Japanese cosmetics: the beauty from within market

According to a report from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the shipment of cosmetics in Japan was 1,390,200,000,000 yen in 2009, showing an 8% decrease from the previous year. The price per product lowered as the quantity has decreased only by 0.2%. Many women want to look beautiful, but they are prepared to buy cheap products. Particularly big decreases are observed in “dress up” cosmetics. Perfume and cologne products decreased by 16%; and makeup cosmetics such as lipsticks decreased by 15%. The decrease in shipment has stopped as a whole, but it will not exceed last year’s level. To increase sales in such a market environment in Japan, articles that combine cosmetics and food have been introduced to the market. Shiseido released a new brand called “IN & ON”. Its “Sharpformula” is a set comprised of an essence, a mask and a drink; and “Smoothformula” is a set comprised of an essence and a supplement. They are for women who worry about sagging skin and want to mitigate wrinkles. They sell well to working women in their 40s and over, a category which has increased in number and contains many women who are not satisfied with existing cosmetics. The prices are expensive, around 4,200 to 11,550 yen, but the initial shipment was 1.2 times larger than expected.

Consultation service

Some drugstores have started to give their customers cosmetic advice that involves taking health foods and applying makeup. Drugstore, Matsumotokiyoshi, opened a shop called “H&B Place” in Yokohama this March, which specialises in health and beauty products. Nutrition managers and beauty advisors recommend suitable cosmetics and supplements by analysing the skin of customers. However, the health food market is making negative growth in the same way as the cosmetics market. According to Yano Research Institute, the monetary figure for shipments in 2009 was 662,000,000,000 yen, showing a 1.2% decrease from 2008, and the growth has been negative for four consecutive years. They are expecting that beauty foods containing collagen etc., and foods for preventing metabolic syndromes will make steady sales to old and middle-aged women. The Tokyo University of Agriculture established the Department of Food and Cosmetic Science this year. I attended a large-scale party in celebration of the establishment together with other representatives of 121 companies of relevant industries. In this department, students study quality control, storage and microorganisms, which are indispensable courses for the safety of foods and cosmetics. It also gives courses on the functions of foods, aromatics and flavours. They announced that study subjects will include those that enrich life such as foods and cosmetics. It will be notable whether it will constitute a field of study or end as a mere fashion.