Food economics

Cross-pollination between food and beauty: it’s a short step from food to cosmetics

The cosmetics sector is growing at a faster rate than the manufacturing sector as a whole, offering food companies both a profitable market in which to differentiate themselves and a way to make the most of raw materials and production waste.

by Maria Teresa Manuelli

26 September 2026

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Iginio Massari, Dolci Rituali Beauty Collection

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Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The food industry is increasingly looking to the beauty sector: the cosmetics sector is growing at a faster rate than the manufacturing sector as a whole and offers food companies both a profitable market in which to differentiate themselves and a way to make the most of raw materials and production waste. In 2025, global turnover in the cosmetics sector reached $610.4 billion, up 2.9 per cent on 2024, according to Euromonitor data.

The sector’s turnover in Italia exceeds 18 billion euros, and is growing, with exports accounting for almost half of this figure. This field is seeing the entry of confectioners, olive oil mills and agro-industrial groups, with partnerships that are now much more than just occasional collaborations.

From the oven to the bottle

One of the most recent examples involves Iginio Massari, who, with the Dolci Rituali Beauty Collection, has brought the olfactory world of his patisserie to the world of perfumery. The project, developed in collaboration with International Beauty – a company founded in 2024 to develop and distribute beauty brands – was unveiled at Cosmoprof Worldwide in Bologna and hit the shelves in September 2026, featuring five Eau de Parfums inspired by panettone, pistachio, caramel, vanilla and watermelon, as well as shower gels, scrubs and body lotions.
‘The distribution strategy involves entering the perfumery channel – both chains and independent shops – and department stores,’ explains Gianluca De Nicola, managing director of International Beauty. He is not the first pastry chef to move in this direction: the Spaniard Jordi Roca has created three eau de toilettes inspired by his desserts, whilst Sal de Riso from Campania has produced seven fragrances.

The oil that turns into cream

One of the most well-organised initiatives in the olive oil sector in recent months – a sector that has always been linked to beauty treatments – comes from Frantoio Bonamini, in Val d’Illasi (Verona), which in June launched a complete range of cosmetics based on its own organic extra virgin olive oil, scented with iris. The project is the result of over ten years of research, explains Sabrina Sartorari Bonamini, owner of the oil mill: “This marks the rebirth of a project we have believed in for over ten years, back when very few in the olive oil world dared to talk about cosmetics.” The company, which has been in operation since 1965, produces 280,000 bottles of extra virgin olive oil a year; the cosmetics range utilises the same antioxidant polyphenols found in the table oil, incorporated into face creams, soaps and shampoos.

The (anti-waste) coffee supply chain

One of the most frequently cited examples of the circular economy is that of Intercos and Amarey, a start-up founded by the Illy family, which has used coffee silverskin – the film that coats the beans and is discarded during roasting – to produce a cosmetic emollient butter in collaboration with illycaffè. “We want to make the most of all possible types of waste, because we know they are still very rich in molecules that can be reintroduced into other production cycles,” said David Brussa, Director of Total Quality and Sustainability at illycaffè.

Ingredients, not just finished products

A number of food companies are entering the beauty sector, not with their own brands, but as suppliers of ingredients or contract manufacturers. This is the case with Verel, a contract cosmetics manufacturer based in Parma acquired by The Synergetic Group, an initiative by Food Valley entrepreneur Giampaolo Cagnin, who has invested over 1.5 million euros in infrastructure, of which over 500,000 went on research and development alone; At Cosmopack 2026, Verel presented cleansers based on active ingredients derived from saffron flowers and bergamot leaves through upcycling.

Following a similar path is Cereal Docks, a group based in Camisano Vicentino (Vicenza) with a turnover of 1.4 billion euros, which last June acquired 75 per cent of Prd – Pasini Riso e Derivati (with revenues in excess of 30 million), having previously signed a joint venture in March between its subsidiary Aethera Biotech and the French company Robertet, a leader in raw materials for perfumes and in plant biotechnology for cosmetics and nutraceuticals.

Cultipharm, a Mantua-based company specialising in botanicals grown in a controlled environment, has also signed an agreement with Zambon for ingredients intended for use in cosmetics, based on a model that reduces water and land consumption and eliminates the use of pesticides throughout the supply chain.

This trend also extends to smaller businesses: according to Coldiretti Toscana , natural and sustainable cosmetics already account for 25 per cent of consumption in the entire national market for this sector. In the Marche region, several farms have developed beauty ranges using their own traditional produce, from Frantoio Abbruzzetti’s olive oil to Mamma Asina’s donkey’s milk, from Ape Verde’s honey to the sour cherries from the Antinori farm. Agrisicilia has taken the opposite approach, incorporating a beauty ingredient – collagen – into a food product: the jams in the +Protein range, containing bovine collagen and 10 grams of protein per 100 grams, are aimed at those who combine nutrition and skincare in their daily routine.