Could taurine be the key to energised personal care?

By Simon Pitman

- Last updated on GMT

Could taurine be the key to energised personal care?
Energised toothpaste, shampoo and skin care could be the next big thing for personal care consumers in the UK, as a new market report pinpoints consumers’ search for something new as a morning booster.

Market research carried out by Canadean suggests that nearly 40% of British people it surveyed regularly suffer from sleep deprivation, and would be interested in sampling products designed to give you a wake-up, beyond the standard coffee and energy drink offerings.

The survey specifically asked if consumers would be interested in using a toothpaste formulated with the energising ingredient taurine, which provoked an enthusiastic response, the market researcher notes.

Consumers are curious about taurine

“When asked if consumers are interested in a toothpaste or mouthwash with taurine designed to give them an energy boost, 29% of consumers indicated their interest with over two thirds claiming they would be willing to use such products once a day or more,” ​the Canadean survery finds.

Taurine is an amino acid mainly derived from animal tissues. It is widely used as an ingredient in energy drinks, where it serves to help regulate the level of water and mineral salts in the blood.

But it is also used in skin care products, particularly anti-ageing lines, where it is said to help calm the skin and when combined with gycolic acid it is also said to have an exfoliating effect that helps diminish fine lines and wrinkles.

Russian oral care provider first off the block

The Russian oral care brand ROCS is said to be the first of its kind to use the ingredient in its toothpaste, claiming it gives “a burst of energy from the very morning”.

Canadean researcher Veronika Zhupanova says that there have already been a number of personal care products that have launched on the market with energising claims, and the success of these is likely to lead to further launches in other categories, including oral care.

“Energising products are slowly shifting from drinks into other categories, such as food and personal care. The world has already seen a number of personal care hygiene products, such as shower gels and shampoos with taurine,”​ said Zhupanova.

However, there is one word of caution from Zhupanova, who notes that using taurine in oral care products means warnings have to be clear about possible ingestion, while it is also not recommended for use by children.

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