The classic fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast” teaches people that beauty comes from within. In the beverage industry, this takes on a more literal meaning. Consumers both young and old are buying into the idea that the products they consume can have a direct correlation to their outward appearances, says Dan Murray, vice president of business development for Xsto Solutions, Morristown, N.J.
Although more popular in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, beauty and anti-aging claims have made their way into the beverage market during the last 10 years, says Nithya Hariharan, market research analyst for DSM, Parsippany, N.J., citing data from Chicago-based Mintel. In 2008, Activate Drinks, a brand of The Rising Beverage Co. LLC, Newport Beach, Calif., launched its Exotic Berry variety with a functional claim for beauty as part of its line of nutrient-enhanced bottled waters. The beverage provides overall health and skin cell support through a proprietary antioxidant blend that includes tea, polyphenols, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and acai extract, says Jesse Merrill, vice president of Activate Drinks. This variety has been particularly popular among active-lifestyle female consumers because of its functionality and flavor, and it is the brand’s No. 2-selling variety, he adds. More recently, approximately 12 new products with beauty and anti-aging claims have launched in the United States since Jan. 1, 2012, according to the Mintel Global New Products Database. These include relaxation drinks, teas, a hard cider, powdered drink mixes, kombucha and an anti-aging collagen protein shake.