Anti-ageing solutions drive innovation in skin care

And, despite the negative pressure of a lacklustre global economy, spending is going nowhere but up – fuelled in developed markets by an increasingly beauty-conscious over-50s population on the one hand, and by young people seeking to stave off visible signs of ageing on the other, and in emerging markets by a new cash-rich and aspirational middleclass. For skin care manufacturers, the competitive stakes have never been higher and the need for innovation never greater.

 Innovation, segmentation and personalization

 Beauty care manufacturers are falling over themselves to steal an innovation march on their rivals in the fast-growing skin care category. And anti-ageing solutions are at the frontline of the action. What is striking is that product segmentation has become increasingly granular in its branding. Five years ago, for example, most antiageing products were targeted at women in their 30s and 40s. Today, beauty houses are marketing ‘preventative’ anti-ageing treatments to women as young as 20, while at the other end of the age pyramid there are growing numbers of products aimed specifically at women in their 50s and 60s. L’Oréal, the world’s leading skin care manufacturer with a global market share of 11%, according to Euromonitor International, operates six different age band categories for its skin care line – specifically, Hydrafresh (from age 20), Youth Code and Derma Genesis (from age 30), Wrinkle De-Crease Collagen (from age 35), Revitalift (from age 40), Age Perfect (from age 50) and Age Re-Perfect (from age 60). As a portfolio, it is indicative of a new multiple segmentation approach across the industry. In addition to segmentation by age, the latest generation of skin care is divided into products for different skin types and for different areas of the body, notably eyes, neck and chest. The net result is a cosmetic kaleidoscope of lotions, creams and serums, of which many tout so-called advanced formulas proven to help fight the signs of ageing. In particular, there is a marketing agenda focused on combating wrinkles, sagging skin, age spots and sun damage. Running alongside the increasingly granular segmentation has been a drive to educate consumers on technical minutiae, such as moisture barrier protection, retinoid technology, peptides and anti-ageing ingredients. Far from being baffled, consumers have largely bought into the jargon, particularly in the developed markets, and this in turn has encouraged a shift towards a more personalised skin care culture in which tailored products are now the norm. There is speculation in the industry that skin care routines are becoming too timeconsuming, however. The new generation of serums, for example, geared in particular to fine lines and wrinkles, add yet another step to an already intensive daily skin care routine for many women. This has led L’Oréal’s Garnier to launch its new Ultra-Lift 2-in-1 Wrinkle Reducer Serum and Moisturizer, a dual function delivery system that claims to work in tandem without compromising optimum efficacy. This 2-in-1 functionality could become more visible in skin care over the course of the year as beauty houses seek to marry technical attributes with user-friendliness. It is, however, also an illustration of how the industry risks tripping over its own laces as it races to come up with the next new thing. In short, the 2-in-1 delivery system could weaken some of the technical kudos that new generation skin care products, especially serums, have worked hard to achieve.