Personal Care

AMITYVILLE, N.Y. — Leading skin care brand SheaMoisture is building on its successful #BreakTheWalls national awareness platform by launching a new phase of the campaign that highlights the divisive constructs of beauty.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Sephora is giving shoppers even more ways to "Beauty Together" with the launch of two new digital tools.

Women everywhere from housewives to Hollywood stars are embracing a new trend that calls for less makeup and playing up natural features. It doesn't mean no makeup, but beauty products are used subtly to get a natural and glowing look.

No-makeup celebs such as Alicia Keys and Mile Kunis are getting lots of attention. Keys, 35, declared this year that she didn't want to "cover up" any more, and proved her commitment by showing up on the red carpet for the BET Awards last month without makeup.

The retail landscape for beauty has changed dramatically, and retailers must focus on the customer experience, because that is where the sale is won or lost, where the brand comes to life, and where the seeds of loyalty are planted.

That’s just a few of the key takeaways from a webinar held by the Global Market Development Center this month. The webinar was led by Saba Buser, an analyst for RetailNet Group.

The FDA banned antibacterial chemicals from soaps and other personal care products last week, but some toothpastes that contain triclosan have been “demonstrated to be effective at reducing plaque and gingivitis,” according to an FDA spokeswoman who spoke to The New York Times. Before approving the toothpaste in 1997, the agency requested that the Colgate-Palmolive company conduct toxicology studies, and the FDA ultimately decided it was safe and effective.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is targeting 19 ingredients found in soaps and body washes, saying they could do more harm than good.

Companies will no longer be able to market antibacterial washes with these ingredients because manufacturers did not demonstrate that the ingredients are both safe for long-term daily use and more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness and the spread of certain infections. Some manufacturers have already started removing these ingredients from their products.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Target is teaming up with an organic tampon company to bring women across the country a healthy tampon with modern packaging and accessories to fit any lifestyle.

CINCINNATI -- Procter & Gamble announced Thursday its plans for stockholders to exchange its stock for shares in Coty, which has agreed to buy 41 beauty brands from P&G in a deal valued at $12.5 billion.