Most folks talk about innovation or DIY— but what is innovation, really? It was standing room only at In-Cosmetics North America in New York as eager ears came to learn all about personal care production from Ginger King, president and CEO of Grace Kingdom Beauty.
 
So, why this show? According to the past Happi contributor: “It’s a great opportunity to get in touch with the industry to share ideas and innovations about cosmetic chemistry. We are really focusing on marketers’ relationships to the consumer.”
 
At the Oct. 12 seminar, Innovation in Beauty, King covering everything from product creation to shopping trends. “It’s all about the ‘wow’ factor for repeat sales,” she said. “Think of the competition—if no one is copying you, something is wrong. Imitation is the highest form of flattery!”
 
In today’s personal care marketplace, there is not much that is new but there are different ways of delivery by way of ingredients and packaging, noted King. Ways to modify and update your beauty SKU includes incorporating multifunctional actives or texture transformers, for example.
 
“See what your existing ingredient can do before trying another raw material,” she noted.
 
King looks to “M-M innovation”—money making—for a beauty brand’s success story. “Today’s shoppers want customization, fast beauty and multifunctional products,” she said. “We all have 24 hours in the day. Anything you can do to save time is innovation!”
 
For example, BB creams take the “iPhone approach” to packaging a variety of features into one product. “You already use it all…we just put it all together,” she quipped.
 
Other noteworthy examples include St. Ives custom Mixing Bar for personalized skin care held this summer in New York, L’Oréal’s Blow It Dry Quick Primer Spray for a speedy blowout, and the prevalence of charcoal in a variety of personal care products on the market right now.
 
King emphasized the following six takeaway tips to her presentation:
 
·      Innovate = Make money
·      How do we get there? Through consumer relevancy
·      Focus on Time Saving (multitask, customization)
·      Save Time
·      Different forms of delivery are fun—but they must have consumer benefits
·      If you can’t innovate, then renovate. Read your competitor reviews!