Nutritional supplements to bring out beauty from within

27 Sep 2017 --- Beauty through nutrition is a topic that has arguably long been underexplored outside of Asia. However, there is no shortage of companies or products looking to bring this trend to the rest of the world in different ways. Today, in the first part of a special report, NutritionInsight looks at the hottest ingredients in the beauty-from-within space.

Collagen coveted worldwide
Collagen is definitely on trend in beauty foods. According to Innova Market Insights statistics, steady growth in food & beverage products with collagen has been tracked over the past ten years, with an annual growth rate in new launches of 33 percent.

“There is no doubt that key new ingredients on the rise are going to be the collagen peptides,” says Cindy Dekeyser, PB Gelatins/PB Leiner Sales & Marketing Strategy.

“In Asia you have a very high acceptance of beauty foods and drinks so you can have collagen teas, cookies, chocolates, coffee, waters, etc,” says Dekeyser. “It’s also because it’s linked to traditional medicine in certain parts of Asia, where a specific foodstuff is already linked to a health benefit or a beauty benefit.”

Collagen can indeed be seen in a wide variety of skin health products, a traditional use for collagen in products in Asia, according to Innova Market Insights’ findings. Gummies and jellies dominate the application of collagen in functional confectionery, and as consumers around the world look for more permissible indulgence, this remains a category for novel applications, Innova notes.

Attractive up-and-coming ingredients
As research continues to reveal just how diet and appearance interact, product developers are also following the evidence to produce further ingredients that deliver considerable skincare benefits. One of the most exciting is the carotenoid antioxidant astaxanthin.

Algatech’s AstaPure astaxanthin is used in many cosmetics and skin care applications due to its functional characteristics, according to Denise Dembovsky, Marketing Communications Manager at Algatechnologies. It is being consumed in topical application as well as in oral supplements.

“Studies examined astaxanthin’s ability to improve skin moisture and elasticity, and to decrease the appearance of fine lines and age spots,” says Dembovsky, adding that FujiFilm Japan has developed a well-known line of products for anti-aging, skin care and cosmetic applications ‘in and out’ called AstaLift based on AstaPure natural astaxanthin.

“The mechanism of action of astaxanthin is explained by its strong antioxidant capacity and its protective effects against sun irradiation,” adds Dembovsky. “In vitro studies have demonstrated that astaxanthin improves the function of mitochondria and has good protective effects on human fibroblasts. In that way, it can protect skin cells from free radicals and preserve the collagen layer which results in smooth and youthful appearance of the skin. The results indicate that astaxanthin has promising anti-wrinkle effects and that it can be helpful in reducing the skin aging process (Yamashita 2002).”

As a producer of natural astaxanthin, AstaReal is certainly experiencing increased interest and demand for high-performance nutricosmetic ingredients that are backed by science, according to Maryanne Mburu, Key Account Manager at AstaReal AB.

“Natural astaxanthin has been on the scene for some time and has long been a ‘go-to’ ingredient for beauty-from-within products,” Mburu says. “Our research has shown remarkable results in wrinkle reduction, improved moisture and texture, UV protection and inhibition of skin damage. Our commitment to clinical research has contributed to our continued success within the category as consumers are actively seeking out evidence based products with a range of positive effects.”

As the beauty-from-within space continues to grow, so too does the need to develop new and innovative product delivery formats, Mburu asserts. Of special interest in this area is the development of astaxanthin-based products in a range of forms such as sachets, gummies, chewable tablets and effervescent tablets.

Recently, AstaReal introduced Bold & Beautiful, which is described as a chocolate containing 1mg AstaReal natural astaxanthin (halal and kosher certified). The cocoa and astaxanthin is a combination of the two powerful antioxidants, which effectively benefits skin health and overall appearance.

At Vitafoods Asia, Vincent Woods, the company’s Singapore-based president spoke to NutritionInsight.

“Astaxanthin is really coming into its own field and some of the interesting trends for it is in the area of fatigue. We now understand that astaxanthin goes straight to the mitochondria, which are the energy systems of the body. That lends it to both the fatigue and cognitive abilities markets, which we see as growing areas of interest in both sports nutrition and cognitive health,” Woods noted.

Meanwhile, Evolva is seeing an increasing number of customers in the space looking to develop products with its Veri-te resveratrol, according to Clare Panchoo, Sales and Marketing Manager (Nutrition) at Evolva.

“The clinical data behind resveratrol is significant and compelling,” Panchoo says. “Studies indicate that it is not only resveratrol’s powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that have an effect on skin youthfulness, but also the action resveratrol has on mitochondria at a cellular level [that helps] rejuvenate skin. Results of the clinical trials suggest resveratrol can decrease wrinkles, pigmentation and oxidative stress and increase skin moisture levels and elasticity.”

“One of the most exciting products launched in this space last year is by our customer, Nutrinovate, an innovative Swedish company which has a patented resveratrol oral film strip product range, Reserol,” continues Panchoo. “Other customers have bestseller skin care ranges with resveratrol and are now developing or have launched a resveratrol capsule product to meet this beauty inside-and-out trend.”

Multiple scientific findings are being harnessed to create new ingredients and applications, according to Golan Raz, Head of Global Health Division, Lycored: “A good example is the discovery of a strong synergistic effect achieved by combining lycopene from tomatoes with carnosic acid from rosemary. Together, these two natural ingredients trigger multiple physical benefits for skin health and beauty and this is the basis of Lycoderm, our proprietary carotenoid blend.”

“Such discoveries are also a good foundation for different delivery systems,” Raz adds. “One of the most recent applications is vegan soft-gels which use a tapioca-based formula as a replacement for gelatin. Another interesting range of applications are emulsions, which allow natural carotenoids like lycopene, astaxanthin and lutein to be used in water-based products like fruit juices and smoothies.”

Elsewhere, Naturex has extended its beauty foods range of skin care solutions with its “Energy Boost” collection, made up of two concepts formulated with cornelian and acerola cherry extracts.

Cornelian cherry is an antioxidant-rich fruit used in traditional Chinese medicine that Naturex says is in tune with two of the major current trends in cosmetics – superfruits and “Asianification.” Naturex points out that the antioxidant power and skin care benefits of cornelian cherry are well established. For example, in vitro studies have shown that it stimulates an increase of 710 percent in the production of catalase, an enzyme that protects the skin from oxidative damage.

The acerola cherry is well known for its very high vitamin C content and antioxidant power, according to Naturex. Widely recognized as a star among today’s trendy superfruits, the acerola powder extract has been shown to have 26 times more antioxidant activity than orange.

Stay tuned for the second part of this report which will focus on regional differences as well as the challenges and differences in the beauty-from-within space.

By Lucy Gunn and Paul Creasy