Whether these creations are called “nutricosmetics”, “oral cosmeceuticals” or “nutricosmeceuticals” they are aimed at satisfying the hunger for better and younger appearance. If these so-called beauty food ingredients really change the structure of skin, they should be considered drugs according to the US Food and Drug Administration regulations,
If they don’t make consumers more beautiful or slow their skins’ aging, then they are just products being falsely advertised. The problem is that edible beauty ingredients may be harmless or even good for the body but not as magical beautifiers or anti-aging potions. Chances are purchasers will just swallow a dream.
Dream of Ageless Beauty
In these troubled times, however, a dream of ageless beauty may be worth it. Certainly it is worth it to the cosmetic manufacturers. The beauty food market hit $1.5 billion in 2008, according to Euromonitor International. The following are some of the popular edible cosmetic ingredients available:
- Collagen, a favorite ingredient in anti-aging edibles, is a protein found in connective tissues--usually derived from animals---for cosmetics. The collagen fibers in connective tissues of the skin undergo changes from aging and overexposure to the sun that contribute to the appearance of wrinkles and other outward signs of aging. According to medical experts it cannot affect our skin’s own collagen when applied topically but what about if we ingest it?
- Fruit Snacks containing dried mango, pineapple, papaya and cranberries coated with collagen are being sold by Kracie Foods, a Japanese company that targets women in the 20 – 50 age group looking to enhance their skin health.
- ·Anti-Aging Water will soon be available on American shelves. Frutarom along with the French-based company, Copalis, are producing Collactive composed of marine collagen and elastin peptides designed to” minimize fine lines and wrinkles while improving skin hydration.”
- Hyaluronic acid (HA) is another popular ingredient in beauty foods. It is a sugar compound present in all connective tissue in vertebrates. In humans it is found in high concentrations in the skin. A Chinese company, Hangzhou Gosun Biotechnologies Co. Ltd, claims topical usage of HA can offer water retention and lubrication only on the surface of the skin but oral HA can increase inner body HA by digestion and absorption and make the skin “moist, bright, and springy.”
- Ceramides are also popular in nutricosmeceuticals and they occur naturally in skin fats. These lipids have a role in the barrier properties of the skin, limiting loss of water and at the same time preventing ingress of harmful substances. Ceramides are used in hair and skin conditioners.
- ·Tea. There are of course hundreds of reported health benefits for tea but an Australian company has launched Tea Tonic Complexion Tea, a herbal tea that claims to "revitalize each cell" of the body and make skin luminous. Another new beauty product launched in Australia is Tea Tonic's Complexion, which claims to help "revitalize each cell of the body within, and is a positive step towards achieving beautiful luminous skin and a fabulous complexion."
- Aloe Vera is in a compound, marketed by Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods, a large Russian producer of food products. Neo Beauty, a dairy drink containing the aloe vera and is the first functional food product of its kind on the Russian market. The producer claims it provides a healing, strengthening and regenerating effects on the skin, hair and nails Aloe Vera gel has long been topically applied in folk medicine for burns and other skin problems but according to the medical literature may cause intestinal cramps when ingested.
Chocolate Fights Pimples
Chocolate, once believed to be the cause of acne is now though to fight pimples. Frutels, a New York company, has combined its vitamin formula inside a dark chocolate that “combats stress, battles hormonal fluctuations, and boost immunity” — all of which is claimed to stop pimple breakouts. Intelligent Nutrients, a Minneapolis company is selling another beauty chocolate using “100% food-based, organically certified ingredients in an antioxidant-infused chocolate bar. The target? The skin! Intelligent Nutrients sells to medical spas, salons and boutique retailers.
There are glitches on the road to marketing nutricosmeceuticals. Olay, Avon and Danone entered the American beauty food market but were forced to exit because of unsatisfactory sales.
Proper nutrition is, of course, important to healthy skin and edible beauty cosmetics may prove useful. The most clever beauty food to swallow right now, however, is probably a California Company Borba’s,’s Inside-Out vitamin and mineral-infused lipstick with a gel-based outer core to deliver long-lasting pigment coverage plus an inner core that delivers the nutrients
The next column will be about huge market for functional drinks to pep you up or calm you down.
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