Special News Letter
Editor’s picks: the top articles of 2013
Though each piece of news has its own unique angle, there are recurring themes too, and in this selection of stories we look at a cure for gray hair, two articles that focus on natural skin care, a court decision over a product designed to make eyelashes fuller, as well as speculation over the future of Avon.
It seemed that all eyes were locked on this story, Athena Cosmetics forbidden from selling RevitaLash Conditioner in the US, when it was published back in March, as it soon rose to become the most-read article on CosmeticsDesign USA for 2013.
The story piqued readers’ attention when a US district court judge prohibited Athena Cosmetics from marketing or selling the product in the US due to ‘unfair competition’, prompted the industry to question product claims and method of marketing.
The lawsuit was bought about by competitor Allergen, which claimed that the company had an ‘unfair competition on the marketplace’ by marketing the product in the way it did.
The judge presiding over the case agreed that the company was not labelling, advertising and marketing the product in the correct way, and ruled in favor of Allergen, forcing industry to take note.
Much has been written about the rocking path Avon has experience during the course of the past two years, with shrinking sales and profits leaving financial experts ruminating over what next step for the business.
At the beginning of the year, a number of those financial experts were actually questioning the future of the business, which led to the article Avon tipped to disappear in 2013.
We all know that this never happened, but nevertheless, the bold claim sent shockwaves through the industry and really got tongues wagging.
The prediction was made by global analysis outfit 24/7 Wall St, which predicted that on the back of the company’s performance in 2012 and ongoing structural and internal problems, Avon would become history by 2014.
Although the company is by no means out of the woods, a new CEO Sherilyn McCoy and a comprehensive global restructuring program has already put the company in a stronger position, though whether this will just stall the end or return the company to a sustainable growth model, is yet to be seen.
Natural and organic has been a major driving force for the cosmetics market for over ten years, and it’s still going strong, as underlined in Natural demand boosts skin care market.
For over ten years the natural and organic skin care segment has been a significant source of growth for the industry, even during the tougher times experienced in the developed markets during the past five years.
However, with the development of technologically and scientifically more advanced ingredients that still retain their natural or organic origins, this particular trend is leading to a new generation of natural products that is driving continued growth in the category.
What is the betting that a lot of readers clicked on this story, both out of professional and personal interest?: Hair dye manufacturers on red alert over research pointing to cure for gray hair.
Everyone is intrigued to see whether or not the major hair care experts can come up with a solution that will make gray hair cover-up and dye products a thing of the past.
One things is for sure, whichever company manages to crack it, they will be on track to dominate a global multi-billion-dollar market that will see consumers lining up round the block to try the product out. And with L'Oreal evidently leading the way for research into this area, the race is on to get the first product on the store shelves. Snooze, you lose.
And back to the naturals trend in skin care again: Fruit oil trend down to berry good SPF and moisturizing properties
As research and technology for natural-based products gets better by the day, new applications are being discovered for naturally derived ingredients that are making them increasingly functional and effective.
This particular article, which again was one of our biggest hitting of the year, tracks the fact that the latest generation of clinical trials into natural ingredients is underlining previously unproven efficacy for naturally-derived cosmetic and personal care ingredients.
