To compile the report, Google pulled top volume queries related to the beauty category and looked at their monthly volume from September 2014 to September 2016.
“We first removed any seasonal effect, and then measured the year-over-year growth, velocity, and acceleration for each search query. Based on these metrics, we were able to classify the queries into similar trend patterns,” the report’s authors, Olivier Zimmer & Yarden Horwitz, explain.
“We then curated the most significant trends to illustrate interesting shifts in behavior.”
It reveals three main takeaway insights: each market has distinct values when it comes to skin care; skin care trends, however, are spreading from market to market; and, while they initially spread in this manner, they evolve different within each market.
Spotlight trends
In the report, Google pinpointed a core ‘spotlight’ trend for each of the three markets. These are:
For the US: Vegan skin care
This trend is seeing again the influence of food on beauty, and is also seeing some increase in popularity in France.
“Though still quite low in volume compared to other top trends, searches for the vegan skin care category have grown by 83% year over year in the US,” say Google’s analysts.
“While most prominent in the U.S., this trend is beginning to see growth in France. However, the average person in the U.S. is 13X more likely to search for vegan skin care products than someone in France. The vegan trend is not present Japan at this time."
Top trending search terms are: vegan soap, vegan skin care, vegan chapstick, vegan facewash, vegan lotion and vegan body wash.
For France: Cellulite solutions
According to Google’s analysts, cellulite terms are popular in France. Key examples of top trending search terms are: ventouse anti cellulite (anti cellulite suction cup), huile anti cellulite (anti cellulite oil), and cellulite cuisses (cellulite thighs).
“Interest spikes in May, indicating that French consumers may be more body conscious when the weather gets warmer. The average person in France is 30X more likely to search for cellulite than the average American and 170X more likely than someone in Japan.
“French consumers are looking for solutions, including cellulite suction cups and oils. This may be an opportunity for brands to emphasize anti-cellulite product benefits or to develop new offerings that cater to cellulite concerns.”
For Japan: Cleansing
Although a trend seen across all three markets to a strong degree, searching for terms related to cleansing and pores is a pattern most prevalent in Japan.
“The average person in Japan is 6X more likely to search for cleansing than the average American and 13X more than someone in France,” the analysts confirm.
Japanese consumers show a particular passion for intricate techniques and indicate strong interest in the compositions of each solution. Growth in searches for enzyme, carbonated, and water cleansing indicate demand for techniques that are gentler by nature, but still powerful.