Shaving cream formulated for ethnic skin

Cutting Up is being released onto an ethnic-specific cosmetic market that has grown 19 percent between 2001 and 2006 and is now estimated to be worth $1.9bn according to Packaging Facts.

The new product was formulated to tackle razor bumps and ingrown hairs, which are common problems for men with dark skin tones because of the curliness of the hair.

New York-based Barc claims that the full bodied texture and the absence of alcohol in the cream helps to minimize the irritation caused by the razor during shaving.

The product also contains glycolic acid which exfoliates the skin, helping to remove dead skin cells from the users face.

"In developing our new shaving cream, we conducted extensive research and held numerous focus groups where we learned that African-American and Hispanic men are seeking a new shaving cream that is better suited for their particular skin types," said Barc CEO Christopher Hayes.

Cutting Up is being sold throughout the United States and there are plans afoot to release the product onto the European market in 2008.

The new shaving cream follows the launch of Barc's first product Bump Down, a razor bump treatment, 18 months ago.

Barc manager Franco Franus told CosmeticsDesign.com that the market for ethnic cosmetics definitely has great growth potential and that word of mouth was working really well as a marketing tool for its shaving products.

Market researchers Euromonitor also consider ethnic-specific cosmetics to be a market that could see significant further growth.

In a report published last year, Euromonitor stated: "Major cosmetics and toiletries manufacturers are watching these (ethnic hair care, skin care and color cosmetics) categories closely because they consider them major potential areas for growth."

A number of leading players, including Avon, P&G and L'Oreal, are all developing both research and development capabilities and adapting their business portfolios in an effort to tap into the increased demand.