This month's rundown of novel launches in the personal care industry focuses on the latest cellulite treatment products, with massage applicators and soap-impregnated sponges being touted as the latest "cures" for the skin condition. In other developments, lychee is being newly promoted as a well-being ingredient, and wasabi has found a new use as a cold remedy.
In the first of the cellulite treatment products, Avon has added a new massaging applicator to its cellulite cream product sold in Brazil. It claims that the Avon Cellu Sculpt Lotion with Massager reduces cellulite by stimulating the burning of fat deposits through its massaging effect, reducing the "orange peel" effect by up to 68%. Meanwhile in the US, a "specially-textured pad" impregnated with body wash is offering consumers the possibility of reducing cellulite as they shower. Spongeables Anti-Cellulite Body Wash in a Sponge contains a "Muscle Toner," lotus extract, and caffeine, while claiming to smooth, tone, moisturize, massage, and exfoliate, as well as improve the appearance of cellulite. Though many experts continue to maintain that there is no outright cure for cellulite, the proliferation of ever-more inventive treatments for the condition indicates that public demand for a miracle treatment is unlikely to decline.
In supplement news, lychee, with its purported natural superfruit benefits, has emerged as a new player in the weight-loss market. Launched in the US by Bainbridge & Knight, the Lichi Super Fruit Diet Supplement is sold as a softgel capsule, and is said to contain a proprietary blend of 17 active ingredients including polyphenol-rich substances such as acai fruit, Resveratrol, green tea extract, and three other types of tea. Myriad health benefits are assigned to so-called superfruit ingredients, but it is particularly unusual to see lychee associated with benefits such as weight-loss or well-being.
Another product making a seemingly unprecedented move into the supplement market is Smoothie King Plant-Sourced Omega 3-6-9 Daily Essential Oils Liquid Soft Gels. The product is new from Smoothie King Franchises and makes a particular virtue of its plant-derived ingredients, namely flax, pumpkin, safflower, and black currant seeds. According to the producer, the plant extracts reduce the odor and taste associated with fish oils (the ingredient more commonly associated with Omega-3 supplements). The emphasis placed on the multiple plant sources of the Omega-3 is particularly unusual for this type of product.
Over in Japan, wasabi has begun to move out of the food industry, recently appearing in the medicines segment as a cold remedy. The new product from Kinjirushi is the Wasabi Thiohexyl Mask Aroma, and it is designed to be added to a face mask to provide a soothing effect to the nose and throat. The active ingredient is 6-methylsulfinylhexyl isothiocyanate (a type of wasabi extract), and the product is said to have a wasabi and herb scent. Wasabi is a familiar component of Japanese cuisine and is known for its strength and pungency, which could possibly lend it beneficial properties as a decongestant.
Staying with cold remedies, in the UK Reckitt Benckiser has released an unusual multifunctional product that can be consumed in a choice of two different ways. The new Lemsip Max Lemon Flavour Cold & Flu Tablets can be swallowed as a tablet in the traditional manner, but are also dissolvable in water in order to create a hot drink. In successfully combining the functionality of two of its flagship products, Lemsip has offered something new to the pharmaceutical industry, and the "flexible" attributes of the product should lend it extra appeal in an already crowded marketplace.
Finally, a new toothbrush launched in the US adds a "personalizable" twist in the children's toothbrush market. Arm & Hammer My Way! Kid's Spinbrush Battery Powered Toothbrush from Church & Dwight contains 141 waterproof stickers allowing children to decorate the handle of the toothbrush in an individual way. As well as potentially adding a fun element to the routine of oral hygiene, the stickers could turn into a driver for repeat sales as kids look to experiment with new and different designs.