Premium performance demanded
We’re seeing a steady trend, first clocked last year by Euromonitor, that the mass market is growing more slowly than the prestige or premium market in Europe for the first time.
This indicates consumers willing to spend more for better functionality and for a more prestige look, feel and performance to their products in beauty and personal care.
It’s no longer enough for products or ingredients to boast a string of sometimes apparently unrelated claims; to being meaningfully multifunctional, the products need to address needs specific to the consumer while still offering multiple benefits. These benefits just need to be targeted, relevant, and functional.
Where are we seeing multifunctional claims working well?
In a period where personalisation and customisation of skin care to meet individual consumer needs is of rising importance, some key areas we’re seeing multifunctional claims are around the rhythms of daily life and the body.
Cyclical Skincare
One area we’re seeing this is the realm of ‘cyclical skin care’.
As male grooming expert, co-founder of Bulldog Skincare for Men, Simon Duffy, acknowledged in his recent 2019 predictions for male grooming, the worlds of wellness and beauty are increasingly aligning.
“Natural human cycles such as the circadian rhythm and for women the menstrual cycle, give brands the opportunity to market products that benefit skin depending on rhythms,” he explained.
“Circadian rhythms are a 24hr cycle of physical changes which affect your skin. I suspect that brands will release more night creams and focus on UV protection for “day skin” based on this,” Duffy suggested.
Hormonal focus
In a similar vein, responding to the specific shifts and demands that occur during the menstrual cycle for people who have periods is one area that could see rising interest in personal care as a multifunctional benefit.
Sarah Jindal, Senior Innovation and Insights Analyst, Beauty & Personal Care at Mintel, is one market expert who’s flagged this trend.
Jindal has highlighted Toun28, a startup from South Korea, as a good example of a brand tapping into these needs.
Toun28 provides freshly-formulated, customized skincare products designed for particular areas of the face based on an individual skin diagnosis.
Delivered on a 28-day cycle, the brand is already primed to cater to the hormonal cycle, which tends to be around 28 days.