Facial skin care was one of the few bright spots in European beauty in 2020 at a time that most beauty categories were hard hit by the pandemic. People had fewer reasons to leave home, so categories such as makeup and fragrance took a backseat, enabling skin care to capitalize on an extraordinary situation. Meanwhile, caring for skin took on new meaning as companies switched their innovation focus to hygiene, protection and promoting health and wellness properties of their products.

During the past year, the European facial skin care category gained in importance as consumers reassessed their skin care needs in the light of wearing less makeup and turned their attention to improving their skin’s appearance and dialling up protection. Sales of facial skin care in Western Europe held up, according to Euromonitor International, and were valued at $16.1 billion in 2020 with expected growth of 0.6% in 2021. In Eastern Europe, the category was valued at $3.7 billion and predicted to rise 1.7% this year.

GlobalData’s COVID-19 Recovery Survey Tracker, Week 11 (published early in December) confirmed that 65% of European consumers are purchasing the same quantities of skin care as before the pandemic, while 11% are purchasing more and 24% are buying less. In Italy, there was a bias for consumers to purchase more skin care (15%), while a third of UK consumers (33%) bought less.


Hygiene and Protection

Opportunities for skin care innovation stemmed from a greater focus on hygiene and protection. Mintel noted more cleansing and antibacterial innovations, along with more sanitary “touchless” and single-use formats.

“We expect claims such as antibacterial and cleansing to rise in the facial skin care market as the consumer focus on hygiene and protection intensifies,” said Rosalia di Gesu, global beauty and personal care analyst, Mintel, who cites the following recent launches:

Bolt Beauty (UK) biodegradable single-use capsules are marketed as “completely hygienic and the most hygienic way to store and use skin care.” The range includes cleansing, moisturizing, vitamin A and natural glow capsules, made from sustainable seaweed and are available in jars or compostable bags.

The Gruff Stuff (UK) The Spray On Moisturizer is a premium vegan skin care brand that includes a spray on format, positioned as providing hygienic “contactless skin care.” The moisturizer is applied in seconds without having to touch the face.

Hipi Faible (Germany) Lip Balm is an organic, lanolin-based formula and comes in an “extremely hygienic” airless pump pack that protects the product from light, air and oxidation.


Solving New Problems

Maskne is a skin condition triggered by the frequent wearing of face coverings, which is said to cause acne outbreaks. Beauty Kitchen has targeted this new phenomenon with the launch of SOS Skin Shield, a face-sanitizing product aimed at protecting consumers from the spread of germs while providing protection against maskne. According to Beauty Kitchen, people touch the face 16 times per hour and its SOS Skin Shield claims to provide germicidal, antibacterial and antiviral coverage for approximately four hours. It is recommended to be sprayed on the face before and after applying/removing face masks.

Meanwhile, Revolution Beauty London has launched Maskcare Maskne, a face sheet mask for the lower face specifically designed to repair the skin from damage caused by wearing fabric face masks and coverings. The mask is formulated with willow bark extract which contains a natural salicylic acid to exfoliate skin and prevent congestion.

“Skin care products that target specific concerns such as ‘maskne’ will likely resonate with consumers taking a ‘less is more’ approach to their routines and who want to focus on specific skin care concerns,” states Lia Neophytou, GlobalData.

Wellness Concepts Boom
The fallout from COVID-19 has created opportunities for facial skin care brands to incorporate health and wellness concepts in new products.

“Disrupted sleep, stress and anxiety are being exacerbated by COVID-19,” comments di Gesu. “Those conditions can have a detrimental impact on appearance and skin; for example contributing to skin breakouts and eczema.”

According to di Gesu, brands can offer stress relief by highlighting the relaxing benefits of massaging product into the skin or using a sheet mask treatment, while showcasing soothing and stress-relieving ingredients, such as cannabidiol and adaptogens.

Neophytou draws on the example of Biore Anti-Stress Mask, a purifying clay mask formulated with rose quartz. This deeply detoxing formula rinses away stress.

“Rose quartz is associated with self-care, hence this product’s formulation aligns with the desire to promote a holistic sense of health and wellbeing.”

Moving Online
In GlobalData’s recent COVID-19 Recovery Survey Tracker, a fifth of European consumers claim to have purchased more personal care products online since the start of the pandemic, rising to 37% of European Generation Z consumers, who are arguably more engaged with online content and social media commerce. The roll out of Augmented Reality (AR) by beauty players reduced the need for physical shopping, although Neophytou maintains that consumers want to return to stores.

“The ability to shop for products in a store environment which projects and emulates a brand’s philosophy, and to communicate with in-store beauty advisors, is still valuable … building the case for brands to heighten the service and experience aspect of the online shopping channel,” the expert told Happi.

Before retail fully reopens, some brands are exploring alternatives such faster delivery times when ordering online. For example, Lush teamed with on-demand UK delivery service, Stuart, promising same day product delivery.

The pandemic has been a wake-up call for European skin care companies and 2021 is likely to reflect the necessary changes many were forced to make, particularly in the area of e-commerce. Neophytou predicts that brands will use online beauty services to give consumers access to beauty advice from trained staff in an effort to provide quality service experiences while retail outlets remain shut. Skin care brands will continue to explore new areas of innovation, such as, “the viability of impregnating protective masks with soothing, anti-acne or antibacterial ingredients,” predicts di Gesu, who also advises brands to showcase immune support formulas but to be honest about the capabilities of topical products, especially as “COVID-washing” concerns emerge.

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Imogen Matthews
Headington, Oxford UK
+44 1865 764918
www.imogenmatthews.co.uk
 
Imogen Matthews is a respected consultant, journalist and researcher who commentates on trends in the beauty industry. She regularly contributes to many of the world’s foremost beauty trade titles, has served on the Board of Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW UK) and won the prestigious Cosmetic Executive (UK) Achiever Award. Founded by Imogen in 1993, The Premium Market Report remains the only in-depth report to examine trends in the premium cosmetics, skincare and fragrance industry.