Cosmetics growth helps boost cleanser sales
Millennials might not care about fighting wrinkles, but they know the importance of totally cleaning off their makeup. “One of the things I learned from my sisters was to totally remove makeup,” Kylie Jenner told a reporter recently.
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Her Snapchat unboxing a blinged-out Pond’s Cold Cream sent a flurry of young ladies into drug stores for the iconic brand.
She’s not alone. Millennials are buying products to take it all off.
The upshot is that, according to data from IRI for the 52-week period ended May 15 across multi-outlets, anti-aging product sales are down 5.6%, while cleansers jumped 6.4%. The overall skin care category also is down about 0.5%. Another brand getting a boost from the “clean” movement is Kao’s Bioré (up 40% as a brand), which revolutionized the category with charcoal and now baking soda. Burt’s Bees also is riding the natural wave to growth. As far as SKUs, perennial favorites Cetaphil racked up sales increases of 22%, while CeraVe saw a sales increase of 24%.
The rocket growth of cosmetics is rubbing off on cleansers, too. Many young girls even experiment with color cosmetics at home and then wash it all off to start again.
Unilever has zeroed in on the interest in facial cleansing. The company is thrilled to see growth in cosmetics because what goes on, must come off. “It’s a good time to be in the facial cleansing business when you look at the growth in color cosmetics,” said Suzanne Palentchar, brand-building director for skin care at Unilever North America. Simple and Pond’s, both from Unilever, have new introductions slated to roll out nationally over the next two months.
In order to appeal to younger shoppers — while maintaining its loyal user base — Pond’s is infusing its cold cream technology into its towelettes. “We have a significant towelette business, and were the first to introduce [makeup remover] wipes in 1999,” Palentchar explained. “If we are going to make the brand relevant to a new generation, we [have] to up our game and offer a more convenient wipe to be used on the go.”
Unilever also is introducing what it calls a “kinder, more effective approach” to cleansing under Simple. With millennials experimenting with new looks frequently, the company wants ways to remove makeup without irritating skin. To that end, a new Dual Effect Eye Makeup Remover is strong enough to tackle waterproof makeup, but is formulated with a cleansing oil so no hard rubbing is required. There’s also a new Simple Skincare Hydrating Cleansing Oil made with 100% pure grapeseed oil. This follows on the heels of the successful launch of Micellar Water last year, which is growing at a 64% rate.
Aquation is another new brand emerging on the market. Among its items is a hydrating cleansing bar, which the company expects to be one of the top sellers.