Skincare was a big winner of the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns, with e-commerce surging and many salons surviving on retail sales alone. Findings from the NPD Group have indicated that overall the beauty category is bouncing back – with a surprise winner.
Skincare was 18% YOY in 2021, and clinical skincare brands were driving this growth, beating out organic and natural options which have been trending for some time.
Categories that experienced success were facial cleansers, anti-ageing cream and serums. Hyper-targeted anti-ageing products for the eyes and lips also emerged as pandemic winners. This data from the U.S correlates with a shift to expert advice seen in the Chinese market. As reported in the July-August edition of Professional Beauty, with access cut off from salons and spas, Chinese consumers upped their at-home actives. Indeed, in 2020 40 American and European professional-grade skincare brands launched into the Chinese market via T-Mall Global, capitalising on increased demand.
Chemlinked Market Portal found that trust in skincare professionals grew in tandem with a preference for cosmeceutical-grade skincare. Dermatologists, dermal therapists and skin therapists were preferred while trust in retail sales assistants and influencers waned (China Beauty & Care Market, 2021).
Cosmetics also bounced back – with a preference for brands founded by professional makeup artists. While consumers ditched foundations and abandoned lipsticks during the lockdowns, as countries like the U.S tentatively emerged, they are celebrating the opportunity to glam up. Growth for the category was up 23% YOY.
Larissa Jensen, beauty industry advisor at NPD commented to media: “The beauty industry is unique in its ability to instil self-confidence and change the way people feel. These timeless abilities keep our industry relevant and important in the minds of our consumers – regardless of circumstances or lifestyle changes.”
We can all hope the industry continues this positive growth trajectory.
Want more?
Read about how the Australian professional beauty industry is navigating the Omicron outbreak.
Hear from MUA brand founder’s Christina Sikalias and Victoria Curtis.
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