The European body care market is healthier than ever. The segment weathered the 2020 downturn when retailers were forced to shut down during the early stages of the pandemic. Since then, the category has thrived. Consumers have turned to destressing and wellness body care products to help cope with restrictions on their personal freedoms.

In 2021, European sales of body care products rose 3.5% to nearly $5.6 billion, according to estimates from GlobalData. The data analytics and consulting company, based in London, predicts strong growth for the segment to 2025. Germany is the largest European market for body care products, with sales of more than $1.5 billion. France is next, at $685 million, followed by the UK, $567 million. Growth rates for the top three countries for 2021-22 are forecast to be in the range of 2-3%. Meanwhile, Italy and Spain, worth nearly $475 million and $427 million, respectively, are posting more solid growth at 4.15% and 4.42% apiece.

The latest GlobalData survey for Q4 2021 confirms that European consumers are purchasing more skin care formulas (which combines purchases of facial and body care products).

“In a Q4 2020 GlobalData survey, only 10% of consumers admit to purchasing more skin care than before the pandemic, and 24% agree that they are purchasing less or none at all,” explains Global Data consumer analyst Alice Popple.

She argues this spending differences may be due to a shift in priorities at the start of the pandemic, when people had far fewer opportunities to spend in shops and were going out and socializing much less than before.


A Vote for Independents

The bounce back in 2021 was particularly beneficial to independent brands, which are proving to be among the biggest innovators in the European body care market. GlobalData’s research in Q4 2021 attests to a growing number of European consumers claiming to purchase beauty and grooming products from small independent brands. Many indies operate exclusively online from their own websites or through dedicated beauty e-tailers.

“Supporting small businesses is more important than before the pandemic,” affirms Popple, who notes the rise in launches with “clean,” vegan or halal formulation claims.

Organic Republic is an independent skin care brand from Madrid. It specializes in gender-neutral body care products made with natural and organic ingredients in 100% recyclable packaging. Its Calendula Fields No.55 is an extra nourishing body cream containing calendula oil to help repair and hydrate skin. The formula also includes mallow, oatmeal, chamomile extract and essential oils of geranium, calendula and bergamot.

Per Purr also hails from Spain. Its skin care is made from natural ingredients. The body care range includes Sporty Oil, an anti-inflammatory/anti-rheumatic oil based on clove bud, geranium and ginger.


Wellness and De-Stressing

During the past two years, the wellness trend has accelerated. Europeans continue to search for body care solutions as antidotes to life’s daily stresses. According to Popple, brands are turning to functional ingredients, such as cannabidiol (CBD) and lavender for their calming properties.

“Consumers agree that certain functional ingredients will positively impact their health and wellbeing,” says Popple in citing GlobalData’s 2021 Q2 consumer survey. “For example, 67% of European consumers said that aloe vera has a positive impact on their health, 75% said that ginger does and 21% said this is true for CBD.”

Body care launches that stand out, according to Popple, include:

• UK brand Sanctuary Spa’s De-Stress Warming Body Balm. Launched in 2021 the self-heating balm formula is infused with ginger and rosemary to assist in relaxation and the relief of tired muscles. 
• Just CBD body lotion is a recent UK launch that comes in lavender, aloe and “strawberry champagne” variants. The inclusion of CBD combines stress relief with a daily moisturizer, while innovating with scent to further enhance the consumer experience.
• UK CBD brand Eresos is another launch in a long line of cannabis-infused brands to enter the wellness personal care market, which bears the words “Made in London” on its packaging. The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD are used in its Cocoa Hand & Body Cream to help reduce the potential triggers of eczema and dermatitis and provide comfort for sensitive skin: 1500mg of CBD isolate is used in the formulation. 

Focus on Sustainability

Like all beauty and personal categories, sustainability is a key driver within body care and cited as an important factor for European consumers in their choice of purchases. According to GlobalData, 52% of Europeans who purchased high amounts of skin care in Q3 2021 said environmental issues are extremely important. Another 59% agreed that they are more loyal to brands that support environmental matters.

Increasingly, sustainability is at the heart of new product launches. UK brand, Faith in Nature, encourages bulk buying of five liter refills across its range of toiletries and laundry care products, including its Grapefruit & Orange Hand & Body Lotion. The company claims that refills offer a more sustainable way of reducing plastic waste.

Meanwhile, UK brand Moo & Yoo launched a range of sustainable body care products which are palm oil free, vegan friendly and made with ingredients from renewable sources. The company uses recyclable glass bottles with labels printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks.

Looking ahead, body care brands are in a great position to target European consumers with well-being and stress-relieving formulations that feature tried-and-tested ingredients, such as CBD, aloe vera, lavender and chamomile. But, above all, a successful brand must ensure that sustainability is at the core of its offer. 

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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.