Melissa Meisel • Associate Editor
GOLDEN SEAWEED, coconut oil and snail slime? Ingredients once considered exotic, or even bizarre, are common- place in personal care products formulated from prestige
to the mass market. And calling out hero ingredients, regardless
of what they are is hot right now, noted Larissa Jensen, executive
director and beauty industry analyst at The NPD Group in Port
Washington, NY. According to NPD, Q2 skin care sales increased
6% to $1.4 billion.
Furthermore, “food-to-face” ingredients include everything
but the kitchen sink, according to market research firm Mintel in
its report, Skincare Ingredients and Format Trends. This wellness
trend is driven by the association between diet and skin, as well
as consumer interest in natural offerings. Food-inspired ingredients commonly found in skin care over the past few years have
included coconut oil, argan oil and almond oil as well as dairy-based ingredients such as yogurt, according to Mintel. More recently, brands have expanded food-ingredient claims, infusing
products with everything from tomatoes to coffee!
Dr. Arielle Kauvar, a clinical professor of dermatology, New
York University School of Medicine, New York, noted that components such as manuka honey, curry and turmeric are known
for their anti-inflammatory properties while niacinamide/vitamin
B3 improves skin barrier repair and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
The also-popular hyaluronic acid, at a low molecular weight, improves skin permeability, he said.
According to a recent Think with Google beauty trends report,
the top skin care concerns among Americans are healing acne
scars and detoxifying skin. Furthering their research, the study
gathered a list of the top trending skin care ingredients to heal
such concerns, such as clay, micellar water and rose hip. Some of
these products, such as Botanics sold at Target and Walgreens, are
even easily found in the mass market.
While today’s consumers continue to show a preference for
natural or naturally-derived products, they also consider high efficiency as a must-have feature in cosmetic products, according to
Nikola Matic, Kline’s chemicals and materials industry director.
From Near and Far
Coconut oil is still all the rage in
formulating beauty products.
Unique components from around the globe
are making their way into personal care
products stateside.