This year’s trends presentations programme spanned 25 presentations and round table discussions over three days. Here are my key highlights…
Brazil: a Mega-Market with fantastic expansion opportunities
According to Euromonitor, Brazil is the third largest beauty market globally, is first in fragrance and deodorants and second in haircare, suncare and men’s grooming.
Brazilian women worship their hair and tend to have a daily, or even twice-daily, in-depth haircare regime consisting of shampoo, conditioner, combing cream and treatments. Given the wide variety of ethnic types, there is a huge demand for products that address many hair concerns.
Companies looking to launch into this lucrative growth category must adapt products to local usage, rather than import formulations and formats that work elsewhere. Mintel has noted that 95% of Brazilian haircare launches make a “salt-free” claim, reflecting the beach lifestyle that many women have. Hair repair and formulations for excessively dry hair are also key claims.
Skin care: the future is coming from Asia
In Asia, the beauty ideal is for perfect, spotless, porcelain-like skin. Achieving that is a challenge in a society where lack of time is a major issue. New skin care formats are emerging to tackle this and in China are described as “Shinagara cosme”, or “cosmetics while doing something else”, such as driving a car, watching TV or sleeping.
Masks that can be left on the face while the user does something else are a big trend, as are sleeping masks infused with moisture and active ingredients designed to work overnight. Skin care mists, 2 and 3-phase oil formulations and minerals, such as clay, all have their place in the modern Asian woman’s regimes. In Korea, ten skin care steps in the morning are not unusual –the final step being a skin finisher to give an all-day glow.
And from the pioneers of the alphabet craze, the world’s first Asian QQ cream has been launched, designed to give the user fresh, baby, elastic skin…
New ways with fragrance
Fragrance is the primary purchase driver in personal care products, according to Mintel, whose research shows that global consumers want to smell before they purchase.
The top fragrances in personal care products are: floral, fantasy, fruity, gourmand and fresh & clean.
Fragrance is being used to upgrade functional products, such as hand wash and bodywash eg Molton Brown Coco & Sandalwood bodywash and Dettol Rose & Cherry Blossom hand wash.
Mintel’s research shows that consumers are experimenting with scented cross-category products, such as dryer sheers and laundry detergents that smell the same as their favourite fragrance.
Fragrances for clothes and perfume for hair are also catching on. An example of a fine fragrance for clothes is Guerlain’s La Petite Robe Noir Eau de Lingerie, while Jo Malone sells Scent Surround Hangers for the wardrobe.