According to ingredients company Rousselot, more and more people are concerned about maintaining a youthful appearance.
Brand and marketing manager for the firm, Caroline Négre, says that as skin is one of the most visible indicators of age, products that can be shown to defend against ageing and help to prolong its youthful bloom could tap into a burgeoning market: “Skin-related new product launches are running four times ahead of hair and nail products,” she says.
Despite this potential, Rousselot believes that scientific endorsement for the functional ingredients in so-called beauty foods is needed for the nutri-cosmetic industry to fully realise the possibilities on offer. Negré points out that at the end of 2008, the market for foods with beauty benefits had reached US$1.5bn. The source for the figures, Kline and Company, has predicted it could grow to $2.5bn by 2012.
“Interestingly, while the market is already well-established in Japan, it’s being held back in other countries due to scepticism on the part of western consumers about the link between fortified foods and their health benefits,” she adds. “A poll by Harris Interactive in the UK showed 55% of adults didn’t believe that beauty foods had a positive effect on appearance. Only 2% judged there was a connection.
“Furthermore, research by Datamonitor found that more than 75% of consumers were not confident about the validity of manufacturers’ claims about the beauty benefits of products such as beverages, dairy foods, dietary supplements and chocolates. That was the main reason why they were hesitant to try them.”
So, what’s needed to bring about acceptance and interest in edible beauty products? Negré says that when the results were contrasted with the now widespread acceptance of the link between taking vitamins and health, it became clear that attitudes were different and therefore could change: “They just need the backing of clinical evidence to help them.”
Why did you develop Peptan?
Caroline Nègre: Rousselot is the world leader in manufacturing gelatine and hydrolysed collagen for the food and pharmaceutical industries. We’ve been offering the market our hydrolysed collagen products backed up by science since 2004 to meet the growing demand for nutraceuticals.
What are its main properties and benefits?
Nègre: Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies, comprising around a third of our total protein matter. In structure, it’s long and fibrous, which makes its function quite different from that of globular proteins such as enzymes. Bundles of collagen pack together to form long, thin fibrils and these are a major component of the extra-cellular matrix that supports most tissues and gives cells structure.
Native collagen is naturally insoluble in water. It can be made soluble through a process involving partial hydrolysis and extraction to yield hydrolysed collagen. Peptan is a type 1 hydrolysed collagen. Type 1 indicates that it’s the same collagen as that found in skin.
Scientific literature indicates that hydrolysed collagen works on skin condition through a number of mechanisms. Postlethwaite et al (1978) suggest that when type 1 collagens are digested, the peptides which result are chemo-attractants for fibroblasts. Fibroblasts produce collagen and are the main cells of the dermis (the central layer of skin). It’s believed the collagen peptides then stimulate these fibroblast cells to trigger the synthesis and reorganisation of new collagen fibres.
Matsuda et al (2006) showed that hydrolysed collagen may improve the mechanical strength of the skin by increasing the ratio of decorins. These are proteins that interact with collagen and influence collagen fibrillogenesis, therefore regulating excessive bundle-like aggregation of collagen.
What were the main findings of the studies carried out on Peptan?
Nègre: Peptan Hydrolysed Collagen is clinically proven to enhance skin health. Positive findings from two scientific studies give it all-important credibility for the nascent nutri-cosmetic industry. Two new scientific studies in France and Japan, looking at the effects of taking Peptan on skin condition, have shown benefits across a range of indicators. Objective measurements showed that women taking Peptan for between eight and 12 weeks had improved skin moisture levels, suppleness and smoothness. It not only reduced the number of micro relief furrows, but also prevented the formation of deep wrinkles.
Does the ingredient appeal to consumers?
Nègre: Collagen is one of the world’s key ingredients for beauty-from-within products, and that’s why the results of the Peptan Hydrolysed Collagen clinical studies are so important. Valid scientific studies like these provide the proof consumers have been waiting for and place Peptan at the forefront for successful, new nutri-cosmetic product launches.
What beauty ingredient trends can you pinpoint for 2010/11?
Nègre: The increasing awareness of links between what we eat and our health and physical appearance means that the concept of nutri-cosmetics or beauty foods offers attractive opportunities to food, beverage and supplement producers.
With concrete scientific evidence that Peptan really does improve the moisture content of the epidermis and helps to prevent skin ageing, companies now have a springboard for successful, new product launches targeting beauty from within.
Peptan is a natural, high-purity bioactive ingredient. Its versatility and excellent organoleptic properties make it easy to use and to incorporate in many kinds of foods and dietary supplements. It’s highly soluble, clear and stable in solution.
Are you developing any new beauty ingredients?
Nègre: Rousselot is always looking for new product development and beauty is one of our key topics. New findings will have to be backed up by science before entering the market.
What does the future hold for the ingredients industry when it comes to beauty ingredients?
Nègre: In order to overcome consumers’ scepticism about nutricosmetics, science is key.
What are the most common beauty issues that consumers have at the moment?
Clwyd Price-Jones: Ageing is probably the greatest concern. Who doesn’t want younger-looking skin? Hydrated skin is always going to look much healthier than a parched complexion, but Willow Water seems to do more than hydrate.
We’ve had feedback from so many customers saying that drinking Willow regularly has led to clearer, brighter complexions, and at the other end of the scale, it can help with more serious skin conditions. Just last week, a young woman got in touch to say that she had been suffering from problem skin for years, but that it had started to clear up since she discovered Willow Water. She was ecstatic because she had been to work wearing blusher, which she hadn’t done for years. It may sound like a small thing, but good skin equals confidence.
Do you think there’s a high level of awareness among consumers about supplementing their diet with drinks that could improve the skin, rather than just using products such as creams?
Price-Jones: Yes, particularly among women. There are many drinks on the market that are fortified with vitamins and minerals, but what makes Willow Water so special is that it’s 100% pure spring water from the English Lake District, that contains a unique blend of naturally occurring minerals.
When was Willow launched?
Price-Jones: In 2003, though Willow can trace its roots back to the 12th century, when it was discovered by Augustinian Monks. This underground body of water is the source of the famous Holy Well of Cartmel, which has been renowned in the northwest of England for its restorative qualities since the 1700s.
Price-Jones: Willow Water naturally contains valuable levels of calcium and also salicin, which is an extract of willow bark, known for centuries for its anti-inflammatory properties. Its unique blueprint reflects the geology of the Cartmel area, where just below the surface lies a deep layer of peat formed from the remains of a prehistoric forest of white willow trees. We believe it’s the blend of natural minerals and nutrients that enables the water to help freshen and brighten the complexion.
Independent studies have shown that more than 70% of women who drink Willow see an improvement in their skin.
Have any clinical studies or trials been carried out on the water?
Price-Jones: In 2009, an independent research study was conducted by research specialists under the strict Market Research Society Professional Code of Conduct. The study was carried out over a 42-day period and tracked 150 female consumers (119 completed the trial), with four dips of research. During the study, consumers were asked to drink 1.5 litres of Willow Water a day, replacing their regular water consumption, and to record changes in skin condition and well-being. We found that more than seven out of 10 women saw a distinct improvement in the condition of their skin and five in 10 women felt happy with their skin condition by the end of the trial, compared to only one out of 10 at the beginning.
The study also backed up what we already knew about the rapid impact Willow Water can have on problem skin. Two in three women with dry skin at the start of the trial felt that their skin condition had improved by the end of it. Five out of six women who considered their skin condition to be oily at the start of the trial reported improvements, and of those suffering acne prior to the trial, three out of four reported improvements.
Is the six-week Willow Beauty Water Challenge proving to be a success?
Price-Jones: We invite anyone to take the challenge and drink 1.5 litres of Willow a day for six weeks. If they haven’t seen an improvement in their skin during this time, then we will supply a further six weeks completely free of charge. The challenge has been a huge success, with well over 1,000 people signing up over the last 12 months, without one single request for complimentary water.
We have been thrilled with the feedback, and the comments that we received from customers was at times so startling that we wanted to find out more. We’re now in the process of carrying out some NHS-approved, independent clinical trials using the latest technology to formally record the effects drinking Willow Water can have on the skin.
What type of consumer do you think the water appeals to?
Price-Jones: Men, women, children – anyone and everyone. Of course, the beautifying properties make it stand out from the crowd, but it’s not just women who want clearer skin. And beauty benefits aside, it’s a very natural, smooth and pure-tasting water. Plus, in comparison with other drinks that promise beauty benefits, it has a consumer-friendly price tag that we feel is important.
Are you developing any new products to add to the range?
Price-Jones: Not at the moment. We’ve considered creating flavoured Willow Water, but to be honest our customers like the taste so much that we don’t want to alter it. Willow is a natural spring water, full stop. If we started adding things here and there, then we would lose that purity. We do offer sparkling Willow Water as well as still, however, and both are available in 1.5-litre, 500ml and 500ml sports cap bottles.
What does the future hold for the water industry when it comes to beauty products?
Price-Jones: In terms of Willow Water, we believe that, over time, as more people discover its benefits, it will become an important supplement to their beauty regimes. There are always going to be new ‘beauty waters’ hitting the shelves that have added ingredients promising to bring about certain benefits, but we believe that we’re in a unique position.
Caroline Négre is brand and marketing manager for Rousselot. Clwyd Price-Jones is managing director of Willow Water. Medina Bailey is editor of Water Innovation magazine.
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