Ingredients, Sustainability and Travel-Sized Items are Top of Mind for Consumers: NielsenIQ

Amid the year’s busiest shopping season, the average beauty basket looks a lot different from its pre-pandemic counterpart.

 

In that time, shoppers have reimagined their beauty and personal care regimens and placed an added emphasis on mental and physical health, as well as the wellbeing of the world around them. 

 

“Cosmetics have had a strong recovery since the beginning of the summer and we expect to see continued growth as consumers prep for their holiday gatherings and cross off their holiday shopping lists,” explained Tara James Taylor, senior vice president, beauty and personal care vertical, NielsenIQ. “But as inflation continues to take a toll on shoppers’ wallets, consumers may look to cut back on some non-essential items into the new year. Retailers and manufacturers can attract shoppers by promoting clean and sustainable products (i.e. refillable packaging, paraben-free) as consumers look to make their dollars count.”  

 

To determine where shoppers are headed, data intelligence leader NielsenIQ has identified forward-looking omnichannel beauty and personal care themes for the year ahead. 

 

For one, shoppers will search by the benefits of ingredients versus specific brands for products. NielsenIQ found that there was a 109% increase in searches for fragrance with musk ingredients; a 293% increase in searches for skin care products containing antioxidants; and a 322% increase in searches for hair products with salicylic acid. 

 

On the sustainable products front, which will take priority in the new year, vegan skin care searches increased 53% while refillable fragrance searches increased 431%. Searches for hair care products with biodegradable packaging increased 1,587%.  

 

Travel-sized beauty is also regaining relevance, the data intelligence platform finds. Searches for travel-sized makeup increased 293%. Searches for fragrances and travel-sized hair care by 42% and 94%, respectively.