TOMATOES provide sun protection, beetroots detox skin and avocados are great moisturisers. With all these natural "beauty foods", who needs all those expensive serums and eye creams?

However, before you throw away your bottles and jars of skincare, do read on.

In recent years, the phrase "beauty from within" has taken on a whole new dimension. Proliferating in the market are beverages infused with collagen or supplements packed with antioxidants.

These products are offered by both skincare companies and the food industries alike.

Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant and anti-irritant that helps strengthen skin?s ability to resist environmental aggressors, and has sun protection properties.

Ingestible beauty products or nutricosmetics are offered as liquids, pills or functional foods. These products are formulated with ingredients or nutrients believed to promote healthy skin, hair and nails at cellular levels. Key ingredients often include vitamins, minerals, botanical extracts and antioxidants.

Market research firm Kline and Company values the global nutricosmetic market at US$1.5bil, with Europe and Japan accounting for 96% of sales. It also predicted the market to rise to US$2.5bil by 2012.

A few years ago, beauty and cosmetics giant L'Oreal, teamed up with food and beverage conglomerate Nestle to create a nutricosmetic range called Inneov, featuring supplements for skin and hair. (Inneov, sold in Europe, is not available in Malaysia.)

Bioxil has Cherriwell, touted as an "antioxidant superdrink" for anti-ageing and joint mobility improvement. It contains 100% natural Montmorency red tart cherry juice concentrate, high in antioxidants and phyto-nutrients touted to reduce pigmentation, balance skin tone, reduce the appearance of dark eye circles and brighten complexion.

Total Image features a supplement called Total Image Collagen Plus, which also contains vitamins C and E. The product has pure, hydrolysed collagen, said to "firm up delicate skin areas, and give out a radiant and smooth complexion". Its vitamin C content is claimed to aid in the formation of collagen while vitamin E antioxidants act against skin damage caused by free radicals.

Cosmeceutical brands like Perricone MD has its Nutriceuticals right there on the bandwagon. Its Superberry Powder with Acai, a powdered supplement that provides antioxidant protection, is said to improve skin's appearance and provide instant energy. The powder drink is claimed to give the body energising antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits to fight free radical damage in the skin and protect internal organ functions.