FOOD INGREDIENTS TREND FOCUS

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Yogurt, spices, bananas and carrots are just some of the food ingredients that have recently been seen as much in the cosmetics sector as in the kitchen. Nadia Di Martino reports
Culinary influences on the cosmetic sector have recently escalated from simple food-inspired products to fully edible cosmetic ranges. Companies like Lush and The Body Shop (LOral) have been incorporating food items such as pomegranate and raspberry into their ranges for years but as entirely edible make-up lines have started to appear there is no denying that this sector has taken a leap forwards. Judi Beerling, technical research manager at Organic Monitor says: Companies tend to use food ingredients in their C&T products due to an increasing demand from consumers for safer, chemical-free products. The advantage from their point of view is that there is no need to try and explain the often quite complex science behind many synthetic ingredients. For their part, consumers can already relate to food ingredients, they understand them well and they trust them. Parabens, synthetic fragrances and synthetic Food ingredients in C&T products: possible issues
Skin irritants Food allergens Cost fluctuation/ availability issues Quality issues Sensory properties Stability Preservation/ contamination
Source: Organic Monitor

colours are among the many ingredients that consumers have become accustomed to identifying as dangerous. Associating food with cosmetics is a powerful marketing tool with consumers easily able to link them with health. Simplicity sells Interestingly, the recent financial meltdown has actually pushed consumers back to their roots when it comes to what they want from their beauty products. They now demand somewhat simpler products not only because of their affordability but also because of the personal reassurance they get from behaving ethically. A more responsible sense of consumerism seems to be on the rise. The return to natural and even homemade beauty treatments has also been ignited by environmental worries. Consumers are more interested in promoting sustainability these days and want to use ethical products which contain ingredients they are familiar with. Meanwhile in the past few years, beauty has evolved into a much more holistic concept which branches out to include diet, health and spirituality as well as simply looking good. Both the popularity

Edible and natural doesnt necessarily mean safe for the skin Nuts, wheat, milk, soy Harvest failure

Food ingredients: the definition

Ingredients suitable for foodstuffs may not be of high enough quality for cosmetics Smell, consistency may be inferior to the synthetic equivalent Product life is likely to be shorter than that of conventional products Difficult to preserve products because of their nutrient properties Any materials that are legally approved and commonly marketed for use in food products G Plants, grains/cereals, oils and fats (and other edible materials) typically eaten historically by humans G Any cosmetic materials that have been derived, either physically or by acceptable (mild) chemical modifications, from a foodbased crop, animal or marine source
G

Source: Organic Monitor

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of cosmetics brands suitable for vegans and vegetarians and the more recent appearance of kosher and halal cosmetics make the link between food and cosmetics even stronger. Says Beerling: We have noticed a growing trend for cosmetic products based on food ingredients plus an increasing number of joint ventures between food and cosmetics companies. Part of this stems from consumer demand but this is all part of a bigger trend for the use of natural and organic ingredients in the cosmetics industry. Natural base The trend for using food ingredients clearly overlaps with the natural and organic markets. Even companies that are not focused on food ingredients still recognise their benefits and are exploring new possibilities. We focus on using natural and fairtrade ingredients but we are working on a range of olive oil products, says Sue Acton, director of new British skin care company Bubble & Balm. Lip products are particularly interesting in this regard. Although there is much debate as to whether skin care ingredients are actually absorbed by the body and the effects this might have, there can be little doubt that lip products are taken in through the mouth. The ingredients used in our lip products are therefore very important to us as a company. Certainly as consumer knowledge of cosmetic ingredients grows, they have started questioning what they are actually ingesting, including parabens, synthetic chemicals and even carmine (crushed insects) with the last often used as a dye in lipsticks and eye shadows. Acton continues: Natural lip products, especially coloured lip products, will always have to meet the challenge of achieving great performance and colour while using natural ingredients. But food ingredients with skin care benefits, especially those that are known to be healthy foods, are sure to play an even greater part in formulations. With cocoa butter, shea butter and olive oil now being Fairtrade certified and suitable for lip product formulation, the benefits of using these ingredients will be even greater. Israeli brand Yes To Carrots ceo Ido Laffer certainly put his money where his mouth is when he recently ate some of his lip balm to show how safe his products are. Yes To Carrots has created a host of paraben-free products for the face, body, hands and hair. All products combine organic fruits and vegetables with Dead Sea minerals. Beside carrots, the antioxidant powers of cucumber and tomato have also been used to create the brands Yes To Cucumbers and Yes To Tomatoes. The cucumber has been mixed with aloe vera to protect and soothe the skin, while the tomatoes have been combined with red tea (rooibos) to limit the effect of free radicals on the skin. The Yes To Tomatoes products are suitable for oily and combination skin, and the ranges Total Treatment Facial Mask is said to absorb serum build-up and promote shine-free skin. Global influence As evidence of the worldwide popularity of the cosmetics/food partnership, many companies all
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Food ingredients: reason to embrace them

Purity and traceability Freshness (in some cases cosmetics may be designed to keep in the fridge) Reduction or elimination of chemical preservatives Hand crafted products Fairtrade ingredients Organic ingredients Possibility to buy local and support a cottage industry
Source: Organic Monitor

Aquolina (Selectiva) offers a range of products for cleansing, moisturising and perfuming the body all based on food ingredients

over the world are getting in on the act. South Korean company Skin Food has made a name for itself by rapidly expanding its business in its neighbouring Asia Pacific markets including Singapore and Hong Kong. Skin Food uses natural ingredients and natural food in its formulations with products ranging from make-up lines, skin care, body and hair treatments. The company has recently launched the new Fresh Fruit Lip & Cheek, a product with pomegranate for cheeks and lips said to make them moist and counteract dryness. Meanwhile, Italian brand Aquolina (Selectiva) is following the same route offering a gourmand selection of toiletries such as the Latte Corpo Marzapane, a body milk featuring marzipan. Its Yogurts line features bath and body products containing milk proteins, lactic acid and milk enzymes that are said to provide the body with much needed nutrients. Peach and apricot, blackberry, orange and vanilla, almond milk, licorice, white chocolate and icing sugar are just some of the ingredient combinations used by Aquolina. Dr. Alkaitis, a US brand launched in the UK last year, has skin care products that are biologically active, edible and freefrom chemicals and synthetic ingredients. The ranges Organic Universal Mask claims to be the ultimate therapeutic treatment mask to cure irritated and inflamed skin while also rejuvenating. The mask is made with active nutrients and by adding water these are brought to life allowing the skin to fully absorb their properties. Dr. Alkaitis suggests mixing the mask with a teaspoon of goats milk yogurt and raw organic honey for additional rejuvenation and hydration. La Prairie (Beiersdorf) employs caviar in one of its skin care lines while Este Lauders Origins brand uses white tea as its key anti-ageing ingredient. Origins is also responsible for the Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins range that saw its Mega Mushroom Face Cream become a best seller. For dry and sensitive skin,
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Just because certain ingredients are allowed in the food chain doesnt mean they are necessarily good for you
DR SALIUS ALKAITIS, DR ALKAITIS

it features chaga mushrooms which are known as medical mushrooms that have been used for centuries in Asian cultures and are said to immediately calm the skin. Safety issues Even though consumers trust food-based cosmetics, safety cant always be taken for granted, as Beerling explains: Edible and natural doesnt necessarily mean safe for the skin. For example perilla oil, valued in Asia for its medicinal benefits and flavour, is a very rich source of omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) but it may also be a significant skin irritant. Allergies and

intolerances must be taken into account too and there may be issues with ingredients containing nuts, milk, soy and wheat. Child safety has also been raised as one of the possible pitfalls of using food ingredients in cosmetics. In fact, some of the food-inspired and food-derived products do actually look like actual food items and the chances are that children could accidentally swallow them. For manufacturers, another potential risk in using food ingredients involves the complications related to product preservation, with the choice of preservatives when using food ingredients being limited, especially when considering that they must be suitable for cosmetics. Natural or food preservatives may also be highly priced while they tend to be less effective and less long lasting than the synthetic ones. At the same time food-based cosmetics tend to contain a lot of water and to be rich in nutrients so demand particular care when it comes to preserving them. Manufacturers cant overlook the possible contamination of raw materials either. Meanwhile consumers need to distinguish between products that are just food

You are what you eat

Sean Campbell is UK director for the American company NOe Cosmetics, a brand that has fully embraced the concept of using food ingredients and that produces entirely edible cosmetics NOe Cosmetics, which stands for Natural Organic Edible, features ingredients that are exclusively derived from edible foodstuffs. We use natural ingredients to make thickeners, stabilisers and preservatives. As our name implies, we require all ingredients to be natural and all our active ingredients are also organic and edible. To emulsify the product we use food ingredients that have natural emulsifying properties. We dont use any colour, either artificial or natural, as we dont believe that it would add to the efficacy of the product. Our products feature vitamins E and C and we incorporate aniseed and fennel as preservatives. NOe products are very different from regular cosmetics both in feel and efficacy and what users gain are ingredients that can be naturally broken down in the body. The problem with lathering yourself with chemicals every day is that up to 60% of them penetrate the skin and go into the bloodstream. Its the buildup of these artificial chemicals in our systems that we believe can have a detrimental effect on the body and cause health issues. However if the ingredients are edible, they can always be processed and expelled by the body naturally. Our ingredients are sourced from different locations. One of the initial difficulties we had is that we formulated products with the samples provided by various companies only to find that several of these ingredients were only available at certain times of the year. So we had to go back and reformulate our products with alternative ingredients. There are also some other disadvantages in using food ingredients. As I mentioned, the products feel different in most instances and consumers initially need to become familiar with the feel and texture of the products. The formulas will not last quite as long as chemical formulations generally they have a shelf life of up to one year less than mainstream products. Many ingredients we would like to have available are not currently food-based or edible so we don't use them and we are unable to manufacture conditioners. So we can manufacture a shampoo but not a conditioner and we are aware that this needs to change going forwards. Our most popular products are our shampoos, washes and hand washes. Their primary formula is a mixture of sugar and water so if consumers dont like any of them they have the advantage that they can still use them on pancakes! They are naturally sweet and even though our products are not made on purpose to taste good, due to our use of sugar, they do naturally taste good. We hope that the trend to use food ingredients develops even further as this will benefit us. Theres no reason why our ingredients should not be safe and natural. My advice to consumers is that they should choose food ingredient-based products because they break down easily in the body. Edible C&T lines like ours are significantly better than chemical products or essential oils many of which cant be eliminated from our bodies so easily.

NOe Cosmetics products are particularly loved by mums who prefer their children to use edible and safe toiletries

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inspired and those that are actually made using food ingredients. For instance Dr Salius Alkaitis, founder of Dr. Alkaitis, specifies that: A food derived ingredient still refers to a synthetic chemical ingredient and therefore its not used in my lines. All of my ingredients are edible and therefore could be considered food ingredients. However, just because certain ingredients are allowed in the food chain it doesnt mean that they are necessarily good for you. I avoid all chemical and synthetic ingredients and use only living ingredients in my products. He continues: Since your skin is a living organ and logic dictates that for a topical product to be maximally effective it must be compatible with that organism, we have no choice but to use edible living ingredients and use techniques in combining them which dont destroy their integrity and the products integrity. I dont use any natural food colours or pigments in my products since all of my ingredients have their own intrinsic colour and smell as they are not refined. I do not use stabilisers or food ingredient preservatives either. I use GMO-free lecithin, which acts as an emulsifier because a food-derived emulsifier is a synthetic compound that would go against my principles. This clearly shows that alternatives to chemicals are viable but at the same time this doesnt imply they will necessarily be cost effective. Comments Beerling: In some cases, food ingredients which become cosmetics ingredients are competitively priced compared to petroleum-based alternatives. But if we are talking about organically grown materials then there is often a premium price to pay, so that will have an impact. However, the end result, if the product is well formulated, is that it is likely to be effective and pleasant to use. On a larger scale, there are further advantages resulting from the use of food ingredients. Parts of the food crops that would normally go to waste can be easily used in cosmetics instead. A very

Food ingredients: natural edible oils

Natural oils are interesting ingredients for cosmetic formulations, not only as emollients but also as sources of skin nutrients Essential fatty acids: Omega 3 is useful for controlling levels of moisture in the skin. Omega 6 is even more important for skin care as it contains linoleic acid, which promotes moisturisation and the barrier function of the skin Tocopherols (vitamin E): lipophilic antioxidants that stabilise biological membranes and contribute to skin healing Phytosterols: important hormone and vitamin precursors that have a structural role in the skin barrier, strengthening the lipid barrier and improving dry skin conditions while reducing inflammation G When formulating cosmetics with natural oils, the composition of the oil and its sensitivity to oxidation must be taken into account G Cold pressed oils are generally preferred
G

Source: Organic Monitor

common use of waste food crops is the production of exfoliants, used in cosmetics to scrub and remove unwanted dead skin cells. Exfoliating agents can be easily derived from raspberry, coffee, fig and peach but also from oat, rye and eggshell. Employing by-products of the food industry is not only cost effective but also environmentally friendly. Food ingredients can become fundamental in promoting and developing the principles of green chemistry, often more appropriately defined as kitchen chemistry. First of all green chemistry aims to reduce waste by employing raw materials and feedstocks that are renewable rather than depleting, with materials usually made directly from agricultural products or being the waste of other processes. There are many positive signs to indicate that food ingredients in cosmetics products are popular with consumers all over the world and this is backed up by the amount of new food related C&T products that hit shelves every year. The sector is likely to see more investment and innovation in the coming year and until consumers lose their appetite for this trend, food ingredients are set to have a firm place on the beauty menu.

The Dr. Alkaitis ranges feature only edible ingredients, as in its Organic Eye Cream. This product contains green tea and cornflowers

Food ingredients: what are the beauty benefits?

Food ingredient Honey Cocoa Wine & grapes Vegetables Spices Cosmetic benefits Natural humectant. Manuka honey from New Zealand has very good antibacterial activity. Ideal to treat wounds and cuts. Usually from South America, smoothes the skin and has a muscle relaxing effect counteracting wrinkles. Antioxidant action and reputed aphrodisiac properties. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Reduces cell damage following exposure to UV radiation and reduces inflammation. Ginger root contains actives and shows strong anti-irritant activity. Turmeric is a spice that has long been used in India to treat skin conditions and which improves radiance due to its antioxidant properties. A patented olive fruit extract, protects the skin from oxidation caused by V radiation. Daily topical use of super virgin olive oil after sunbathing may delay and reduce UV-induced skin cancer. Yuzu, similar to a small grapefruit is a citrus fruit that grows in Japan, stimulates circulation and hydrates the skin. Baobab fruit from Africa and Australia has a high vitamin C content and relieves dry cracked skin. Buriti fruit from the Amazon rainforest has purifying and nourishing properties. Rye seed extract restores skin properties by stimulating smooth muscle action and firms skin tissue.

Olives

Fruits

Cereals
Source: Organic Monitor

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