In this Issue

Having a baby changes everything — including shopping behavior, according to new insights from pregnancy and parenting resource BabyCenter, a Johnson & Johnson company. The company’s “2017 Skincare and Bathtime Study,” shared exclusively with Drug Store News, points to lasting changes that new parents undergo in terms of what they look for from their personal care products once they have children, as well as the top factors influencing their buying decisions.

The predominant factor impacting sales of the $158.1 million parasite treatment category is super lice. But how do you treat cases of head lice that can’t be eradicated through the use of traditional pediculicides? And more importantly, for parents it’s how do you eliminate that “super lice” infestation without injuring the host, which just happens to be their children?

Unintentional cuts and piercings account for 6.3% of all non-fatal injuries, according to the latest data from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with more than 2 million accidental cuts occurring each year. Among children ages 19 years and younger, 746-of-every-100,000 kids get an accidental cut or piercing each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With cleansers and moisturizers firing on all cylinders, retailers and brands are fine-tuning other segments to keep the momentum going.

By bringing skin care innovations to mass doors more quickly, chains have been able to keep their customer base from straying to specialty stores and, in some cases, lure them back.

After years of ignoring warnings that sun exposure poses a health risk and hastens aging, consumers are starting to see the light. In fact, overall category sales rose 6.7% for the 52-week period ended May 14 across multi-outlets, according to IRI. Lotions and oils advanced almost 7%, and sunscreens and bug repellants jumped 3.5%.

But retailers and marketers said much more needs to be done. A recent Marist Institute for Public Opinion Poll said only 1-in-10 people apply sunscreen regularly.

Parents and school nurses alike have expressed plenty of concern about super lice and how to treat these pesticide-resistant hair vermin safely, and most importantly, effectively. A number of OTC manufacturers have responded with product launches and offerings that effectively address ridding households of lice infestations.

With more than 12 million outbreaks estimated to occur annually among preschool and school-aged children in the United States, lice infestations are a big deal. And pharmacists play a key role in helping parents select safe and successful treatments.

According to a whitepaper published earlier this year by TyraTech, makers of Vamousse, lice resistance to permethrin and synergized pyrethrins has limited the efficacy of OTC products containing these pesticides and engendered their misuse and overuse.

Feminine hygiene products, once relegated to back aisles near diapers, are hidden no longer. In fact, the entire category is being treated more like a beauty business than a commodity. Some chains even cross-merchandise feminine wipes or cleansers near beauty aisles.

Once again, millennial shoppers are driving the change. They aren’t afraid to talk about periods or other feminine issues that were once unmentionable. There are blogs about waxing and menstruation, and Refinery 29 Snapchatted about how to empty a menstrual cup.