Skin concerns 'at any age’: Superdrug relaunches own-brand range B. Skin

Relaunched this week following three years of development, the B. Skin by Superdrug skin care range now featured five different lines targeting specific skin needs: cleanse, glow, hydrate, age define and oil control. The products, including day creams, eye creams, serums and gels, were all packaged in FSC-certified card and formulated using RSPO-approved sustainable palm oil.

Priced between €10.58-€19.99 (£8.99-£16.99) and available online and in UK stores nationwide, the products had been benchmarked against the premium skin care market and were designed to feel luxurious but affordable – especially important, said Emma Monaghan, senior own-brand buyer at Superdrug.

“We spent a considerable amount of time working on the textures, going through multiple iterations to ensure all the products had a luxe feel. We also conducted extensive trials to back up all our claims and to give our customers confidence,”​ Monaghan told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.

“…Superdrug customers look for skin care products which are efficacious with accessible pricing.”​

From age and ingredient led to a ‘skin concern’ focus​

Importantly, the relaunch of B. Skin by Superdrug – initially launched in 2011 – saw the retailer shift from an “ingredient led”​ approach to a “skin care solutions”​ focus, she said. Whilst each formulation still contained “key ingredients at efficacious levels”,​ she said the positioning now helped consumers navigate the range “without having to research to build an effective routine.”​

And the five lines had specifically been kept “simple and straightforward to shop”,​ she said, without too many variants under each skin concern.

“…Previously, the range was split into phases which linked products to age. However, in the last few years, the beauty industry has really moved forward in its approach; now acknowledging you can have any skin concern at any age. B. Skin by Superdrug has been created with five new sub-categories to help customers find the right product to enable them to have a full skin care routine from the collection,” ​Monaghan said.

‘Skin care has really come into focus during the pandemic’​

And the relaunch was especially timely, she said, given the rising interest in skin care amongst consumers during COVID-19. Earlier this year, market research major Euromonitor International said skin care was set to take the 'brightest spot' in the global beauty and personal care market post-COVID​, driven by consumer interest in 'skinimalist' routines. Mintel research conducted at the end of 2020 indicated facial care had also surged in the UK​ as consumers looked to improve their overall health and wellbeing via beauty.

“Skin care has really come into focus during the pandemic. Great skin is the basis for great makeup and an important part of any self-care routine. Customers are demanding more and more from their skin care and with rapidly advancing formulations, we still have loads to go after in the high-street market.”​

The revamped B. Skin by Superdrug, she said, aimed to capture a wide range of this market as it had been created for “any age, any gender and all skin types”.​