineTan’s Coconut Water’s tanning range, a world first in its category, or AVON’s new Nutraeffects release, which enlists chia seeds and pomegranate to ward off the signs of ageing. These brands have jumped on the bandwagon early and say that the response has been as impressive as a Saturday morning lineup outside a Bondi Beach juice bar.
“We know that all-natural ingredients and skin health is of the utmost importance,” says Cameron Campbell, General Manager for Marque of Brands, the company that created MineTan. “That is how the idea for utilising the hydrating and healing effects of coconut water was born. What we ended up creating is more of a hydrating skin treatment, rather than just simply a tan, and our clients have responded more positively to this than we could have hoped for.”
“Although not a new trend, juicing could potentially generate renewed interest in nutricosmetics, particularly since gadgets such as the Nutribullet, designed to blend nourishing juices, have entered mainstream consciousness.” says Mills. “Indeed, natural ingredients endorsed as superfoods and those used to make much-lauded green smoothies, could be promoted as beneficial to skin health and incorporated in beauty product formulations.”
According to Canadean’s research, 71 per cent of consumers globally believe superfruits, such as blueberries, to be effective in beauty and grooming products. No doubt with this level of nutritional following, brands will be getting their R&D departments to work on delivery systems to get these superfoods working for the skin topically too.
For the full Canadian report, head here.