Collagen Awareness Has Dropped!? Wellness Product Ingredient Claims

Have you purchased anything recently out of concern for your health or beauty? What factors influenced your decision at the time?

Last time, we shared survey results on health awareness and concerns. This time, we'll discuss what resonates with people in such situations.

In a survey conducted by Dentsu Inc.'s Wellness Project examining awareness and consumption of approximately 150 types of food ingredients contributing to health and beauty (such as black vinegar and green juice), a general trend of "decreasing engagement with ingredients" has been observed in recent years. Simply put, we are seeing a situation where "ingredients and components are becoming less consciously considered," with recognition rates declining for nearly all components. Based solely on this survey's results, even collagen—once boasting a 94.0% recognition rate in 2004—saw its recognition drop to 74.5% by 2012.

Furthermore, we found that a "disparity in involvement" has emerged. For example, while the "recognition rate" for calcium has declined, "recognition of its effects and efficacy" has increased. In other words, the situation has become one where "fewer people know about it, but those who do know are very knowledgeable about its contents."

From the above, we can see that the trend of active ingredients such as cocoa polyphenols, which were "often heard of but not well understood," is no longer popular. So, what should we communicate to get people's attention?

One answer is to clearly state what the product does. It's not the ingredients or their names, nor is it the mechanism of action; what matters is the function. However, it is legally difficult to directly promote the effects and efficacy of general foods, so creativity is needed. The question then becomes what functions are considered attractive. The survey results show that terms such as "fat," "sleep," and "fatigue recovery" are of interest.

Although the hype has calmed down compared to when metabolic syndrome screenings began, diet-related topics remain a high priority for both men and women, for both health and beauty reasons. Furthermore, appealing effects and benefits include "stress relief," "fatigue recovery," and "eye health," which rank highly.

Incidentally, while appealing to ingredients or components isn't particularly trendy, the overall knowledge base of consumers has been elevated thanks to the health boom of the past. Consequently, elements like "vitamin C," "dietary fiber," and "calcium" are overwhelmingly recognized as essential, and their inclusion works favorably during product selection.

What about you? Do ingredient labels catch your attention? Finally, a quick note about sugar and calorie labeling on beverages: "Sugar-free" means "less than 0.5g of sugars per 100ml," "No added sugar" means "no sugar used during processing," and "Zero calories" means "less than 5kcal per 100ml." Sugars are included in carbohydrates, and 1g of carbohydrates equals 4kcal. Feeling a bit confused? If you're unsure about choosing products, please refer to this guide.