The Growth of Skin Care in Health and Beauty
Two years into the global COVID-19 pandemic, everything has changed. Everything.
“Life as we knew it” has been replaced with a completely reimagined reality. Consumer priorities and attitudes have changed across the board.
It’s not all bad. Yes, everyone is tired of thinking about the pandemic; tired of canceled events, controversies, daily reassessments of risk and all that goes with attempting to live in a world that is in the grips of a contagion. Nonetheless, many of the attitudinal shifts sparked by the pandemic can be characterized as positive – and by embracing them as such, personal care brands have an opportunity to connect with consumers on a new level.
The key for formulation and product development experts is to pay very close attention to the evolution of ideas occurring in real time and follow suit by providing products that fit new paradigms.
Health and Beauty Merge
As consumers rethink their priorities, every aspect of their lives is up for redefinition – and studies show that prevailing concepts of beauty and personal care are very different today than they were pre-pandemic. Lockdowns gave people the time to experiment – redefining how they assess, purchase and use personal care and beauty product offerings. They also gave people time to turn to “skinfluencers” on TikTok, SnapChat and YouTube for no-nonsense, real-world advice.
The result? Not surprisingly, people are more likely to consider personal health in all their decisions, and this translates to a movement toward embracing a more natural “look” – less polished and more real. As remote work brought meetings into people’s homes, complete with occasional appearances by the dog and kids, many reset the bar for their appearance accordingly, aiming to be “presentable enough for Zoom.”
It also means they’re increasingly motivated to choose products that are made with natural ingredients. “Green beauty” and “clean beauty” trends are driving increased demand for organic skin care options. Multipurpose products that enhance both appearance and health (think tinted moisturizer) have gained favor with people looking to simplify their routines and simply take better care of themselves. “Self-care” has gone mainstream and holistic (a healthy progression beyond self-indulgence).
According to GWI, in Q1 2020, 18% of consumers purchased skin care products every month – behind the likes of makeup/cosmetics (23%). By Q2 2021, consumers considered both categories to be equally important – recognizing that beauty begins with good health.
Individuality Reigns
It is also an equal-opportunity revolution. Just as the pandemic affects people of all genders, ages and ethnicities, its impact on consumer priorities also crosses all demographics. Issues surrounding diversity and inclusion have come to the forefront of social awareness. Consumer product companies are well advised to reflect and support an enlightened and inclusive mindset. In the personal care/ beauty space, brands have a role to play in normalizing male engagement with skin care and cosmetic use, for example. The same GWI consumer research report sums it up this way: “As the profile of beauty buyers changes, catering to their individual needs is crucial in 2022, and beyond.”
Brands that take an active interest in their buyers’ evolving priorities stand to gain market share and be part of positive change. Reformulating products to fit demand for natural, organic, effective ingredients is a good start. Offering a variety of products to fit the individual needs of diverse groups is crucial as well.
Where to begin?
In light of these trends, personal care/beauty products are reassessing their product development and marketing initiatives to meet new and evolving demands. PLZ Personal Care is here to help, with deep experience developing product formulations to meet specific requirements, including the sought-after ingredients that can make a big difference in consumer appeal. We are experts in product development, sustainability and ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, filling and packaging for personal care products.
We formulate, blend, fill and package branded and private label products, including highly customized and unique formulas. Our products adhere to federal and state VOC-regulated requirements, ensuring the highest levels of sustainability and responsible manufacturing, while providing the very best quality and service to our customers.
PLZ Corp. is the North American leader in the manufacturing of aerosol and liquid personal care products, with industry-leading technology and over 2.7 million square feet of manufacturing and warehousing space across 18 production facilities. Our high-speed and specialty product lines are capable of running over 900 million units annually – with 120 production lines providing the flexibility to efficiently execute multiple line changes daily. Seven of our 18 facilities are dedicated to production of personal care products. And offering the fullest service to our customers, each facility is a strategic contract manufacturing partner for formulation development, supply chain management, manufacturing, packaging, delivery and more.
Visit our personal care products webpage to learn more.
