Nutricosmetics 2030 live event, Meet the Brands with Deanna Utroske, covered the potential of nutricosmetics offering health and beauty benefits and the importance of the science behind it. The conversation featured experts and brand leaders in the beauty industry, Barbara Paldus, CEO at Codex Labs Corp, Paula Simpson, Founder at Nutribloom Consulting, and Katja Zmitek, Vice Dean at VIST – Faculty of Applied Sciences.
Targeting skin conditions with the science of nutricosmetics
The discussion started by exploring supplements targeting various skin conditions such as acne, anxiety, hormonal imbalance, mental stress, and gut health. Ten years ago, nutricosmetics mainly focused on antioxidants and photoprotection. However, today, we talk about targeted skin conditions, pre, and post-treatments for medical aesthetic treatments, weight loss, protecting the skin as the weight is lost, skin elasticity, targeted skin health, and hair health supplements. The advancing science and technologies, coupled with educated consumers provide vast opportunities for nutricosmetics today.
For Barbara Paldus, the inspiration to tap into the nutricosmetics world was the realization that without healing the gut and reducing inflammation, she will never cure acne. She is focused on helping people to be their healthiest, happiest selves, and comprehensive gut-brain solutions are part of that. For anyone with a skin condition, mental health is also essential, and this is where probiotics, anti-inflammatory, and hormone-regulating supplements play a key role. In the US, about one in four people has a skin condition, with about 45 million having acne, over 30 million having eczema, and over 10 million having psoriasis. This population is a substantial part of the market.
The importance of personalization in nutricosmetics
This is a big market indeed, but everyone’s body is unique and their nutritional needs may differ; therefore, we should not ignore the customization and personalization in the world of nutricosmetics, believes Paula Simpson. She emphasized the need for a personalized approach to creating products that can cater to the specific needs of each individual, which can lead to more effective results and happier customers.
Clinically proven – the power of evidence
Katja Žmitek specializes in measuring the effectiveness of ingestibles in terms of skin health and beauty. Katie evaluates different skin parameters, including hydration, elasticity, erythema, pigmentation, collagen density, structural proteins, dermal thickness, wrinkles, texture, and cellulite, using a range of methods, from surface parameters to more in-depth methods. When planning a trial, one key factor is to conduct thorough research into the influence of selected nutrients to choose the appropriate evaluation methods based on expected results.
Katja emphasized the importance of objective methods that allow quantitative measurements, as subjective self-evaluations are unreliable. Furthermore, sample size determination and intervention timeframes are also essential, as some parameters take longer than others to improve. However, there are no shortcuts in nutricosmetics, and visible results cannot be expected in a week. It takes about a month or even longer for the skin to complete its regeneration cycle; the same applies to supplements.
Environmental factors can also affect skin parameters, so including placebo control in trials is crucial. However, the seen improvements are only reliable if changes achieved with the test product are greater than with the placebo. Proper statistical evaluation is essential; improvement can only be claimed if statistics confirm it. And let’s not forget, that the most reliable and relevant studies are double-blinded, so neither the researcher nor the subject volunteer knows which products each subject receives until the end of the study.
Potential of nutricosmetics: science, technology, and informed consumers
Overall, nutricosmetics has come a long way since its inception, and the industry is continuously evolving. From targeting antioxidants and photoprotection ten years ago, it has now expanded to include supplements targeting skin conditions, pre and post-treatments to medical aesthetic treatments, weight loss, and protecting skin as weight is lost, as well as targeted skin and hair health supplements. There is vast potential for nutricosmetics, partly due to advancing science and technology, but also because consumers are becoming more educated and proactive about their health and beauty.
In conclusion, the speakers provided valuable insights into the nutricosmetics industry. The discussion highlighted the importance of a personalized approach to cater to each individual’s unique needs, the significance of clinical trials and objective measurements to determine the effectiveness of ingestibles, and the potential for nutricosmetics to help individuals be their healthiest and happiest selves. As the industry continues to grow and evolve, it is essential to remain informed and proactive in selecting and creating products that can truly make a difference in the lives of consumers.