A report by Kline & Company estimates that at-home skin care devices in the United States garnered nearly US $1 billion in 2011 and anticipates that figure to grow in 2012.At-home Skin Care Devices 2011, finds the personal care market ripe for acne elimination, anti-aging and daily cleansing devices.
“We knew this market was really taking off, but even we were shocked by its sheer size,” said Karen Doskow, industry manager for consumer products at Kline. “Clearly, these devices are finding a very receptive and growing audience of savvy consumers looking to save time and money by avoiding regular trips to the doctor for those in-office procedures that were once commonplace in more robust economic times.”
According to the company, direct sales such as home shopping networks, infomercials and e-commerce accounts for nearly 60% of at-home device sales.
While sonic cleansing products, led by market leader Clarisonic, top the list as the highest growth segment, acne treatment devices are the fastest growing. Meanwhile, anti-aging devices are expected to grow by a healthy 50% this year alone, benefiting from consumers’ demand for products to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. According to Kline, anti-aging is the number one skin care concern for consumers, with topical product sales in this category comprising more than 40% of the market. Kline notes that this need provides manufacturers an opportunity for device and topical product manufacturers to pair their products together.
The company finds that personal care manufacturers with devices should develop mass market device options for price-sensitive consumers and should diversify their product lines to appeal to a wide range of age groups, from teens to mature consumers. “It’s incredible how marketers are targeting teens with colorful and easy-to-use products such as Neutrogena’s Wave among other market entrants,” adds Doskow.