The market for at-home beauty devices has been racing ahead and is viewed by many industry observers as a real synergistic growth opportunity for cosmetics brands, especially within the area of cleansing. At the same time, the app revolution is spreading to cosmetics, enabling consumers to self-diagnose skin problems and “test” cosmetics using their smartphone or tablet. Both developments have far-reaching implications for the beauty industry.

According to Kline & Company, Parsipanny, NJ, the global market for at-home beauty rose 18.9% in 2013 to reach $2.3 billion. Sales have been fueled by the popularity of multi-functional devices, the growth of the direct sales distribution channel, the expansion of prominent marketers in countries other then the US and an increase in overall awareness among consumers for techno-beauty products. The US accounts for nearly half of global device sales, followed by Asia and a much smaller market in Europe.

Kline noted that China posted the strongest overall growth at 92.6% in 2013, boosted by the launch of L’Oréal’s Clarisonic device and the robust performance of Galvanic Spa. Chinese consumers have benefited from a larger number of at-home beauty products from local and international brands offering different skin care concerns.

By region, there are big differences in the type of beauty device being bought by consumers. In the US, the most popular ones are for cleansing, accounting for 40% of sales. Anti-aging devices have the smallest share of market in the US, but are the most important category in Asia. In Europe, still a relatively undeveloped market, hair removal devices account for more than half of value sales, but the segment is highly fragmented; just one in ten sales are for cleansing devices.

Skin cleansing dominates the global at-home beauty device market, accounting for nearly 40% of the market. Kline notes that the manufacturing cost of cleansing devices is low in comparison to other techno tools and does not require FDA approval. As a result, this sub-sector is attracting mass brands, such as P&G with its Olay Regenerist Megasonic Cleansing Kit.

Ramaa Chipalkatti, senior analyst, Datamonitor, warns of the possible threat of more technology-focused skin care to traditional skin care brands.

“Consumers may increasingly replace traditional products with such electronic tools, perceiving them to be a more affordable investment in the long term (as with electric toothbrushes),” noted Chipalkatti. “Therefore, developing complementary products that can be used in conjunction with new gadgets may become a new focus for skin care brands in the future, as the use of skin care devices becomes more commonplace.”

Here Comes Sonic
A recent new entrant to cleansing devices is the Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush, a dermatologist-developed, Swiss-engineered cleansing innovation that claims to transform skin. The device is designed to work together with Clinique’s 3-Step Skin Care System by targeting hard-to-reach contours of the face, including the nose, hairline and chin. The sonic vibrations combined with the brush configuration gently massages skin and is said to loosen stubborn dirt and oil more effectively than manual cleansing, while improving the overall health and condition of the skin, according to Clinique. Another important benefit is that thoroughly cleansed skin allows treatment products to be better absorbed and therefore perform better. Clinique claims that usage of its cleansing system improves the exfoliating performance of its Clarifying Lotion and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion +/Gel.

VisaPure by Philips is another new face care brush technology that claims to be 10 times more effective than cleansing by hand and can be used twice a day, taking just one minute to complete the face cleanse. It is said to remove more dead skin cells with its exfoliating action that improves the absorption of skin care as well as microcirculation for more radiant skin.

Tanda Luxe by Syneron Beauty is a new skin rejuvenating photo-facial device that uses “the same red light technology as dermatologists to boost collagen and fight the major signs of aging for more radiant, visibly younger-looking skin.” It claims to fight the seven signs of aging, including reducing fine lines/wrinkles and dullness, improving rough texture and firming/plumping the skin.

Diagnostics at Your Fingertips
L’Oréal Paris is breaking new ground with its Make Up Genius app, which launched in May 2014 in France. Using technology created by facial animation company Image Metrics, the app detects facial expressions in real time. The virtual makeup tester applies product to the user’s reflection and works in 400 different lighting conditions. This is a great advancement on previous makeup apps that use static models onto which you “apply” makeup shades. A potential game-changer in next-level swatching, the Genius app has already been downloaded 500,000 times and has the potential to eradicate many costly purchases, according to L’Oréal.

Diagnostics at the counter are also providing consumers with opportunities to evaluate products before purchasing. Boots has followed up its No7 Match Made Service for foundation with one for lipstick, which many women find notoriously difficult when looking for the right shade and texture. Using the same gadget, the user’s facial skin tone is recorded to provide a range of lipstick shades that would suit them.

Meanwhile, skin diagnosis can found on department stores counters from premium brands such as Murad, Clinique, Estée Lauder, Lancôme, SK-II and Shiseido. Using hand-held probes or skin imaging booths, consumers’ skin can be analysed to help identify relevant skin care products. Their value increases when the consumer comes back to the counter some weeks later for a repeat analysis that should reveal whether the products have worked.

“Going forward, skin diagnosis has the potential to extend beyond skin care to hair care and cosmetics and brands are not just limiting this to in-store and encouraging shoppers to find the most suitable product by answering a few questions,” said Chipalkatti. “More than in-store, skin diagnostic devices have greater potential in the online space where the advantage of tangible sampling is not possible.”

The development of more sophisticated technology for smartphones and tablets could revolutionize the way consumers choose cosmetics leading to better informed purchases and greater satisfaction.

In-Cosmetics 2015 will be held April 14-16, 2015 in Barcelona.

More info: www.in-cosmetics.com