Rebecca Cannon, a colleague over at Natural Products Marketplace magazine, recently blogged about Splenda’s appearance on Jezebel.com, which was proceeded by a tangent on women’s products ranging from the soft drink TAB, cosmetics (mercury in mascara, eyeliner and skin creams; and lead in lipstick) and a sundry of diet pills. The subtle lesson from Jezebel’s post? Women can pick their poison through a variety of controversial ingredients available in different delivery systems.

But what struck me the most was one of the comments posted after the Jezebel post. In an era where word-of-mouth means the success and failure of any new product, I felt the comment: “I have a friend who is a Splenda addict. She is convinced that it has worsened her cellulite situation.” was a sure way to get any fiend off this popular sugar alternative.

Imagine if the word got out that Splenda indeed contributed to cellulite, and if the sugar industry did a study on this and proved it true? Splenda could experience a sweet death.

Lesson of the day for formulators and marketers: don't mess with women's cellulite (unless, of course, you're going to erase those things)!

“Skin is a barometer of internal health,” said Nicholas Perricone MD, a skin care pioneer who founded NV Perricone MD, a line of successful cosmeceutical products. Perricone opened the 16th annual HBA Global Expo, held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York on Sept 9 to 11, with a keynote address that discussed the connection between inflammation and aging. In a packed auditorium, he shared his philosophy that beautiful skin can be achieved through a three-step approach, which focuses on diet, nutritional supplements and topical anti-inflammatories. “Signs of inflammation appear in many cancerous processes, and inflammation responses appear in aged skin,” Perricone said, adding inflammation is the basis of age-related diseases, from cancer to cardiovascular disease, but is also the basis of all aging. “Aging is a state of chronic inflammation,” he said.

A proper diet emphasizing the consumption of protein, vegetables and essential fats, supplementation of vitamins C and E and alpha lipoic acid, as well as a successful topical skincare regimen was Perricone’s recipe for vibrant skin--by fending off inflammation aging is slowed on the skin and internally.

The beauty from within trend and a holistic approach to beauty was addressed in a handful of other educational sessions that investigated the future of skincare formulations. Zoe Draelos, MD, president of Dermatology Consulting, for example, stressed in her session “Cosmeceuticals: The Next Generation” future cosmeceutical innovations will move away from problem-specific and topical solutions to promoting beauty from the inside. She noted the loss of bony architecture (the cause of cheek wrinkles), gray hair and skin are the result of a vitamin D deficiency; upper lip wrinkling is an indication of estrogen deficiency and oral supplementation with fermented soy may help address this skin condition. She also discussed a program of carotenoids, especially white carotenoids, taken internally and antioxidants applied topically may address collagen loss. Along the same lines of Perricone’s earlier talk, Draelos concluded: “Aging skin is an outwardly visible sign of the aging taking place inside the body.”

Just a few other cosmeceutical trends highlighted during HBA include:

• Going green, natural and organic. Numerous sessions covered the organic certification process, what constitutes natural, the benefits of formulating with natural extracts, and the increasing demand for companies to adopt a green/sustainable business model.
• Nutricosmetics. Panelists discussed in detail the burgeoning trend of beauty drinks and beauty foods; and Nestle’s Glowelle launch at HBA was the buzz on the show floor.
• Beauty from the Inside. In addition to Perricone’s and Draelos’ discussion of internal beauty, several industry experts analyzed the next generation of dietary supplements known as beauty supplements. From supplement regulation and labeling, homeopathy for skin beauty, probiotics for the body and the skin, to unique anti-aging ingredients such as snail and cappuccino extracts, the industry was prepared to learn more. Elizabeth Campbell, vice president, EAS consulting group, noted: “Cosmetic companies are expanding into Beauty from the Inside products, especially dietary supplements.”
• Other hot sessions included stem cells for skin aging, developing products for the teen girl market (The Blossom Story), beauty cuisine, the LOHAS market and infrared red light.

There is still time to sign up for the free webinar that could potentially shed light on the connection between beauty and skin youthfulness and olives. It has been suggested specific polyphenols extracted from olives may dramatically impact skin health and prevent oxidative damage related to wrinkling, skin thining and dehydration. Indena's scientific director, Dr. Paolo Morazzoni, will discuss the company's new Opextan olive polyphenol ingredient that has been studied for its benefits for the skin when used both internally and topically. Be sure to sign up for this 60-minute webinar, to be held on Sept. 24 at 2pm eastern time, not only to learn about this exciting new ingredient but to learn more about the "beauty from within" category (click here for info).