You Can Lead a Woman to Nutricosmetics and Cosmeceuticals, But Will She Try Them?

By: Alisa Marie Beyer, The Benchmarking Company

Posted: November 5, 2008, from the November 2008 issue of GCI Magazine.

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Most women are also regularly buying some type of nutriceutical food product on a regular basis. These include green tea, black teas and other types of teas (67%); omega-3 product additives (32%); digestive-aid yogurts (30%); vitamin waters (28%); and cereals known for nutriceutical properties (27%).

Functional foods are certainly becoming mainstream. But, when women were asked by The Benchmarking Company if they knew the definition of a nutricosmetic product, only 9% of those surveyed said they did. A definition of nutricosmetic was then offered as: some beauty brands have begun to co-brand ingestible “nutricosmetic” products to either eat or drink in coordination with a usual makeup or skin care routine for a better overall result. Women were then asked if they used any nutricosmetic products, garnering a 3% response, with brands cited such as Borba, Arbonne, Avon and Olay vitamin products.

While the small percentage of use was not surprising, women’s willingness to try a nutricosmetic product was highly encouraging.

Willing to Try Nutricosmetics

Women were asked which types of nutricosmetic products they’d be willing to try, with one of two answers provided for each: I am not willing to try, or I would be willing to try this. The results indicate that women do not fear ingestibles, and that perhaps they have not been offered a nutricosmetic in their preferred delivery system.

Seventy-four percent of all women would be willing to try a nutricosmetic product easily consumed “on the go” for maximum convenience. Because women are used to taking supplements, 72% indicated they’d try a nutricosmetic in the form of a pill or a capsule. Sixty-five percent of women would feel comfortable taking a nutricosmetic product in the form of a chocolate bar or another traditional consumable product. Fifty-three percent of women would try a nutricosmetic that was either lickable or dissolved on the tongue. Finally, 48% of women, the lowest positive percentage recorded, indicated they’d prefer a nutricosmetic in the form of a drink made from a powder.

Nutricosmetic Turn-ons

Women were asked how important the following factors are to them when considering a nutricosmetic product that they will ingest as part of their beauty regimen.

Women who buy natural/organic beauty products were most concerned with whether the nutricosmetic product has been independently tested and analyzed for potency, effectiveness and purity at 67%, that segment’s highest factor. Traditionally made beauty buyers are most interested in their dermatologist’s recommendation, at 58%, as the factor that would most inspire them. Word of mouth or a friend’s recommendation was the least important factor for both groups when considering a nutricosmetic product. Interestingly, women who buy natural/organic beauty products listed “only natural ingredients are used” at 61% as a factor that is important for them, compared to 44% of traditionally made beauty buyers.

Cosmeceuticals Confound