The beauty snacking trend: adding self-care moments to your beauty routine

A self-care start

A healthy start to the day could begin with a freshly brewed chicory coffee or tea. Chicory is an ideal coffee substitute because it is caffeine-free, has nutritional benefits, and helps digestion. In general, chicory is a well-being ingredient that is perfect for a morning ritual, as it shows beneficial properties such as healing, antibacterial, stimulating, and purifying cure in many monographs worldwide.

There has also been a huge growth in vegan products. In Europe, from 2017/18 to 2021/22, new product launches with vegan claims in hair care, styling and colour increased from 10% to 38%.2 Keratin represents the main component in hair, so keratin proteins are extensively used in hair products to repair broken hair. To meet the vegan trend and promote healthy hair, we offer KeraMatch™ V, an alternative to animal keratin. It is a protein blend that is plant-based and optimised with respect to the amino acid profile of animal keratin. Studies have shown that KeraMatch V strengthens and moisturises hair.3 As a beauty snack, a scalp soothing, strand smoothing serum like the one below is a smart choice as it is quick, easy and mess-free to apply. The inclusion of KeraMatch V helps to strengthen the hair and Apiscalp™ provides scalp comfort and beauty by rebalancing its microflora and restoring its epidermal integrity.4

Tackle tiredness

A ginger shot for a delicious breakfast, and a beauty boost? Ginger has become an indispensable spice in the kitchen and is also popular as a drink to get you going in the morning, thanks to its pungent, lemony, and spicy aroma, as well as its positive health effects on the body. What is healthy for your body can sometimes also be considered healthy for your skin and therefore active ingredients in the beauty industry often take inspiration from food and nature.

Commonly known as wild ginger, Zingiber Zerumbet Smith is an ornamental herbaceous plant and can be found in many tropical and subtropical countries. We obtain Zerumbone from Zingiber Zerumbet rhizomes using an eco-designed, supercritical CO2-extraction process. This is how the naturally derived cosmetic active ingredient Ameyezing™ 4.0 is obtained. It is designed to improve hyperpigmented and vascular dark circles by reducing melanin over-production and decreasing the intensity of pigmentogenic oxidative and proinflammatory events. Moreover, it supports the integrity of capillary walls and improves blood flow and skin oxygenation, thereby fighting vascular dark circles, redness, and puffiness. The first improvements are noticed by volunteers after just 15 minutes of one gel patch application.5 This makes a hydrogel patch with Ameyezing 4.0 a perfect beauty snack to treat signs of tiredness and make you look more awake in the morning, or after a long meeting. The efficacy of the formulation below has been tested in vivo and has an “amazing” natural origin content of more than 96%.

After treating signs of tiredness around the eyes, a sprayable body lotion, like the example below, can be used to refresh and care for the entire body. The lotion has excellent spreading and is easily absorbed by the skin, leaving a pleasant, non-greasy after feeling and a soft, velvety emollience. These self-care and convenience formulation features make it an ideal beauty snack.

The formulation contains NatraGem™ E145 NP, a 100% natural origin emulsifier which is suitable for vegan formulations and has an excellent electrolyte tolerance.6 The emulsifier can be used for difficult formulation work with active ingredients and is compatible with UV-filters such as Solaveil™ CT-300.

A sun safe stroll

Exercising during a lunch break helps to get the circulation going again. The brief time outside in fresh air can stimulate your vitamin D synthesis and clear your head, helping you to organise your thoughts, and become more creative and focused. To be well protected from UV radiation and to be able to enjoy this short time out without worry, effective sun protection is important. You are exposed to the sun's radiation all year round, which has consequences for your skin such as stress and damage. UVB radiation penetrates the upper layer of the skin and is mainly responsible for sunburn and can cause skin cancer. UVA radiation penetrates the deeper layers of the skin and is responsible for skin ageing processes. By using mineral UV filters, the radiation is reflected and scattered so that the skin is protected and looks younger for longer. This means that sun protection is essential.

The search for eco-friendly, mineral only sunscreens is increasing, as many consumers perceive them to be safer for them and planetary health. In the 5-year period between 2017 and 2022, there was a 167% increase in mineral only sun care launches7 and demand for inorganic, mineral UV filters such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide is growing.

The Solaveil™ brand is our world-leading range of inorganic mineral sunscreen active ingredients. These Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide based UV filters form a physical shield on the surface of the skin that absorb, scatter and reflect light, preventing it from reaching the skin and causing damage.

Another trend area is ‘sunification’, which is the combining of sun care with skin care, or colour cosmetics. More sun care products are being mixed with skin actives so that the skin is not only protected from UV radiation, but also receives a nourishing effect such as moisturising or anti-ageing. These hybrid formats are more convenient and save time, as an everyday skin care routine can automatically include sun protection.

Our 'Easy to apply natural sunscreen SPF 30' formulation example offers inspiration for a natural sunscreen with SPF 30 and skin care benefits. It is easy to apply meaning that you can use it as a beauty snack, perhaps to soothe skin and top up your sun protection ahead of your lunchtime walk outside.

Fermented fruit and food for an afternoon boost

In the afternoon, people often like to pause for a refreshment break to stay hydrated and re-energise. Brewing a delicious, fermented tea such as kombucha, can do your body good, as the drink is rich in organic acids and vitamins. Fermentation has been used in the food industry for a long time to make products more digestible, shelf stable, nutritious, and delicious. Thanks to the innovative K-beauty market, the growing interest in wellbeing, and the demand for natural cosmetics, the process is now increasingly popular in beauty and personal care. The fermentation process makes a higher concentration of nutrients and antioxidants and can potentially optimise the penetration of active ingredients into the skin.8 Depending on the composition (vitamins, antioxidants, organic acids, etc.), the different fermented active ingredients offer diverse benefits.

Our 'shield cream with Venuceane™ SP and Měiritage™' formulation is a shield cream that reinforces the skin, providing optimal protection against environmental aggressions. Venuceane SP protects the skin against the damage caused by UV and IR radiation while Měiritage targets signs of ageing. The mineral UV-filter Solaveil XT-300 is used to provide UVA and UVB protection with one single active product. The emulsifiers Span™ 60 and Span 40 are ideal for skin creams and, when combined with Crodamol™ GTCC, offer a light and soft texture.

Routines with retinol

Dried fruits such as mango, apple or apricot are nutrient-dense and serve as healthy snacks worldwide. On a food basis, they are a good source of dietary fibre, vitamins, and minerals.9 Mango contains vitamin C and moderate amounts of vitamin A.10 Vitamin A is important for the immune system, normal vision, organ function, blood cells, reproduction, and growth. In cosmetics, it is better known as retinol. This leads to our hero ingredient from Sederma: ReVitAlide™, an encapsulated retinol for advanced skin care. Thanks to this technology, ReVitAlide offers good air, UV and heat stability and has a controlled and prolonged retinol penetration in the living epidermis, resulting in higher bioavailability compared to free retinol. Moreover, skin tolerance and sensitisation tests induced no reaction or irritation, demonstrating very good skin compatibility. With the improved retinol delivery and preserved activity, application of a cream containing 3% ReVitAlide and thus 0.09% active retinol visibly reduces wrinkles.11 Generally respected and much appreciated for its broad spectrum of action, a retinol ingredient should not be missing from any beauty snacking routine.

Smooth the skin and heal the holobion

To smooth the skin and heal the holobiont, BB-Biont™ is the perfect choice. It visibly harmonises the appearance of skin and it is the first biomimetic peptide that ingeniously smooths the appearance of pockmarks and reduces skin redness. This is achieved by selectively decreasing Cutibacterium acnes growth and significantly reducing its lipase activity to fight against skin damage. Furthermore, by stimulating the production of dermal matrix proteins, BB-Biont helps with the reconstruction of the skin tissue.12 As a Beauty Snack to support your skin after a long day, a kit ampule likeor formulation named 'YOUR essential kit ampoule' is ideal. BB-Biont smooths pockmarks from the inside, PoreTect™ helps refine the skin grain for a better light-reflecting effect and Crodarom® Basmati Rice EC adds a touch of moisture.

Balance for the body

Pepper is often used to spice up dinners. Sichuan berry is a non-gendered, universal ingredient, which has been a traditional Chinese medicine remedy since ancient times. It is used in dermatology to reduce the cutaneous discomfort of sensitive and problematic skin. On this basis, we developed Zanthocare™ as a well-being ally of body care. Body care has long been relegated to the background, even though its needs are identical to facial care. Due to the phenolic and protein compounds, lipids, and organic acids, Zanthocare has different benefits regarding protecting, strengthening and soothing properties. It is multifunctional and can offer targeted solutions for problems like bad odour, hydration, ageing, or irritation. Zanthocare can balance and reduce body odour, whilst respecting the microbiome. It also protects the skin against external aggressors, fights against skin ageing, and reduces mediators of inflammation, to bring well-being to the skin.13

Soft focus for skin

When you go out with friends at the weekend, you want to feel your best. With a patented technology, ChromaPur™ CV2 and CV7 have a unique structure and morphology to provide a reduced pore size effect in skin care and a luxurious shine in colour cosmetics. They can be used with various emulsifier systems and visibly reduce pores and wrinkles. The quest for inclusion is becoming increasingly important, so cosmetic products should also cater to the diverse needs of different consumers. ChromaPur is characterised by the fact that it reduces pores on different skin types and can be used effectively by people of all ages.

ChromaPur CV2 and CV7 are high quality, unique cellulose powders that provide a sustainable and functional alternative to plastic microbeads. Microplastics are often used in colour cosmetics, such as lipsticks and eye shadows, to modify their sensory properties. ChromaPur CV2 and CV7 are sourced from upcycled black spruce. The spheroidal cellulose powders are then produced via an environmentally friendly and patented process. In the field of colour cosmetics, ChromaPur stands out in that it increases the colour intensity of eye shadows and lipsticks and that the sensory properties, such as creaminess, adhesion or gloss, are comparable to products with nylon-12. ChromaPur offers a special advantage for lipsticks, as it does not reduce the hardness.14

Me-time mask

To finish the day or to relax and unwind, some short me-time with a face mask can be a nice stress-reliever. A cucumber mask refreshes thirsty skin, tightens pores, and awakens the radiance of the skin. Thin slices of cucumber placed on the eyes helps to reduce dark circles and hydrate eye contour. Taking inspiration from this, the Cosme-Phytami™ Cucumber EC extract from Alban Muller gives lightness, freshness, and well-being to dry, tired and dull skin.15 A sprayable cream like the our 'sprayable body moisturising cream' can have a refreshing effect. It is especially good to know that sustainability is a priority in the extraction of the raw materials. For this extract, cucumbers are supplied to Alban Muller by an organic vegetable farm that works with respect for nature, located in the heart of Vosges du Nord. It is labelled Farm of the Future in 2020 as it minimises inputs, reduces its environmental impact, and integrates new production methods.

All these beauty snacking ideas can be integrated into a busy week to provide regular hair, skin and overall wellbeing benefits. Which little moments of self-care will you add to your beauty routine?


References

1 Alban Muller, Glucohyami™ GL datasheet, 08/22PCMDSPFM6767V1EN
2 Mintel GNPD
3 Croda, KeraMatch™ V datasheet, 10/20PCEDS2251v2EN
4 Sederma, Apiscalp™ product overview sheet, 11/19 PCS PO 28211 013 V4 EN
5 Sederma, Ameyezing™ product overview sheet, 01/23 PCS PO 28273 25 V2 EN
6 Croda, NatraGem™ E145 NP datasheet, 07/12 PCDS242v1
7 Mintel GNPD
8 Shatzman C (Forbes). Everything You Need To Know About Fermented Skincare—And The Best Products, 29.03.22
9 Alasalvar C, Salvadó JS, Ros E. Bioactives and health benefits of nuts and dried fruits. Food Chem. 2020;314:126192. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.126192
10 USDA Database entry
11 Sederma, ReVitAlide™ product overview sheet, 02/23 PCS PO 28282 23 V5 EN
12 Sederma, BB-Biont™ product overview sheet, 05/22 CCS PO 28277 03 V4 EN
13 Crodarom, Zanthocare™ datasheet, 09/22PCCDSNA22854V0EN
14 Croda, ChromaPur™ CV2 and CV7 datasheet, 12/22PCEDS3092v1.1EN
15 Alban Muller, Cosme-Phytami™ Cucumber EC datasheet, 01/22PCMDSPFM6291V0EN