Never too old for technology: anti-aging driving US beauty devices

Over three quarters of US consumers would be interested in trying an at-home skin care device that can treat wrinkles, according to Mintel, and with Unilever’s most recent investment in the sector, it seems brands are already making moves to cater for this demand.

Hot on Asia’s heals​

According to market researcher Kline, the at-home beauty devices market grew 22% last year, and this growth is set to continue.

The Asia Pacific region has been singled out as one of the markets leading the way, and is set to rack up an estimated 600 million units of beauty and personal care devices manufactured by the year 2018.

Now, thanks particularly to the increasing dominance of the anti-aging sector, the US market is mobilizing itself to tag in on the devices trend, and Mintel predicts that an affordable range of devices offering wrinkle reduction and other anti-aging claims will soon enter the market.

With its completion of an agreement with Syneron Medical to create a range of at-home beauty devices at the end of last year, Unilever made clear its intention to move dominantly into the segment.

Olivier Garel, managing director of Unilever Ventures said, “There is a clear market opportunity to develop home use beauty devices which deliver a step change in benefits for the consumers​.”

Technological avenues ​

Mintel suggests that the sector will best take advantage of the growing consumer demand through the harnessing of the multi-platform technologies available.

“Linking diagnostic devices to websites or smart phones will help consumers to measure their skin’s condition through a webcam function from a home computer or through an app utilising a smart phone camera​,” the report observes.

The researcher notes that this would allow consumers to choose anti-aging products with greater confidence, in a sector where nearly a third of consumers are ‘confused by the number of anti-aging products available’.

Rise of related products​

The rise in personal care devices in the US will in turn trigger the launch of products designed to look after devices, the market research firm forecasts.

Nearly 50% of US consumers are keen to see products that can clean and maintain their at-home skincare devices.