Beauty brands are now targeting brain health

Consumers rarely link beauty with health, much less brain health. The same is true of all facets of health; these relationships run deep.Picture by Toa Heftiba/unsplash

Consumers rarely link beauty with health, much less brain health. The same is true of all facets of health; these relationships run deep.Picture by Toa Heftiba/unsplash

Published Sep 27, 2022

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The global market for cosmetics was estimated at $532-billion in 2019, and has been expanding by around 5% year since 2016.

While the beauty business works hard to boost people's self-confidence, few people are interested in what's on the inside; instead, we are more concerned with how the products will make us look and feel in the end.

There is no doubting the connection between the mind, body, and spirit, says Toni Carroll, founder and CEO of the luxury nutricosmetics company, My Beauty Luv.

However, she notes that consumers rarely link beauty with health, much less brain health. The same is true of all facets of health; yet these relationships run deep.

“Beauty goes beyond just the way you look” ~ Toni Carroll. Picture supplied.

The expansion of the global market for supplements for brain health, which is anticipated to reach $7-billion by 2028, shows that the beauty industry has begun to shift towards a more holistic approach to its goods.

Nutrocosmetic pills have organic and herbal ingredients that improve mental performance. Some may guard the brain from deterioration and harm through anti-inflammatory properties. Others enhance mental clarity, emotion regulation, and memory.

“Beauty goes beyond just the way you look,” Carroll explained. “By re-defining what beauty is and aligning it with health, it goes without saying that whatever you are using or purchasing in the beauty market has to fall into the healthy category too,” said Carroll.

The time has come for customers to be more aware of the effects of what they put in and on their bodies because a lot of businesses still use harmful chemicals in their products. Picture by Content Pixie/unsplash

The time has come for customers to be more aware of the effects of what they put in and on their bodies because a lot of businesses still use harmful chemicals in their products, she says.

Carroll says that diet is the key element of both health and beauty, and extends to brain health because, on average, the brain consumes 20% of a person’s daily caloric intake, equating to approximately 400 calories per day.

She says the nutritional deficiencies brought on by a poor diet, particularly the intake of processed foods and foods high in sugar, have been related to conditions like dementia and depression, as well as low mood, exhaustion, and cognitive loss. “Supplements that provide your body with high-quality, unadulterated nutrients might fill the gap in this situation.

“You are what you eat, thus the effectiveness and calibre of the supplements you take will show in the outcomes you get.

Carroll offers the following recommendations for boosting the efficiency of vitamins for brain health:

Get enough sleep

Don’t underestimate the importance of good, restful sleep. Research has shown that the brain’s ability to remember information is linked to the quality of sleep. Too little sleep will lead to the brain being unable to process new information from the day, which means trouble remembering information in the future.

Laughter, nature’s medicine

Research has found that laughing causes the release of endorphins, also known as "feel good hormones," and another study found that people's wellbeing increased after engaging in daily humour activities, also known as laughter interventions, like hanging out with funny people, watching a comedy, or noting three funny things that happened in a day.

Carroll says that humour is God’s medication. “The sheer joy of having a good laugh is so incredibly powerful for our brain chemistry that we should have comedy coffee cafes set up on every street corner!.”

Exercise

All forms of exercise boost happy hormones, but some exercises go beyond the endorphin high and can actually sharpen the mind. Rebounding, yoga, and heavy weight training are go-to activities for mental strength and stress alleviation.

“The health of our brains underlies our ability to communicate, make decisions, solve problems, and live extraordinary lives. Arguably, the brain is the single most valuable organ in the human body which is why beauty businesses and consumers are increasingly recognising the importance of supplements for ensuring its optimal health.”

Read the latest issue of IOL Health digital magazine here.