Maternity beauty segment ripe for innovative brands

06-Mar-2014 - Last updated on 06-Mar-2014 at 07:03 GMT

Opportunities are ripe for cosmetic brands to cater to mother and baby as specific changes pre and post pregnancy sees demand rise for more specialised or natural based formulas.

According to Datamonitor’s Rammaa Chipalkatti, concerns about product safety and formulation is prominent for pregnant women, particularly when it comes to skin care products.

As a result of this, the analyst tells CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com that high demand for mainly natural products or low chemical content have become evident in new product launches for this segment.

Several pregnancy-specific changes alongside day-to-day concerns (such as darker pigmentation, blotchy skin, and stretch marks) are experienced by expectant mothers and can be catered to by specifically designed products.

Thus, the segment is ripe to develop washes, soaps, moisturizers, ointments and sun care, but cosmetic brands will really need to innovate if they are to cash in on this market share.

Brands meeting demand

One brand currently catering to this demand is ‘Beaute de Maman’ for pregnant and nursing women, manufactured and marketed by TriStar.

The brand was created by an OB/GYN for her patients, and each product is formulated to meet natural standards that are safe for the mother while addressing the unique symptoms women encounter during pregnancy.

Meanwhile; toiletry manufacturers like P&G and Kimberly-Clark are dominating the segment with J&J falling in third in line with its range of baby skin and sun care, hair care and bath products.

Baby sector also emerging as a lucrative market

The baby care market has in recent years witnessed a growing trend in baby specific products, especially cosmetics, which are organic in terms of ingredients used and poses no threat to baby's health.

A recent report published by the Transparency Market Research group has revealed that the global baby cosmetics segment is to reach $66.8 billion by 2017, toting an overall growth rate of CAGR of 7% during the forecasted five year period.

Moreover, by 2017, the segment will further consolidate its position with 93.2% of the market share with the EMEA region to maintain its lead position in terms of revenue.

Growth in this sector is being fuelled by an increase in disposable income due to the average age of parents across the globe increasing.