Beauty Foods: Do they provide beauty from within?
By Esayo Tetteh
Beauty foods, functional foods and engineered foods
Is this just another trend or fad to boost sales for the cosmetic and food industries; yet another ploy to garner consumer’s bucks?
Yet another vehicle and strategy to get a product sold?
With the organic, going green, alternative medicine phenomena at full throttle, the food and beverage industry seems to have joined the flurry in subscribing to the Beauty from within trend.
This trend seems to have evolved as a result of the savvy consumer who lives by the adage ‘prevention is better than cure’ or more commonly, preventive care.
This consumer prefers non-invasive ‘natural’ therapies for the skin, hair and nails that can be taken during the course of the day, are affordable and easy to use.
Not only must the product be natural, affordable and convenient to use, it must be multi-functional and provide visible results in the short term.
Beauty can be achieved from within
The concept ‘beauty from within’ perpetuates the idea that physical improvements to the hair, skin and nails can be achieved through nutrient-infused foods and drinks.
They are protein supplements, antioxidants, detoxifiers, after-sun repair incorporated into your favourite food, dessert or drink.
When food and drinks contain ingredients with proven medicinal and skin enhancing properties such as aloe vera, vitamin E or antioxidants, they can claim to have skin-enhancing properties if this claim can be proven clinically.
The Beauty Foods Industry
This billion-dollar industry comprises cosmeceuticals[i], neutraceuticals[ii], health and wellness products, sports drinks, flavoured waters and indulgence foods like chocolate, nuts, cake and yoghurt.
To be labelled a beauty food, the raw ingredients must not be harmful, must be food grade and the manufacturing site must be ISO (International Organisation for Standards) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) certified.
Beauty foods can provide nutritional, medical or health benefits or even prevent or treat disease. To substantiate these claims, beauty foods must undergo clinical trials.
How to feed your skin, nails and hair from within?
Well, here are some ingredients that might change the way you snack during your coffee break:
Collagen: How best can one ingest the body’s most important protein in the most pleasurable way?
Normally associated with skin and hair products and known for its role in strengthening and improving the skin’s elasticity and hair follicles.
Today, collagen in your latte or cappuccino might give you shiny healthy hair and, is now a key ingredient in Nescafe’s, 3 in 1, Low fat, collagen coffee.
Dark chocolate: Known to contain stearic acid, the ‘good fat’ which does not raise the blood cholesterol level, has now been proven to have anti-ageing properties and contributes towards the improvement of the skin’s elasticity.
Lycopene:Another ingredient making headlines as a primary beauty nutrient that boosts the skin from within. It is the pigment responsible for the bright colours in fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes and found in high quantities in tomato paste.
Studies have shown that lycopene provides the skin protection from sun-induced ageing and sunburn so don't forget to eat all your veggies!
The future of beauty foods?
Wouldn’t you like shaving cream that tastes like whipped cream and makes your face and underarms silky smooth? Ugh, maybe not.
But, organic shaving foams that serve as bath gel, shampoo and facial wash are on the market.
There are also anti-acne chocolate bars, chewing gum that scents the skin, anti ageing cereal bars, preventive ageing skincare products and, beauty and sun protection in powder form.
This ‘beauty from within’ trend has given rise to yet another trend; ‘the skin that you wear’; clothing and bed linen with protective skin enhancing properties such as UV blocking, revolutionizing the boundaries of the skincare industry.
In Asia, particularly Japan and China as well as Europe and America, this is a billion dollar industry and still expanding.
Beauty foods in these countries, can be found in the food and beverage aisles, vending machines, health food stores, upmarket supermarkets and health and beauty stores.
This industry continues to flourish as new innovations and technological breakthroughs are made and is moving towards authentically natural products and probiotics[iii]. It is also going mainstream, targeting the young consumer through preventive care.
So now, your cosmetic ingredient label could read: sugar, chocolate, tea, and water.
P.S. A nice piece of dark chocolate will not hurt, nor a cup of collagen infused café latte if they are proven to strengthen the bones, smoothen the skin and not raise your cholesterol level. Enjoy!
Sources:
[i]Cosmeceuticals:adj. 1. ‘Beauty Foods’. 2.Cosmetic products with a proven nutritional value with cosmetic results.
[ii]Neutraceuticals 1. Food and food products that provides medical and health benefits
[iii]Probiotics 1. Live micro-organisms that confer health benefits to the host
Copyright ©2011 Esayo Tetteh. All Rights Reserved.
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