Want to make a marketer smile? Talk about skin care—the one personal care category that seems to keep getting bigger no matter what the economy is doing. In recent years, prestige and mass market companies have rolled out an array of skin care products that boast a wide assortment of ingredients that promise to reduce wrinkles, hide age spots and reveal younger-looking skin. In fact, some industry experts say the market for skin care products in the U.S. topped $7 billion last year and they predict the market will reach $10 billion during the next few years.

This month, Ava Caridad looks at how marketers are catering to an older consumer who is desperate to look good no matter what his or her age. Her article, Forever Young, starts on p. 90 in this issue.

Also this month, we report on the latest hair styling trends that are having an impact on hair styling formulations.

According to Euromonitor International, global sales of hair styling products rose just under 5% last year to about $8 billion. That’s down from the previous year and industry experts blame the decline in sales growth to slowdowns in the U.S. and Japan. To find out more about this very fashion-trendy market, be sure to read Susan Eliya’s article, which starts on p. 72.

Finally, this month we report on the latest trends in preservation systems (p. 57). Industry suppliers told Happi that they’ve answered the market’s demand for paraben-free systems with an array of blends that are based on materials most often found in food products.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Happi. As always, we  welcome your comments and suggestions.