A large number of global and local manufacturers from the nutraceutical, nutritional & dietary supplement, and pharmaceutical fields are making cosmeceutical and nutricosmetic products to leverage the overlaps in concepts and technologies.

The intersection of nutritionals and pharmaceuticals brings about nutraceuticals, while the overlap of cosmetics with pharmaceuticals yields cosmeceuticals. Nutritionals when juxtaposed with cosmetics generates nutricosmetics.

Ingredients for natural self-care products – nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals and nutricosmetics – are often the same or similar. These products may be formulated from one or more or the following ingredients or ingredient categories: omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids (e.g. lycopene, beta carotene; astaxanthin), vitamins (retinoids, ascorbic acid, and tocopherols), collagen-peptide, CoQ10, green tea extracts, phytosterols, and fruit extracts.

The Ingredients Value Chain

1Established
Established by Medical/Scientific Research
  • Natural self-care products, and the active ingredients in them, need to provide evidence of efficacy and safety through well-designed research.
  • Such bodies of research are accumulating today across the globe. For instance, there is voluminous scientific data published on health benefits of effects of omega-3 fatty acids, peptides, collagen, aloe vera etc.
  • This has led to early adoption of natural ingredients that are used to formulate natural self-care products.
2Natural
Natural and Related Labels
  • Organic raw materials, extracts and derivatives have increasing demand in dermatological and skin care formulations.
  • “Natural”, “Certified Organic”, “Vegetarian” products are positioned as niche high-value segments. Consumers perceive that they do not contain harmful chemical derivatives, and are also effective naturally without causing the side effects of conventional pharmaceuticals.
3Multi-functional
Multi-functional Ingredients & Formulations
Established by Medical/Scientific Research

Around 16% of the topical or skin-care products (creams, lotions etc.) introductions in the last five years are claimed to be multi-functional.

 

Examples include

  • Polymeric emulsifiers that not only stabilize high oil content, but also provide desirable sensory effects.
  • Emulsion stabilizers that have additional conditioning benefits to the skin, sustained release of active ingredients and exceptional skin feel.
4Evolving Consumer Awareness
Evolving Consumer Awareness
  • Consumer expectations are leaning towards individualism and freedom products that reflect their personality traits and sense of fashion and style.
  • Products customized for specific skin types and tones, conditions and respect for ethnic differences are trending today
5Development of Novel Delivery Systems
Development of Novel Delivery Systems
  • Multi-purpose delivery systems are being developed to help leverage the multi-functionality trend in the skin care segment.

  • Nano- and micro- systems (carriers, films and emulsions) are now being developed apart from the more established systems such as liposomes, emulsions and lipid carriers.

boxes
New Product Forms
  • Products that were once available only as creams and lotions are now also formulated into oral tables and capsules to support the topical therapies.
  • Lotions and creams of collagen and hyaluronic acid are made to support the mainly injectable therapy used on a patient or cosmetology client.