Here we bring you a collection of the biggest news to impact the region during the year, which has included Amazon fires, hyper-inflation in Argentina and forest fires in Brazil.
All of these elements have served to influence the way the LATAM beauty and personal care market has performed and the evolution of key trends such as men’s grooming, naturals and the growth of the hair care category.
These articles are some of the highlights from our 2019 coverage, and reflect just a small part of what has happened this year. Please click on the sub header to read the full story.
What is L’Oréal’s sustainability plan for Brazil?
L’Oréal has consistently ranked among the most eco-friendly and sustainable of the multi-nationals beauty players, so we caught up with a leading decision maker at the company’s Brazil operations to find out what is going on there.
Fabiana Munhoz, is head of Advanced Research, at L’Oréal Brazil, and has been instrumental in the development of sustainability programs that serve to promote Brazilian biodiversity and reassure consumers that the products they buy are the most eco-friendly they can be.
In this question and answer interview we asked about the company’s initiatives in the country and how the team plans to continue to improve its sustainability profile and what its ultimate plans are for the future.
The Amazon still offers plenty of sustainable ingredients
In recent weeks media reports of forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon have put a question mark over the sustainable sourcing of ingredients there, but here we reveal how some of the biggest players are continuing to deliver on their sustainability pledges.
Cosmetics Design spoke to key decision makers at both Beraca and Chemyunion, which are both Brazilian cosmetic and personal care ingredients players sourcing raw materials in the Amazon.
Both of these companies have built their businesses in the region by encouraging the most ethical and sustainable practices, and those practices are being maintained, despite some recent alarming media reports.
The five biggest trends at in-cosmetics Latin America 2019
The Latin American market for beauty and personal care has seen huge strides in both innovation and growth. And although it is not a world leader in trends, there is still plenty going on to keep the industry busy.
In September 2019 the Cosmetics Design team attended the in-cosmetics Latin America event, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Brazil is by far the biggest consumer market in the region, so it is not surprising that it is a hub innovation and new industry trends.
This year was the sixth annual in-cosmetics in the country, once again offering a window in on what consumers are looking for and, by default, what is making the industry tick.
Those five trends included: Personalization, Indie Beauty, Sun Care, Hair Care and Sustainability.
Three ways Brazil’s Amazon fires could impact the beauty industry
This year’s dry season in Brazil has brought a significant increase in fires, an increase that is so enormous it is not only concerning environmentalists but the business world too.
Brazil’s space agency says it has tracked almost 80,000 fires so far this year, and around half of those have been in the Amazon region. But what’s deeply worrying is the fact the number of fires is up by 50% compared to last year and it is expected to have a massive effect environmental impact.
The increase in deforestation has occurred since President Jair Bolsonaro took office on the 1st of January this year, with the far-right leader pledging to favor agro business and waive land protection rights introduced by previous Brazilian governments.
For businesses operating in Brazil, including cosmetic and personal care manufacturers and ingredients suppliers, the implications could be significant, with the scepter of trade wars, difficulties in implementing sustainability initiatives and the threat to raw material supplies all likely.
What’s the latest in the LATAM hair care market?
Hair care is everything the Latin American cosmetic and personal market, dominating sales in the region for both cultural reasons and the fact a lot of Latin hair types need extra care.
Ahead of a presentation that he will give at next month’s in-cosmetics Latin America event, we spoke to Euromonitor International senior analyst Elton Morimitsu to find out what hair care trends and sub categories are driving growth, as well as looking at what is happening in individual markets in the region.
Elton’s presentation took place on the first day of in-cosmetics Latin America, Wednesday September 18th, at 10:30am, titled: ‘Haircare in Latin America – Trends and Opportunities’.