Nestlé, the confectionary giant and L’Oréal, the world’s largest cosmetics company, may seem strange bedfellows, but the two have jointly developed an anti-wrinkle pill set to revolutionize the anti-ageing market.

Nutricosmetics are orally ingested nutritional supplements which aid skin rejeneration. Along with Cosmeceuticals, the blending of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals to produce topical anti-wrinkle products, Nutricosmetics seem set to dominate the anti-wrinkle market of the future.

In this case, Nestlé and L’Oréal have developed Innéov Fermeté, a sugar-coated red pill the size of a Smartie which uses lycopene, a compound found in tomatoes, to regenerate new skin cells and to protect existing skin cells from damage. Already available in parts of Europe and South America, it is only a matter of time before Innéov Fermeté becomes available in the UK.

Lycopene, the red carotene pigment found in tomatoes, combined with Vitamin C and isoflavones extracted from soya beans form the basis of this new skincare product. All are powerful antioxidants which help protect skin tissue, although lycopene on its own is not easily absorbed by the body.

Available in France since 2004, Innéov Fermeté has been specifically developed for the Third Age market, to improve the appearance of skin, hair and nails in post-menopausal women.

It is expected to cost in the region of £25 for a 10-day supply.