Spa Trend 2018? Beauty from Within: Nutricosmetics and Beauty Supplements
‘True beauty is the beauty from within…’ sounds like a cliche? Well, you might argue, why then do we use thousands of external beauty products on a daily basis?
For full and shiny hair.
For a radiant complexion.
For smooth skin.
For groomed hands and nails.
Yet those cremes and lotions seem to be so yesterday, the new skin care products work from within. Is nutricosmetics the new trend, located somewhere between food and medicine, a cross between nutrition and skin care? According to Karen Grant, NPD’s global industry analyst for beauty, the category has doubled within the last two years. The annual revenue worldwide with beauty supplements is said to be 133 Billion USD, and on the rise!
Nutricosmetics is not simply beauty food
Beauty foods, such as spinach, kale, walnuts etc have been known and used for decades. Antioxidants in raisins, isoflavones in edamame, polyphenols in parsley…
Yet nutricosmetics goes beyond: those beauty enhancing ingredients are now available in concentrated forms as powder, drinks, and pills. Which means, nutricosmetics are supplements that are said to enhance beauty. And said to be the new frontier in beauty.
Does Beauty start with Health?
Our modern understanding of beauty is looking healthy. Strong. Natural. Something I have described in my article “Pampering is out, healthcare is in”. Is health now equivalent with beauty? It looks like the boundaries merge somehow, at least in the perceptions of modern consumers.
My Self Test
Careful about what I put on my skin or ingest, for my self test, I have chosen the anti ageing beauty drink ‘Regulatpro Hyaluron” with hyaluronic acid by Niedermayer Pharma, a company I find trustworthy. I have written about their unique and patented cascade fermentation here.
Look and Packaging
The small 20 ml glass bottles are sized for daily doses, one pack contains 20 bottles with plastic caps. To be honest, I find the packaging a little too much, heavy, luxurious. However I also understand, that today’s manufacturers design packaging for Instagram pictures… On the other side, the small bottles are easy to handle, easy to bring along if need be, and can be fully recycled. I drink the content straight from the small bottle, no cup or spoon needed. And no risk of cutting yourself, like you may sometimes find with glass ampules where you have to break the glass top off.
Taste
None of those nutricosmetics actually taste good. Gourmet is not the point. It is about health and dedication and perseverance. I find the vegan Regulatessenz actually to be one of the better tasting ones, it reminds me of fermented cherry juice. Although advised by the manufacturer for best results, Although advised by the manufacturer for best results, I cannot drink it on my empty stomach, but am fine consuming it with or after a meal.
Studies and Research
Whereas some manufacturers refer to proven result through studies and research, some scientists are rather critical.
Beauty supplements are not equivalent to medicine and drugs, hence not checked and regulated alike. Manufacturers are free in adding ingredients and amounts as to their liking. Most applicable cremes and lotions have to undergo stronger checks than ingestible beauty supplements.
Yet, as always when talking about beauty products, it is all about personal perception, isn’t it?
How many times have you heard from a friend that swears by xyz product for her skin, or a certain supplement etc.? How many times have we experienced immediate results, or long lasting effects from a certain product or treatment, where there was no scientific evidence?
Ingredients
The list of ingredients reads like my veggie market shopping list plus hyaluronic acid and biotin. No objections here.
Effect
And so have I experienced the skin on my neck to be smoother, less wrinkled after about 14 days of drinking Regulatessenz. And after another week or so, I realised that my facial skin became more refined, softer, and tightened.
‘The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.’ Audrey Hepburn
Placebo works
Wether it is a daily I-am-beautiful mantra, or a favourite creme, or the beauty drink… if it works for me, it works for me!
Business Opportunity
Dietary supplements are projected to reach $220.3 billion by 2022 according to Zion Market Research.
Are you one of those skincare professionals that are realising the importance of supporting the skin from the inside?
Do you see a business opportunity for nutricosmetics in your Spa?
