For skincare consumers, feeling healthy trumps looking young: Lycored survey

10 Oct 2017 --- Only 14 percent of consumers list appearing younger as one of their reasons for using skincare products, and only 18 percent are motivated by a desire to look attractive. This is according to a new report from Lycored exploring the growing popularity of supplements for skincare. By contrast, 79 percent said they used products to keep their skin healthy, and 62 percent said they used products to feel good about themselves.

The global carotenoid specialists surveyed 480 consumers in France and the UK. The survey was conducted online in March 2017 and involved 240 consumers in France and 240 in the UK. All had purchased a skincare product over the past 12 months.

The research also reveals high awareness of the importance of nutrition for skincare. Consumers were asked which single factor they considered most important to the health of their skin. Healthy diet was the clear winner, chosen as the most important factor by 43 percent of respondents, followed by avoiding too much sun exposure (22 percent), living a stress-free life (18 percent) and exercise (15 percent).

“The global skincare market is in the midst of a revolution. There has been a major shift from appearance to health, and from outside to inside. Consumers understand that beauty comes from within and that healthy skin is about what you put into your body. Because of these changing perceptions, the ingestible skincare category is increasingly important,” says Zev Ziegler, Vice President of Brand & Marketing at Lycored.

Lycored also asked consumers which factors most influenced them when choosing a skincare product. Affordability ranked highest (64 percent), but consumers also expressed a strong preference for naturality. Fifty-six percent of consumers overall – and 63 percent of those in France – said they were likely to be influenced to buy a skincare product if it was made from natural ingredients.

In a recent NutritionInsight report on beauty from within, Golan Raz, Head of Global Health Division at Lycored, highlighted consumer demand for natural ingredients as well as the opportunities for beauty-from-within suppliers. The ingestible skincare space presents the biggest opportunity, according to Raz. 

“Most cosmetic companies are still focused on traditional topical products, but the power of beauty from within is just waiting to be harnessed,” Raz says. “Also, consumer awareness is rapidly growing with more and more product launches and successful scientific discoveries.”

The category report, Beyond Skin Deep, highlights a strong preference for ingredients supported by clinical research. Forty-four percent of consumers said this was likely to influence them when choosing a skincare product.

Lycoderm, Lycored’s proprietary carotenoid blend for skincare supplements, is specially designed to foster overall skin wellness from the inside out. It combines natural lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene from tomatoes with carnosic acid from rosemary leaf. It has been proven safe and effective in several clinical trials.

Anuga 2017 featured a number of innovative beauty-from-within products, including Uludag Premium's hydration products based on mineral water (pictured). The Turkish beverage manufacturer is expanding into the non-beverage space with a range of aerosol sprays fortified with vitamins and sun protection. One of the versions is fortified with vitamin E, known to benefit skin health, while a sun-protection variant offers SPF factor 30 protection, serving as an alternative to topical creams. Stay for our Anuga 2017 picture review, which will showcase innovation at the world's biggest food and beverage show.

By Lucy Gunn