Anti-ageing and cosmeceuticals are terms that are often combined by skincare brands keen on making more convincing claims for their products. There is no doubt that modern science is delivering exceptional results unheard of a decade ago. But are so-called cosmeceuticals any better than the average skin cream and just how far can companies go in their claims? Imogen Matthews, consultant to in-cosmetics, investigates.
Anti-ageing is probably the most important global trend in the cosmetics and personal care markets today. According to research company Euromonitor*, the global market for nourishers/anti-agers is currently valued at $21.3bn in 2011 and predicts that it will be worth close to $28.6bn in 2015.
Defining cosmeceuticals
According to Dr Theresa Callaghan, president and founder of Callaghan Consulting International*, the term cosmeceutical is a misnomer invented by the industry back in the mid to late 1990s. She maintains it has no legal standing, since products are either drugs, cosmetics {retail or professional} or medical devices, with some cosmetics and drugs falling into this category. However, many cosmetics alter their advertising to meet the guidelines, especially anti-wrinkle creams which would otherwise be considered to be a drug. “The term cosmeceutical was devised by some people to basically separate the ‘men from the boys’ in marketing terms and obviously it has found a home in cosmetics containing active ingredients with claims of efficacy,” states Callaghan. “The term is not recognised by either the FDA or the EU regulatory bodies {and Japan has its own set of rules too}. It has now become somewhat ‘stuck’ and people do not realise they are using a term with no substantiated meaning.”
Cosmeceutical is a term often used by aesthetic cosmetic companies in order to distance themselves from the cosmetics sector, according to Callaghan. “They recoil at being considered ‘cosmetic’, which to them refers to retail cosmetics and retail cosmetics that are not supposed to ‘work’”, she says. In her experience, brands making or inferring a ‘cosmeceutical’ position do not undertake more rigorous testing than other cosmetic brands. “There are far too many products out there with highly inappropriate claims and nothing substantial to back them up. Raw material suppliers also need to be pulled up since they are the originators of many claims,” she maintains. “Many of those sail close to the wind.”
Trend towards “cosmeceuticals-lite”
Despite a lack of formal recognition of the term cosmeceutical, plenty of companies continue to use it in relation to modern anti-ageing formulations. Independent skincare expert, Wendy Lewis*, refers to mainstream anti-ageing skincare products as “cosmeceuticals-lite”. “They include key cosmeceutical ingredients but in lower percentages than more active brands, so they are easier to tolerate,” she points out. “They attract a wider range of consumers who are still a little afraid of using acids and potent ingredients.” Lewis sees this expanding category bridging the gap between more exclusive hardcore cosmeceutical brands, such as ZO Skin Health, Skinceuticals, Skinmedica and milder brands that are more readily available over the counter at lower price points. “NeoStrata Exuviance, Revaleskin and Kinerase are examples of less intense cosmeceutical systems that are popular with many segments of consumers and offer good skin benefits.”
Lewis is particularly impressed with the results promised by mainstream brands Neutrogena, RoC and Olay ProX. “I think these consumer brands are delivering well priced products that deliver results at affordable prices,” she states. “I would also include Avon Anew and Clinique in this category of brands who are promoting skincare technology that addresses the top concerns of consumers –anti-ageing, anti-redness and anti-hyperpigmentation.” She cites that L’Oreal Paris recently formed an alliance with a New York dermatologist and expects more “cosmeceuticals-lite” or masstige skincare products coming from that brand as well.
Dr Zein Obagi*, has a reputation for changing the way dermatologists and plastic surgeons think about skin health and has developed the ZO Skin Health line, that claims to bridge the gap between therapeutic medical products and daily skincare. The products address skin ageing and reversing using a step by step approach. “It is impossible to combine all the active ingredients in one or two products,” explains Dr Obagi. “ZO Skin Health is a well rounded, systematic approach, that is easy to follow and where noticeable benefits can be achieved in as little as 3-4 weeks. No similar approach is as effective,” he claims. Described as a new frontier in fighting the signs of ageing, active vitamin A is the key ingredient used in amounts that penetrate the skin surface and perform at the cellular level. “Their function is to activate, wake up and regulate the functions of the cells and make them behave as they normally did in baby skin. The active vitamin A formulations must utilise the right particle sizes, lipospheres, minospheres and exfoliation to enhance penetration, thus increasing vitamin A absorption at the cellular level.”
In its survey into specialty actives, research company Kline is recording more products based on delivering actives to the right place in the skin. Growth in specialty anti-ageing actives is running at 4.9% between 2010 and 2015, higher than the 2% increases recorded by Kline in the ordinary personal care ingredient market. Anna Ibbotson, industry manager for chemicals & materials practice, Kline* comments: “Anti-ageing is the area where we are seeing the largest volumes of specialty actives compared to anti-inflammatory or anti-acne products. The trend is towards products having very specific functionality, especially at the high end.” Another trend is for more specific molecule activity rather than generic compounds, such as algae extract. “It’s now all about the science promoting the molecule,” she explains, mentioning resveratrol and catechins as two examples.
Value growth may be strong in specialty anti-ageing actives, but Kline is noting that volumes have been coming down since the beginning of 2011. “The recession has held back R&D and product launches are slower compared to the last time we did this research,” affirms Ibbotson. “Growth is coming from existing technologies.”
* Euromonitor, Kline, Wendy Lewis, Dr Zein Obagi and Theresa Callaghan will participate at in-cosmetics 2012 Marketing Trends presentations, taking place in Barcelona on 17-19 April. For more details go to www.in-cosmetics.com
Published in COSSMA, http://www.cossma.com/