Beverages Touting Healthy Skin Show Potential for Growth

By Shahana Jahangir, Nerac Analyst
Some new terms are making their way into our vocabulary, driven by growing consumer interest in health and beauty. First we had functional foods and nutraceuticals: foods and beverages for which health-promoting or disease-preventing claims are made. Now words such as cosmeceutical, nutra-cosmeceutical and skin-gestible have been coined to denote products containing nutrients that can be absorbed quickly into the blood stream to enhance beauty. Nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and probiotics are used in cosmetic products for softening, firming, hydrating, clarifying, and replenishing the skin.

At first blush, the idea of integrating cosmetic benefits into foods and beverages may seem far-fetched. Some dermatologists and other health care professionals are skeptical about such claims. The companies making cosmeceuticals insist their products have been tested and show great promise. A variety of companies in the food, beverage, and cosmetic industries recognize the marketing potential of products that claim to help women look young and beautiful forever. Also, the high cost of pharmaceuticals and their potential for adverse side effects has contributed to a growing consumer perception that nutra-cosmeceutical foods and beverages are less toxic, more effective, and less expensive.

The proliferation of beauty drinks or cosmeceutical beverages in the past 12 to 18 months is just the beginning. While the current market is small with just a handful of players, it includes some of the world’s largest companies, and the forecast for growth over the next two years is tremendous.

The Theory Behind Cosmeceuticals
A consensus is developing that various nutrients improve health and can help prevent disease. But the clinical evidence linking specific nutrients with specific health benefits is far from definitive. With cosmeceuticals, the relationship between nutrients and the resulting beauty benefits being claimed is even more speculative, but that has not prevented companies from touting these benefits. Only when clinical testing is undertaken and completed will consumers be able to make informed decisions. For now, beauty claims remain primarily a marketing device, albeit an effective one.

For instance, aloe vera, one of the world’s ancient natural ingredients, is touted as an ingredient that cleanses and detoxifies, and acts as an anti-aging and anti-wrinkle medium. It usually is found in ointments, creams, and lotions applied directly to the skin, but its efficacy when taken internally, is unclear.

Other ingredients being promoted in cosmeceuticals include artichoke extract, which is said to aid digestion and support liver and gallbladder function; green tea, which contains antioxidants purported to maintain health and prevent diseases; vitamin B5, which is claimed to maintain healthy-looking skin by reducing cellular stress; rhodiola rosea, which is marketed as an ingredient that reduces stress and anxiety and boosts mental and physical energy; gotu kola, which is said to stimulate collagen synthesis; phytonutrients, chemical compounds derived from fruits and vegetables believed to possess protective, disease-preventing properties; and probiotics, live microorganisms that work in the digestive tract.

New Products and Major Players
Nutra-cosmeceutical beverages are a global phenomenon, enticing big beverage companies and niche players alike. In Japan, for example, beauty drinks with amino acids, sparkling malt beverages from pure deep ocean water, vegetable drinks, milk with bacteria and lactic acid are marketed to play off the mystique of Asia.

In the United Kingdom, T&T Beverages launched a flavored water in 2005, h2eauplus, aimed at busy, health and beauty-conscious women. It contains dietary fiber, aloe vera extract, artichoke extract, and lemon juice, in addition to vitamins and minerals. It is marketed as “beauty from within” that is a pairing of cosmetics and beauty to help build consumer confidence.

And in September, the Russian company, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods launched Neo Beauty, its first innovative beauty drink. It touts a unique formula with aloe vera, anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins targeting skin, hair, and nails.

Here are some other beverages making beauty claims that have been launched over the last few years:

• New York-based SkinCola launched the first so-called skincare beverage in 2003. SkinCola is a vitamin-infused oxygenated beverage that claims to boost the immune system and promote cell growth and repair.
• In 2004, Coca-Cola and Japanese cosmetic maker Shiseido co-launched LoveBody, a diet drink based on Shiseido’s aroma theory. The drink’s fragrances supposedly uncouple proteins that burn neutral fat.
• In November 2006, Coca-Cola and Nestlé launched a sparkling green tea beverage, Enviga, that claims to help burn 60-100 extra calories if taken three times daily.
• Yokuasa Purun, launched in Japan as “Wellness from Coca-Cola” in July 2006, is marketed as a beauty drink for women wanting attractive skin with a soft, velvety feel.
• Coke also partnered with L’Oreal and will be launching Lumaé, a beauty drink expected to target influential, rich, active and image-conscious women over 25.
• Minnesota-based Andrea Beverage Co. developed Nutrisoda as a “healthy carbonate” primarily aimed at women to improve the skin’s elasticity and firmness. Promoted as “the ultimate beauty beverage,” it contains lysine, proline and arginine, plus extracts of gotu kola and the carrotlike root of pennywort plant to stimulate and maintain the body’s collagen production.
• California-based Borba, which recently signed a distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch, developed a line of skin beautifying drinks that use micro-encapsulation technology to deliver the phytonutrients to the skin.

Other Nutra-Cosmeceutical Foods
Cosmeceuticals are not confined to beverages. Some recent product launches include beautifying nutrients in snacks, cheese, milk and yogurt to benefit hair and skin. Borba offers Skin Balance Gummie Bears that “help the skin regenerate its natural support system.” Ecco Bella’s Health developed Chocolate Instant Bliss Beauty Bar for beautiful skin. Yogurt maker Groupe Danone recently introduced Essesis, a yogurt fortified with green tea extract and vitamin E to improve skin care.

The emergence of nutra-cosmeceutical beverages taps into advances in dermatology research, such as studies on green tea and antioxidants, which are thought to help prevent skin cancer and may be used in skin care creams in the future. Nestle and L’Oreal created Innov brand which includes InnovFirmness, a three-pill-a-day supplement to improve “dermal density and skin microstructure.” Spa Nutrition introduced a line of products under the name, SequenceXO, based on the concept of spa healing.

Chocolate for Your Skin
Confectionery product launches that claim cosmeceutical benefits are likely to grow radically in 2008. There is a growing trend among women with a sweet tooth to go for snack bars such as Ecco Bella’s Health by Chocolate Instant Bliss Beauty Bar for beautiful skin. Manufacturers will be marketing their chocolate snacks as a quick oral delivery format for nutrients.

According to a Datamonitor report on U.S. functional foods, so-called beauty foods will grow 38 percent to $40 billion in 2008. A Business Insight report says that “1.0 percent of all soft drinks launched in 2002 were cosmeceutical products and by 2006 this share increased to 1.6 percent.” Following the early French Contrex Beauté brand of anti-aging/cosmetic water, first launched in 2000, a host of drinks are driving the trend with claims for beauty benefits, in addition to hydration. Also, a variety of fruit juices offer antioxidants claiming to protect against free radical induced skin aging.

Innovation Accelerates
A visit to Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Food Expo in July provided ample evidence that accelerating innovation in the food industry and the cross pollination of food, health and pharmaceuticals are long-term trends.

Nutra-cosmeceuticals are the direct result of the marriage between food and engineering technologies, such as nanotechnology, nano-encaspsulation, microencapsulation, and gelatin technology. Every day new inventions for new products and technologies with more applications are being announced. Consumers are seeking higher quality of life, their food and beverage expectations are growing beyond health and beauty. Thus, I would conclude that the “quick fix” attitude of the consumer or the convenience of sipping a beverage out of a bottle or eating a snack which would help women look young and beautiful forever would be purchased at any cost.