Nutricosmetics - Ingestible Beauty Products - UK - July 2009

Abstract

About this report

The UK’s nutricosmetics market is worth an estimated £191 million in 2009. This immature market has experienced rapid growth, albeit it from a small value base.

This report examines the impact of a growing understanding of a healthy diet. As women increasingly make the link between how food can affect the appearance of hair, eyes, skin and nails etc, they come to look for food-type ingredients in the beauty care products that they buy and use or (far less common) look for foods with beauty benefits. What is evident is that the line between the food and beauty categories is increasingly blurring and almost three in ten women have used or would consider using nutricosmetics.

Whilst the crossover between food and beauty is increasingly apparent, like vitamins and mineral supplements, a growing understanding of the impact of a good diet on outward appearance is a strength as well as a weakness for the market with six in ten non-users favouring a healthy diet over nutricosmetics.

There has been no doubt that the recession that started in 2008 is impacting on consumer confidence and money worries. As an immature market, nutricosmetics lack the daily essential nature of other sectors such as shampoos and conditioners and may struggle to win consumer spend over other, more essential purchase items. This report examines the impact of changes to women’s beauty spend as a result of the recession and looks at how to turn threats to the market into opportunities.

Key themes

• The impact of regulatory changes on product claims and innovation.
• Taking the niche market, mainstream.
• Contextualise nutricosmetics within the wider food, drinks, healthcare and beauty industry.
• Tackling a lack of awareness of the market in order to drive growth opportunities.
• The importance of format and flavour in attracting (and maintaining) new users.
• Understanding what motivates consumers to use nutricosmetics and develop products that meet these demands.
• Identify potential consumer targets that will help to generate growth within the market.