Dfrom salted caramel body waters to frosting-effect lip glosses, from masks layered like cakes to peeling formulas based on enzymes and fruit acids: everything in the beauty universe now seems like a great homage to food and various delicacies. This is why we talk more and more often about trends “beauty foodification”. But what is this strong link between beauty and food due to?
Beauty Foodication: delicious but active ingredients
It’s not just marketing. There are many scientific bases which push to incorporate some tasty ingredients into new cosmetic launches.
Honey, for example, is a star product of brands such as Gisou And Guerlain Abeille Royalewas already used by the ancient Egyptians to soothe sores and redness. «And, in fact, it boasts antibacterial and antiseptic properties that derive from the hydrogen peroxide (oxygenated water) contained within it» confirms the cosmetologist Antonella Antonini. Thus it accelerates the healing processes and acts as a true anti-aging ally.
«The same sugar, if appropriately micronized, can be incorporated into scrubs together with fruit peels and seeds» adds the dermatologist Corinna Rigoni. It goes without saying how sugar makes lip scrubs sweet to the taste. It is no coincidence that the formulas of the latter are often even edible, which means that they can be eaten, like that of Jeffree Star Cosmetics which was so fashionable in the 2010s.
Singer Sabrina Carpenter is the face of Prada’s Banana Yellow Balm which promises to give lips the sparkling effect of the ice crystals of a banana granita (photo: Courtesy Press Office)
Then there are the highly fragrant extracts of citrus fruit peels, rich in vitamin C, those of coffee which, loaded with caffeine, stimulate micro-recirculation and the drainage of excess liquids, theintensely hydrating coconut oilrefreshing menthol and some delicious juices extracted from red fruits which act as powerful antioxidants. In short, everything in the beauty world seems to talk about food. And not just when you think about formulas.
Beauty Foodification: colours, textures and packs inspired by desserts and more
Today Beauty Foodification also concerns the sensoriality of cosmetics. More and more often, colours, textures and packaging directly recall certain foods, dishes, sweets and delicacies. At a visual, tactile and olfactory level, cosmetics, just like food, they refer to sensations of sweetness, sourness, creaminess, crunchiness and even a frost effect.
Think, for example, of sorbet creams and icing-effect lip glosses. But not only that. The Banana Yellow Conditioner Of Pradafor example, promises to give the lips the sparkling effect of the ice crystals of a banana granita. There Lip Sleeping Mask Strawberry Shortcake Of Laneige it has a layered composition like that of the sponge cake and strawberries which inspires it. And many other examples could be given.
Good and beautiful
What is certain is that these cosmetics are especially liked by Gen Z and Alpha, the true “consumer-authors”, because they are eye-catching and, therefore, instagrammable. Only marginally to Millennials.
It is therefore not surprising that trends like this have emerged Glaze Donut Skin or the Cherry Make Up which on the various social platforms, TikTok first and foremost, boast more than a billion views. Even the most viral and copied hair colors are inspired by food: honey blonde, butter blonde, caramel highlights and the very sensual strawberry red.
