Oral Beauty: Cosmeceuticals Find a Niche Market in America
It is a commonsense notion--eat healthy, and the body will follow suit, but what if a pill could make someone look 10 years younger? It is the stuff of science fiction and TV infomercials, but a recent survey shows that increasing numbers of Americans are choosing to invest in anti-ageing cosmeceutical products. A July 2011 study by Cleveland-based Freedonia Group, Inc., estimated that U.S. demand for cosmeceutical products will increase 5.8% per year, reaching $8.5 billion by 2015.
As the name suggests, cosmeceutical products are a marriage of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. They are topically applied, injected, or ingested, and the majority contain ingredients that purportedly improve one’s appearance by delivering nutrients necessary for healthy skin. Currently, cosmeceuticals are not subject to approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, nor is testing mandatory in order to buttress or disprove a product’s claim.