Anti-aging floods market

The slew of new facial anti-aging products hitting the mass market shows little signs of slowing — despite the lackluster category sales — as manufacturers feverishly work to stay on the cutting edge of innovation and bank on consumers’ undying desire to turn back the hands of time.


According to SymphonyIRI Group data, sales of facial anti-aging products slipped 0.8% to just shy of $800 million at food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart) for the 52 weeks ended July 8.


The good news is that not only are manufacturers keeping their fingers on the latest innovations and trends, but also a wrinkle among the U.S. professional skin care market could spell greater opportunities for mass. According to recent research by international consulting and research firm Kline & Co., sales within the largest channel of the professional skin care market in the United States — spas and salons — has declined as spas reduce the number of brands carried, underperforming spas close down, and more salons and hotels divest their spa business to refocus on the core business. Another factor, a surge in at-home beauty devices, reportedly has impeded business in the spas channel.


Meanwhile, manufacturers continue to innovate to bring the latest and greatest to mass. Coming to retail in September is Vichy’s new LiftActiv Serum 10 anti-aging serum and La Roche-Posay’s new Redermic [C] anti-wrinkle firming moisturizer. RoC Skincare launched earlier this year the RoC Retinol Correxion Max wrinkle resurfacing system. The two-step system includes an anti-wrinkle treatment and resurfacing serum. Taking a complete approach to skin health and leveraging conjugated linoleic acid — or CLA, a natural compound derived from the safflower plant — is the new skin care line Own, which launched in the spring. 


The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Skin Care Buy-In Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.