Saving face: the skinny on today’s anti-aging products
NEW YORK —The overall market for facial skin care is projected to steadily grow through 2014, with much of the growth likely to continue to be driven by sales of anti-aging products.
According to research firm Mintel International, sales of facial skin care products at food, drug and mass market retailers (excluding Walmart) are expected to reach $2.5 billion by 2014. The size of the market was just more than $2 billion in 2009, an increase of 2.3% compared with 2008.
Sales of anti-aging products lead the way in the facial skin care category, with the largest sales growth of any segment. Coming in at No. 2 are facial cleansers, with acne treatments taking the third spot, according to Mintel’s research.
There’s no doubt that manufacturers continue to heed the call, churning out new products that promise to be the latest and greatest in banishing age spots, reducing wrinkles and bringing back skin’s youthful elasticity.
For example, Eclos is a new wrinkle-fighting player in town that harnesses the power of the Swiss apple. Eclos is available at Ulta, Rite Aid and Walgreens.com, and will be making its way to CVS and Walgreens stores in fourth-quarter 2010.
The Swiss apple, called the Uttwiler Spat-lauber, is so rare that only 20 trees are in existence, according to the manufacturer. The Swiss apple has a self-renewal power that rejuvenates aging, saggy skin. In fact, researchers have noted that when these “super apples” are punctured, they heal themselves. They also boast a long shelf life; they last four months longer than typical apples.
The skin care line is comprised of restorative eye cream ($24.99), moisture therapy regenerative cream ($24.99), cellular activator face serum ($24.99), facial cleanser ($14.99), mask ($12.99) and scrub ($12.99).
As previously reported by Drug Store News, Vichy Laboratories—which sells its products in skin centers with trained beauty advisers in select CVS and Duane Reade stores—recently unveiled its newest products, including its new star product: Aqualia Antiox New Skin Antioxidant Fresh Serum.
The new Aqualia Antiox serum is especially unique in that it is the first time that Vichy associates two highly concentrated ingredients, preserving them pure until the first use. Pure vitamin C at 10% concentration (powder) is to be mixed with citrus polyphenol (serum) before the first use, and then refrigerated.
The line also includes the Aqualia Antiox Anti-Fatigue Ice-Effect eye stick and Aqualia Antiox Pro-Youth Antioxidant 24Hr hydrating fluid SPF 12.
For 2010, Lumene, a beauty brand from Finland, launched its new Excellent Future Deep Repairing night cream and Excellent Future Deep Repairing eye cream. Both products were available as of January at CVS/pharmacy and on CVS.com.
The formulas use modern, natural stem cell technology to treat, prevent and delay damage caused by aging and environmental factors. The technology combined with Arctic White Peat works to protect skin’s stem cells.
The technology, known as Applexcell technology, is a combination of modern apple stem cell extract and ancient Arctic white peat. The apple stem cell extract maintains the skin’s stem cells’ ability to repair damage and works to delay and prevent the signs of aging. Ancient Arctic white peat contains plant sterols that promise to improve the moisture balance of skin and provide skin cells with an optimal environment for maintaining vitality.
The night cream has a suggested retail price of $29.99, and the eye cream has a suggested retail price of $24.99.
There’s also the new Neutrogena Clinical that was inspired by the science of bio-electricity, the body’s innate electrical signaling system. After studying the field of bioelectricity, Neutrogena scientists discovered a way to create tiny ion-mineral conductors within a topical formulation that, once activated, work like “miniaturized batteries” to simulate bioelectricity and increase positive ion flow. This helps minimize visible signs of collagen loss, improve facial definition and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin.
The collection, which began hitting stores the first week of March, includes Facial Lifting Wrinkle Treatment SPF 30 ($39.99); Eye Lift Contouring Treatment ($39.99); Lifting Wrinkle Treatment Starter System – SPF 30 and Eye ($49.99); and Facial Lifting Wrinkle Treatment Night ($39.99). Each product in the line comes with the Ion2complex gel serum and an activating cream with Tetrol-E.
Looking ahead, Mintel expected that shoppers will continue to spend more on products designed to slow or stop the aging process than on any other type of skin care item. This is largely due to the emphasis placed on looking young and the role of anti-aging items in improved appearance. Women who can afford to buy either a simple moisturizer or an anti-aging product with moisturizing benefits are likely to opt for the anti-aging product in order to get the most value for their money while seemingly giving up little.
U.S. facial skin care growth (at current prices)| FDMx sales* | %change | |
| 2008 | $1.97 | 3.5% |
| 2009** | 2.02 | 2.3 |
| 2010† | 2.10 | 4.1 |
| 2011† | 2.19 | 4.4 |
| 2012† | 2.30 | 4.7 |
| 2013† | 2.41 | 4.7 |
| 2014† | 2.52 | 4.6 |