Cosmeceuticals are targeting the skin-care market in myriad ways. But among their many avenues of reach, Cosimo Palumbo, sales area manager for North America at Indena S.p.A., named three areas that are gaining traction within the market: anti-inflammatory products—inflammation not as an acute event, but as a silent and chronic event, which is now being observed as one of the worst causes of aging and long-term tissue damage; urban pollution products—antipollution active ingredients that may protect the skin from external pollutants (heavy metals, free radicals, etc.); and healthy aging for Millennials.

Given that food trends often translate into beauty trends, it’s no surprise Natural Marketing Institute’s (NMI) 2014 Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability (LOHAS) Database® revealed 50 percent of consumers said it is very/somewhat important that their personal care products are genetically modified organism (GMO)-free. But it doesn’t stop there, as the move to organic and natural ingredients has been pacing for years.

“The quest for novel topical delivery systems for bioactives with emphasis on ‘natural’ and ‘safe’ is an area of dynamic research in the cosmeceutical industry," said Shaheen Majeed, marketing director, Sabinsa Corp.

And indeed, several personal care companies have been keeping these trends in mind when developing new ingredients and delivery technologies to ensure enhanced bioavailability and efficacy.

Topical + Oral = Beauty’s Sweet Spot

The global nutricosmetics market is projected to reach US$7.4 billion by 2020, according to Global Industry Analysts Inc.’s (GIA) report, “Nutricosmetics: A Global Strategic Business Report." This growth, according to the market research firm, is driven by the beauty-from-within trend and consumers’ preference for oral nutritional supplements for appearance maintenance.

Ready-to-drink (RTD) beauty beverages are experiencing the strongest growth in the nutricosmetics market, according to GIA. Some popular varietals and ingredients include herbal teas (black, red and green), fortified waters (with vitamins A, E, C, zinc and selenium) and exotic fruit juices (such as pomegranate, acai and goji).

“Consumers are searching for innovative products that can provide both an aspect of convenience—supplements, drink and other foods, for example—but also deliver anti-aging benefits," said Mai Nygaard, global director of Peptan®, Rousselot. “We are seeing a growth in popularity of active ingredients such as collagen peptides. In Asia, particularly Japan, consumers are already taking collagen peptides via a variety of delivery formats such as functional foods—collagen gummies, jellies, etc."