Nature touches your life everyday from the clothes you wear to the products you eat or drink to those you use on your skin. When you use something which is natural and organic it is a win-win situation for the environment — and for you! Interestingly, apart from herbal remedies and organic health and beauty products, there has been an increasing demand for a wide range of quality natural products that slow down the ageing process and help in anti-ageing treatments. So much so that the anti-ageing segment is currently the leading component of the aesthetics market in the world including India.
The Indian aesthetics market is set to attain high growth rates. Market projections see a 10 to 15 per cent surge in growth. And the good aspect is that people are beginning to believe in the magic of herbs and herbal compounds — that they have the ability to contribute to the entire spectrum especially when it comes to anti-ageing products. Says Raghu Kumar, Managing Director, Allergan Healthcare India, which launched their next-generation dermal filler portfolio, Juvederm Voluma to physicians and patients in India, “India is an interesting market for us as the demand for natural products especially in the anti-ageing segment is on the rise. Today, there is a much greater awareness about the benefits of using such products and the dangers of chemical ingredients.”
Says well-known Aesthetic Consultant and Cosmetologist, BLUSH, Dr. Jamuna Pai, “As the skin ages and loses volume, facial wrinkles and folds form. Natural products revolume facial hollows and recontour cheeks and cheekbones for a fuller and softer appearance. Since, the key ingredient in the dermal filler range is hyaluronic acid which is a naturally occurring, biodegradable complex sugar found in the human body, the malleable gel flows easily into the skin and creates a smooth, natural look and feel. It helps restore the balance of the face, making a person look younger and in time, feel more confident.”
Dermal fillers are used widely in aesthetic clinics to enhance facial aesthetics by addressing folds and wrinkles that develop as men and women age, predominantly in their mid-thirties and forties. The market is responding well towards these products that are natural as they are closest to human components and hence have minimal side effects.
In fact, anti-ageing is becoming a movement where the concept of medicine is shifting from treatment to prevention to promotion and wellness. Since, it’s all about your inner and outer health and rejuvenation, people do prefer natural products as they avoid any unnecessary complications.
Says Dr. Deepak Chaturvedi, the country’s leading specialist in anti-ageing medicine and Co-Founder of Anti Ageing Medicine and Research, India, “Yes. There is an obvious tendency for people to shift towards natural anti-ageing products. Education and awareness have also played a huge role in this. Anti-ageing products that are natural are more friendly to the human body. The side effect profile is very minimal as compared to products that contain chemicals. So much so that health professionals are also advocating this trend.”
For instance, Bio Identical hormones are becoming synonymous with the anti-ageing approach of medicine in the Western world that is now spreading across India at its own pace. “Being Isomolecular with natural human hormones, these products are recognised as the body’s own products and thus the body responds to these hormones (phytohormones) as if they were produced by it,” adds Dr. Chaturvedi. Resverterol, Carotenoids, Phaseolus vulgaris, Pycnogenol, Nutraceuticals, grape seed extracts, pineapple extracts, neem, turmeric, henna, amla etc are some popular ingredients used in anti-ageing treatments. And while they have the power to revitalise and rejuvenate, they are also environment friendly and safe!
So why not go natural to go green?