Food and beauty to become more intertwined in 2009
The health and wellness boom has been inextricably linked to the beauty industry this year, as food and drink consumers happily enjoyed as part of a healthy diet (e.g. superfruits and green tea) started to regularly appear in beauty products. Next year, we can expect to see food and beauty become even more intertwined, according to market intelligence firm Mintel.
Mintel expects ‘good-for-you’ food ingredients, such as probiotics, to increasingly show up in our cosmetics and skincare products. The familiarity of these ingredients will go a long way to convince consumers that these beauty products can enhance their appearance, just as they have enhanced their health. People will also choose more on-the-go formats such as supplements, snacks and drinks designed to help them look good and improve their beauty regimes.
Such expectations present a great opportunity to many in the food industry, offering a potential means of differentiation.
In June, the Center for Culinary Development (CCD) noticed the trend had already gathered pace with unique ingredients, like collagen, amino acids, newly developed fibers, and even age-old herbs like ginseng, transforming familiar foods into wellness products. Juices, smoothies, soups, marshmallows and even frozen vegetables were getting a makeover so consumers could, too.
“What better way to reach consumers than through something that tastes good, while speaking to our deepest need to take control of our own health and happiness?” Kimberly Egan, CEO of CCD, queried at the time.
