Melissa Meisel, Associate Editor10.21.10
Skin care is the most dynamic segment of the personal care market, and it's a category that's continuing to grow. But growth also means change, and in this competitive area it's more important than ever to stay on top of the trends and cater to all ages.
The HBA conference, "The Changing Face of Skin Care," highlighted the professional skin care market - complete with a look at Procter and Gamble's new professional skin care line, Olay Professional Pro-X.
Moderated by Kendra Kolb Butler, vice president of communications and marketing at Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, the panel included Karen Doskow, industry manager, consumer products, Kline and Company; Liz Grubow, vice president, group creative director, LPK Beauty; Ronald Burrage, associate director of design, Procter & Gamble and Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, professor of dermatology, University of Miami School of Medicine and principal of Dr. Loretta Skincare.
Doskow shared important data regarding the professional skin care market, which accounts for 20% of the global skin care market.
"Despite the economy, marketers kept focused levels of launches and invested in new product technology that treats specific skin care conditions this year," Doskow said.
According to Doskow, the professional skin care market is set to outpace the general skin care market in the next five years. She cited market leaders such as Obagi, SkinCeuticals, Dermalogica, Murad and Aveda as trendsetters in the U.S. skin care domain. However, Europe is the largest professional skin care market globally.
Olay’s Professional Pro-X collection delivers a prestige formula at mass market prices, according to P&G |
The session also included industry insight from Ciraldo, who markets a range of professional skin care products, CosMedical Technologies. Her 70% glycolic acid peels are very successful in fighting acne. Before and after slides demonstrated the benefits of professional skin care in treating clogged pores, hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.
“Today, consumers have higher expectations of medical skin care,’ said Ciraldo.
CosMedical Technologies recently debuted Nutra Fill, a product said to fill in wrinkles from the outside in. It contains a unique advanced combination of topical moisture-attracting compounds. By replacing the skin smoothing and plumping factors that naturally occur on the surface of the skin, one application of this product can give skin a firmer, rejuvenated appearance, according to Ciraldo.
Key ingredients include calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5) to calm irritation and shirk pores, lactic acid to exfoliate and minerals that help to restore normal electrolyte balance to skin, reducing inflammation and oxygenating tissue.
Burrage of P&G and Grubow of LPK then followed with a co-presentation on the debut of Olay’s Professional Pro-X collection.
“This is where the rubber meets the road going from a mass to a prestige item,” said Burrage, who contends that Olay is “not just your mother’s moisturizer.”
The limited edition debut of Olay Pro-X sold out in just 17 minutes online and is a top selling brand at Walmart. Its “starter kit” includes a Pro-X Age Repair Lotion with SPF 30, Pro-X Wrinkle Smoothing Cream and Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex.
“We are changing the game for skin care at a mass level,” he added.
A similar session that day, “Who’s Making It In the Men’s Market,” also forecasted another rising trend in the skin care sector: grooming for guys. More and more men are starting to realize the importance of cosmetics and personal care products in their lives, and, with the right advertising, it's not as hard as it might seem to convince guys to splurge on some manly pampering.
Panelists included Karen Ballou, senior vice president, Menaji Skincare.
“The importance of looking good is what this is all about,” said Ballou.
According to Ballou, bath and shower SKUs are expected to blossom in men’s care alongside shaving products. Niche brands (such as Anthony Logistics) are also ones to watch.
“Metrosexual grooming is not limited to younger markets,” she said, “It also includes youth-seeking Boomers.”
P&G Beauty recently launched Reverse by Zirh, an anti-aging serum just for men. Reverse has a dual action formula designed to instantly transform the surface look of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles, while continuing to moisturize and firm the skin, diminishing lines and wrinkles over time, according to the company.
The blue helix at the core delivers soft-focus particles that instantly transform surface textures like lines, wrinkles, and pores, while the cooling vitamin and penta-peptide clear gel floods the skin barrier to firm it from below the surface for younger looking skin over time.
The success of Dove’s Men+Care advertising campaign was also cited as a successful example of targeted advertising to reach this budding marketplace.
More info: www.klinegroup.com