Psycho-Emotional Ingredients: Marketing Gimmicks or Industry Reality?

In today’s fast-paced world, consumers want their personal care products to not just make them look good but also offer them a moment of emotional well-being. It comes as no surprise, then, that psycho-emotional ingredients or mood-enhancing ingredients have captured the attention of consumers on a large scale. These ingredients have the potential to influence mood, elicit positive emotions, and create sensory experiences that promote relaxation, rejuvenation, or other desired emotional effects. Essential oils, botanical extracts, fragrances, aromatherapy blends, and adaptogenic herbs are a few examples of these ingredients, which are now used by businesses for their potential stress-relieving and mood-stabilizing properties.

Using psycho-emotional ingredients in personal care has resulted in significant changes and advancements in product formulations and consumer experiences.

Estée Lauder has experimented with aromatherapeutic ingredients such as essential oils and botanical extracts. These ingredients have been incorporated into their skincare and body care products to provide a sensory experience and promote a sense of well-being.

Clariant launched mood-boosting skincare innovations with two formulations based on its most recent ingredient launches under the concept ‘The Joyologist,’ which promotes inner wellness. One of the formulations is based on Clariant’s new active ingredient, Rootness Mood+, which is derived from Sanguisorba officinalis, a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. It also contains B-Circadin, which helps re-synchronize the skin cell’s biological clock, and HerbEx Curcuma Extract, which increases the skin’s stress resilience.

Beracare CBA, a complex blend of Amazonian oils that can be used as an alternative to Cannabidiol (CBD), has been selected as a different formulation to be included in their multi-sensory relaxation set.

TiMood by Mibelle Biochemistry is a neuroactive ingredient derived from Himalayan timut pepper that promotes better neuronal function within the skin and improves skin homogeneity. When applied topically, this ingredient allows information transfer by facilitating communication between the brain and the skin via the endocrine system. Additionally, the nervous system acts as a direct connection between the brain and the skin through specialized nerve cells. This innovative breakthrough opens up new avenues for improving the health and appearance of the skin as well as the emotional state, bridging the gap between neurology and skincare.

Laboratoires Expanscience has developed a revolutionary ingredient called EPIONINE® Bio, sourced from Camellia oleifera, a small tree indigenous to China that is well-known for its seed oil. This ingredient has been specifically designed to protect the skin from both internal and external stressors by targeting the skin-brain axis, which is an intricate relationship between the skin and the brain. By utilizing the unique properties of Camellia oleifera, this ingredient provides a potent solution for protecting the skin from the damaging effects of stress. Its innovative formulation acts as a defense mechanism, ensuring the skin remains resilient and healthy even in challenging environments.

Laboratoires Expanscience’s breakthrough ingredient not only demonstrates the potential of natural resources but also exemplifies the company’s commitment to uncovering the secrets of the skin-brain connection for optimal skincare results.

BASF introduces Sacred Patch, a game-changing skincare innovation powered by Sacran, an extraordinary ingredient derived from the microalgae Aphanothece sacrum. Sacran has moisturizing properties that are five times greater than those of established ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and squalane. Sacred Patch represents BASF’s commitment to revolutionizing the skincare industry by incorporating cutting-edge ingredients that not only protect the skin but also promote emotional well-being. It provides an immediate uplifting effect upon application by stimulating the release of oxytocin, a hormone associated with positive emotions.

Moving Forward

Companies may use a variety of approaches and strategies to incorporate these ingredients into their product formulations, but consumer reactions to these ingredients can be highly subjective, as personal preferences and experiences can influence the perceived effects of these ingredients. While these ingredients are widely used and valued for their potential mood-boosting properties, the scientific evidence supporting their specific mechanisms of action and efficacy varies.

It is, however, a developing area of research and development. Consumers can expect to see more advancements and innovations in this field as companies continue to investigate the potential benefits of psycho-emotional ingredients in personal care products. So, it would be incorrect to say that it is purely a marketing gimmick because ingredients are surely playing an important role in providing intangible benefits to consumers, using products containing psycho-emotional ingredients.