Over the past 10 years, natural skincare and age-defying cosmeceuticals have been running a tight race to claim their lead in the personal care market.
In 2004, natural facial and body care products topped the $5 billion mark. By 2007, they were fast-tracking at a 12.5% annual growth rate. Today, natural personal care products are growing five times faster than the standard personal care product sector, according to Mintel Research, Chicago.
On the other end of the spectrum, cosmeceutical sales surged 7% in 2009 — despite a worldwide recession and a sluggish overall global beauty category. The trend only seems likely to continue with cosmeceutical sales expected to climb to more than $5 billion between 2009 and 2014, according to Euromonitor analysis firm.
While these two trends may appear diametrically opposed, skincare actives, such as retinol, peptides and DNA-repairing growth hormones, are also showing up in many of the same products flaunting a more natural and/or organic side.
The source of their demand can be traced largely to an aging baby boomer market split between a desire for real results and a concern over toxic ingredients. More women in their early 20s are also seeking new ways to head off aging — yet with a natural twist.
“Hybrid skincare is about blending the newest innovations of science with the natural extracts and oils of the plant world for one truly efficacious product,” says Gogi Sangha, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of G.S. Cosmeceutical USA, Inc., a Bay Area-based custom contract manufacturer that specializes in both cosmeceutical actives and certified organic skincare. “Today,” Sangha says, “you can truly have the both of best worlds.”
Blending the Best of Science and Nature
Many of today’s actives continue to pull rank on their more natural counterparts in ingredients’ listing to help firm skin; stimulate collagen and elastin production; and smooth the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Yet in the consumers’ quest for more natural ingredients, many raw material suppliers are finding plant-based alternatives for conventional ingredients. For example, Cognis’ Laboratoires Serobiologiques recently introduced Actiwhite, a natural whitener and hydroquinone alternative derived from green peas, and Myoxinol, a hibiscus-derived peptide offering a Botox-like, muscle-relaxing effect.
Likewise, Lipotec of Spain has come out with Antarctacine, a natural, Ecocert-certified moisturizer and collagen/elastin booster derived from microorganisms found in Antarctic glaciers.
Most recently, Iceland-based ORF Genetics launched the first plant-based growth factors produced from barley seeds, offering an alternative to traditional growth factors derived from E. coli, yeast and animal cells.
Organics too are becoming more readily available; however, formulating a certified organic water-based formula that meets the USDA National Organics Program (NOP) 95% certified organic standards can be challenging. For instance, with water-based formulations, you must have a preservative that is capable of killing the microbes that grow in a water environment. However, as Sangha explains, many such preservatives, such as phenoxyethanol, are not permitted by the USDA on their approved non-organic list, and those organic preservatives that are permitted, such as organic alcohol or potassium sorbate, are beset by other issues, such as odor or lack of efficacy in a hydrous formula.
For this reason, more skincare companies are formulating to a 70% “made with organics” level or are turning to hybrid formulations that combine organic plant extracts with the heavy lifters of the cosmeceutical world.
Manufacturing such products requires a formulator experienced in both organics and actives, notes Sangha, who is well-versed in formulating with both certified organic ingredients as well as actives including retinol, peptides, plant stem cells and lightening agents.
For best results, also look for a manufacturer who is FDA registered, compliant with Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and accredited as a USDA NOP certified organic handler. These areas of distinctions will help hold the contract manufacturer to a higher standard in their formulation and manufacturing practices.
