Expert Opinions: Purifying and Rebalancing Skin

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Read the full article in the September 2021 digital edition. . .

Therapeutic skin care, encompassing facial skin care products and hand and body lotions, was one of the brightest spots in the skin care product class in 2020, according to Marcela Chifu, marketing manager for Kline. “Retail sales growth of therapeutic skin care brands in these combined categories increased by a little over 12% in 2020,” according to Kline’s Cosmetics & Toiletries USA report, Chifu notes.1

“Players in this segment are mostly positioned around skin healing, hydrating and reparative properties; some, like Neutrogena, are recommended by dermatologists and often sampled in physicians’ offices,” Chifu adds. “Therapeutic claims usually mention a skin condition, with many products addressing dryness, eczema, sensitive skin or psoriasis.”

CeraVe and Eucerin, both among the top 10 leading brands in the therapeutics skin care segment, had a strong year, according to Chifu. “CeraVe performed particularly well in 2020, driven by a strong performance in mass retailers, increased support from its parent company, L’Oréal, and growing visibility among the influencer community on social media platforms such as TikTok.” Eucerin gained momentum with the debut of its Itch Relief Intensive Calming Lotion.

“The demand for therapeutic and clinical-grade skin care from fast-growing mass and professional brands is expected to remain strong,” Chifu projects.

Besides therapeutic skin care, detox is a key trend that has made its way into the beauty market during the pandemic. “This trend was mostly prominent in the personal cleansing and hair categories,” Chifu observed. “OUI the People, Indie Lee and Nioxin are among the established brands that launched products around the detox theme. Emerging indie brands such as type:A and Cleo+Cleo recorded growth due to marketing that focused on detoxifying the body and making the switch to natural.”

Based on Kline’s observations (and common sense), it is clear the pandemic is driving product development more quickly in the direction of purifying, rebalancing and therapeutic skin care—a trail many marketers were already in the process of blazing. How might this spin off in parallel directions? We asked several industry experts to share their insights; following are their comments.

Diversity, Scalp Care and Quorum Sensing

“There is a close link between skin balance and impure skin…,” writes Torsten Clarius, Ph.D., of BASF GmbH, active ingredients business development. “In times of COVID-19, frequent (over-) washing of hands and the use of sanitizers disrupt the skin’s barrier function, requiring solutions that rebalance the fragile skin microbiome.” He adds that prolonged face mask-wearing disturbs the skin’s microbial balance and can lead to maskne.

. . .Read more in the September 2021 digital edition. . .

References

  1. Kline (2021, Mar). Cosmetics & Toiletries USA. Available at https://klinegroup.com/reports/cosmetics-and-toiletries/
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