The company developed its Active Lifestyle Concept after taking careful inventory of global trends, both mega trends and beauty consumer trends. “Influenced by the rise of wellness culture, increasing numbers of global consumers are adopting an active lifestyle,” notes Evonik in its marketing materials for the concept.
“Sport and beauty are joining forces for collaborations that combine health and fitness with cosmetics. Evonik Personal Care offers a selection of inspiring formulation ideas targeting this trend.”
What companies and consumers expect
In conversation with Cosmetics Design, Anna Howe, applied technology manager for personal care at Evonik, and her colleagues Kunal Kumar, personal care marketing manager, and Frank Schmidtmann, personal care technology manager, explained that the company’s Active Lifestyle collection of prototypes was as much inspired by trend data as it was by customer requests and expectations.
And looking even farther forward in the personal care and cosmetics marketplace, there is, they believe, “a gap between [the number of] active products launched and consumer market needs.”
What Evonik has put together
The Active Lifestyle Concept that Evonik has put together consists of 5 prototype products: a “dry and light” deodorant stick, an “exercise-proof foundation,” “refreshing power” wipes, a multitasking hair cleanser and conditioner dubbed the “all-in-one recharge for sport,” and an “after-sun energizing and nourishing spray.”
“[Our] customers like a clustered regime,” the Evonik team tells Cosmetics Design. That is because as Howe explains it, a clustered regime like the Active Lifestyle Concept allows for “speed to market [by helping formulators] apply the right ingredients to product form and function.”
Active beauty today
Active beauty isn’t new. Rather, it’s a niche that Evonik expects will grow and have some real longevity. The company’s expectation is premised, at least in part, on data from a 2015 study conducted by The Physical Activity Council: “37% of Boomers were involved in high calorie burning exercises, 48% of Gen Z participated at least once a week in a fitness activity/sport, 49% of Millennials were involved in high calorie burning activities, [and] 80% of Gen Z were active.”
In the independent beauty sector, brands like Sweat Cosmetics are making a name for themselves and helping establish the active beauty category. That company launched in 2015 and is premised on what CEO Courtney Jones Louks has told Cosmetics Design, that “being fit is NOT a trend. Being fit is here to stay, and women are working out more than ever to not only look their best, but to feel their best and be the healthiest version of themselves.”
More established brands are in on the active beauty movement too, brands like Aveda and Tarte Cosmetics, for instance.