WORDS FRANCESCA SPECTER
Snail slime, tree sap and microalgae – they may sound like the contents of a witch’s cauldron, but in fact they’re just some of the strange new ingredients cropping up in the latest beauty products. While once we may have relied on the same familiar formulations used by our mothers and friends – detergent-based cleansers and moisturisers made from vegetable oils – we’re starting to embrace the unknown. And, according to a recent Mintel report, consumers are welcoming unusual ingredients such as seaweed (42 per cent surveyed said they’d be interested in trying it) and ginseng (37 per cent would try it). ‘Exotic ingredients have the power to boost skincare sales,’ says Margie Nanninga, beauty and personal care analyst at Mintel. ‘In light of increased competition within the skincare market, unique ingredients serve as a way to set products apart.’