Anti-ageing products have continued to dominate launches during the course of 2005, with skin care products becoming increasingly complex in their formulation, which in turn is also making them all the more expensive.
But new categories also started to shine through during the course of the year and market research company Datamonitor says that it is expecting several of these categories to really shine during the course of 2006.
The move away from paying beauty practioners for expensive cosmetic procedures is gathering pace thanks to the introduction of a series of products, including Botox alternatives and at-home chemical peel kits.
Products claiming to have similar effects to Botox, but that can be administered at home, often at a cheaper price, have included Face Lift Freeze Cream Injection Free Line Relaxer Anti-wrinkle Complex from US-based University Medical Products, as well as Jansen Becketts's DermaExcel 7 peptide based anti-wrinkle treatment.
Such products contain complex active ingredients that are said to target specific areas of the face in the fight against ageing. They do not come cheap either, with the DermaExcel being marketed at around €140 for a 1 ounce jar. This is still significantly lower than a course of Botox injections, which currently costs around €300 for a procedure.
As well as Botox alternatives, there is also expected to be a considerable growth in the market for chemical peels, products that are said to rid skin of many minor imperfections, as well as restoring firmness and elasticity.
A plethora of new launches for the skin peel category have included the Olay Regenerist Thermal Skin Polisher from P&G, as well as the Lancome Resurface Peel Kit.
Although many of these peels are priced at €100 or more, manufacturers claim that they still work out considerably cheaper than going to a professional beauty care expert, with the added convenience of being able to carry out the procedure at home.
Datamonitor is also looking to the organics category as a source of greater launch activity in 2006, as many consumers incorporate the trend for health and wellness as part of their spending patterns. In the course of 2005 many manufacturers started to highlight the natural and organic ingredients in their cosmetic and toiletry products, a trend that should increase all the more next year.
In particular, baby personal care products have become a major part of this move, with product lines from major players such as Johnson & Johnson featuring natural ingredients, together with smaller US player Jason, which also launched an organic baby care product range this year.
Added to this experts also believe that bath, shower and hair care products will also become key products to include natural and organic ingredients as a part of formulations during the coming year.
Sex is also becoming an increasingly marketable commodity for some cosmetics and personal care players. As attitudes towards sex become ever-more liberal, Datamonitor believes that sexual enhancers will go increasingly main stream in the coming year.
Much of this has come off the back of the male sex enhancement drug Viagra, which is now a household brand. Off the back of this, a number of products designed to enhanced people's sex lives are expected to hit the shelves of cosmetics and toiletry retailers in the coming year.
This comes off the back of the success of products such as Church & Dwight's Elexa Premium Latex Condoms that come fitted with a vibrating ring, as well as Johnson & Johnson's K-Y Touch Body Massage Oil, which was recently extended to include a range of different aromas.