Nutricosmetics market and the edible suncare

Nutricosmetics market is a huge and fast growing market with the trend (almost as always) starting in Asia. About 8 years ago as I sent a manuscript about nutricosmetics to a German cosmetic magazine they rejected my article with the reasoning: "most of our readers don't even know what it is."

Anyway, the trend has arrived in the US and EU and anybody who is somebody is private labeling or has swallowed a nutricosmetics manufacturing company.

Basically, nutricosmetics are oral products (mainly tablets, powders and drinks) that boost the "beauty from within".

The association between nutrition, beauty and skin health is even longer than the written history and there is nothing new in this. You can certainly remember some advice from your granny: eat XY for a glowing skin or avoid XZ, it has an adverse effect on your complexion. What is new however, is the ability to separate and process specific active ingredients and to compose high-tech claims.

The most popular ones on the market are:

• carotenoids
• polyphenols
• coenzyme Q10
• collagen and its derivatives
• omega-3 fatty acids
• vitamins
• plant based ceramides

with the main activity in:

• skin whitening
• sun protection
• anti-aging

Although the market is very promising, there is a huge lack of evidence for efficacy and even worse, a huge lack of regulation. Somewhere between food, cosmetics, dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals, nutricosmetics are a little bit of each and not quite any of these categories.

One of the most successful (and confusing claims) is the UV protection and avoiding/ reducing skin damage or reversing the damage caused by UV radiation. Although there are interesting studies (I have listed some of these studies at the end of this post) supporting these claims, most studies are sponsored by suppliers of the active ingredients or finished products. This is something that completely affects the credibility of these studies.

It was just about last week that news came out that the research which announced talcum to be harmless was sponsored by J&J. This means, the credibility of research sponsored by the industry should be considered with a huge dose of caution.

Only a couple of months ago, the FDA issued a statement and a warning regarding the misleading claims of nutricosmetics and dietary supplements with UV-protection claims:

Statement from FDA on new FDA actions to keep consumers safe from the harmful effects of sun exposure, and ensure the long-term safety and benefits of sunscreens

Anyway, as a manufacturer of skincare products, you may be confronted with nutricosmetics, asked by customers about the efficacy or probably have even considered adding nutricosmetics to your line. It's your choice. Just keep in mind that the lack of clear regulations makes it extremely difficult for small players to have a share of the market while complying with the rules.

Some interesting articles:

•  "Rice bran supplement prevents UVB-induced skin photoaging in vivo."

• Dietary proanthocyanidins prevent ultraviolet radiation-induced non-melanoma skin cancer through enhanced repair of damaged DNA-dependent activation of immune sensitivity

• Molecular evidence that oral supplementation with lycopene or lutein protects human skin against ultraviolet radiation: results from a double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled, crossover study

• Protective effects of a novel nutritional and phytonutrient blend on ultraviolet radiation‐induced skin damage and inflammatory response through aging defense mechanisms

BeHappy and have FUN