Skin care benefits fuel market growth

LITTLE FALLS, N.J. —A stable consumption of personal care products and increased consumer awareness of products with such skin protection benefits as anti-aging and sun care is helping to fuel the demand for personal care ingredients in the United States. That growth is expected to continue in the coming years, according to consulting and research firm Kline & Co.

The market posted 3% growth since 2005, and is forecast to grow further at a compound annual growth rate of 2.2% through 2014, according to Kline’s recently released study, “Global Personal Care Ingredients 2010: Market Analysis and Opportunities.”

Conditioning polymers are the leading product category followed by surfactants, constituting a market share of about 32% and 23%, respectively, by volume. Alkyl polyglucosides, or so-called “green” surfactants that are plant-derived, exceeded the growth of traditional surfactants by more than 2% in 2009.

Spurred by growing consumer awareness, the natural personal care end-product market has persevered through the recession registering an 8% sales gain in 2009 in the United States. Natural ingredients benefited from a strong demand for natural products, capturing a small but increasing growth in their sector. Kline believed the opportunities for growth in the naturals segment surpass the more traditional ingredients, creating a forum for innovation.