Editor’s picks: the top articles of 2013

There was a new regulation in place in Europe as well as a new animal testing ban, which all caused a stir, but here are our top 5 stories from the scientific, market trend and business side of things.

1. New pill promises to permanently cure grey hair​​

Whenever we publish a new story on hair ageing, be it colour or loss, we always receive a lot of attention. This year has been no different, and with a number of new hair colour studies and research taking place, it was always going to be high on the agenda.

Suggesting a pill that can permanently cure grey hair? Well, that is definitely of interest. The secret ingredient turned out to be an enzyme called Catalase that counteracts with the body's natural production of hydrogen peroxide.

“When we don't produce enough Catalase, the hydrogen peroxide cannot be broken down. As a result, hair is bleached from the inside out, turning it grey,” ​ says Cathy Beggan, who made the discovery.

It remains to be seen if this discovery is made commercial and really takes off, ut it certainly caused a stir in the Cosmetics Design offices and was one of our favourite stories to report on in 2013.

2. P&G announces first permanent hair dye molecule with reduced allergy risk​​

Sticking with hair colour, it appears industry giant Procter & Gamble has been paying close attention to the possibilities in the market.

When a big player gets involved with this kind of research and makes such an announcement, it always causes a stir and this was no different, as we saw our coverage balloon on social media, reaching record shares and likes.

Procter & Gamble’s claim that its new ME+ molecule is the first hair dye to provide full permanent colour performance & colour spectrum with reduced risk of developing allergy, is certainly a big one and was worth special attention.

Developed by the Wella Salon Professional division, P&G claims it will revolutionise hair colouring.

“The development of ME+ represents a major step forward in hair dye technology, enabling to create hair colorants that reduce the risk of inducing allergy compared to the pPD/pTD based options,”​ says Dr Bianca Piraccini, dermatologist at the University of Bologna.

The new discovery isn’t without risk and we will be watching carefully to see how this develops and is incorporated into products.

3. Beauty boxes transform beauty marketing and e-commerce​​

Some say beauty boxes will be a fad, but they appear to have stood the test of time, with more companies offering the service and some of the biggest manufacturers using the platform to reach out to new customers.

With this in mind, at the start of the year, CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com spoke with Euromonitor to find out how the market has been affected.

According to Rachel Lin, research analyst, manufacturers should see samples in beauty boxes as the first step in engaging consumers, with teasers and links then driving traffic online and potentially influencing purchases.

In turn, this is revolutionising how consumers shop for beauty products, providing sensory elements to online shopping that was not present in the traditional retail format and this will continue to drive e-commerce.

4. The New Cosmetic Regulation: What changes?​​

We could hardly brush over the new Cosmetics Regulation which was adopted in 2009 and finally went into complete action replacing the Cosmetics Directive of 1976 that used to rule cosmetics products in the European Union.

Some parts of the new Regulation have already been in force, but the major portion entered into effect on July 11, with the major aims focusing on health protection, animal protection and consumer protection.

“For the first time, the world’s largest personal care market of more than 500 million consumers will be served by a single, harmonised piece of legislation, directly applicable in all the Member States of the European Union,”​ comments Bertil Heerink, director-general of Cosmetics Europe, the personal care trade association.

“The regulation both gives consumers a uniform level of protection in a single market, and brings unprecedented clarity for industry.”​

The new regulation should make enforcement easier and put greater confidence in cosmetics products available. Here, we decided to put together a gallery to highlight to readers what the big changes were and hopefully offer some clarity on key issues.

5. P&G and Beiersdorf – A potential match made in heaven?​​

Mid-way through the year, rumours started flying around that P&G and Beiersdorf could be ready to strike a deal, having flirted before; this being the third time in recent years.

Despite the rumours being denied by both parties, Cosmetics Design investigated why the deal could make sense were it to happen.

This led to us also speaking to various analysts, with Euromonitor informing us that a deal would complement both parties.​

We couldn’t help but feel it could make good sense if a deal was to be made too, given P&G’s recent performance in Beauty & Grooming, contrasted with the successes that the Nivea skin care maker has experienced.

Earlier this year, even though the group posted positive results, P&G’s Beauty & Grooming category dropped behind its competitors leading to many analysts suggesting the Ohio-based firm should consider divesting the beauty business and focus on its other areas.

On the other hand, Beiersdorf saw its profits rise once again , helped by the continued success of its Nivea brand; one which P&G has singled out as ‘impressive’ in the past.

The rumours have since died down, with both companies focusing on their own separate strategies, but I suppose you can never say never…