ANALYSIS 5


How does the post-COVID future look for personal care?


n Richard Scott – Editor, Personal Care


This year’s pandemic has not left any area of life unaffected, completely transforming the industrial and social landscape since January, with life only starting to return to normal in some countries at this stage. In this article we will look at how the


situation is transforming the personal care industry, and while we acknowledge that the pandemic has had an overwhelmingly negative impact, we will try to focus on some of the potentially positive aspects on the road to recovery as much as possible.


Navigating ‘The Upside Down’ Perhaps one of the first things to disappear as a result of lockdowns across the world was the sense of routine. For years we have commented upon how busy modern society is for consumers, and how they needed products that worked alongside hectic family life. Suddenly everything was much less busy – routines had evaporated and so had people’s beauty routines, which were entwined with their work and social lives. For a while, the only personal care products


on peoples’ minds were soap and hand sanitiser. But due to the sudden demand for the product, there was an explosion of small businesses creating their own formulations, many of which were in the brewing industry and had the necessary equipment to create the required alcohol. People were also very interested in methods of protecting hands after such frequent handwashing. It was fascinating to see subjects such as


personal care product manufacturing, soap, and trans epidermal waterloss so prominent on news cycles. It also made consumers aware that skin care products are not just “nice to have” but essential to their general health. During lockdown, websites had lists of


‘lockdown beauty hacks’ with ideas ranging from homemade body scrubs to avocado face masks and DIY shea butter moisturiser. This can certainly be a big positive for the industry as consumers connect more closely to the ingredients that go into personal care products.


July 2020


Masks Facial coverings have been a common sight in many regions of the world, but they have become widespread globally since the pandemic started. Although there is some debate regarding their effectiveness, they are now mandatory on public transport in many countries which can mean they are worn for considerable periods. There are three significant areas of impact for the personal care industry as a result of the increased use of face masks – issues with cosmetics being removed by the mask, especially lip products; acne and other skin conditions becoming more of a problem due to the under-mask environment; an increase of focus on eye products.


Transfer of product It is inevitable that beneath the mask, the air will become humid and with any contact between the mask and the skin, products such as foundation or lipstick will quickly transfer from the skin to the mask. Transfer- resistant ingredients are not new, but they


will certainly gain more prominence in the coming months. For example, Shorea resin has been shown to be particularly effective in transfer-resistant lip products. In addition, formulations that are designed


for Asian markets will have a greater level of resistance to humid conditions.


“Maskne” The under-mask environment not only impacts the transfer-resistance of products, but also the condition of the wearer’s skin. This phenomenon has already attracted its own compound term, ‘maskne’,1


which


refers to people experiencing breakouts of spots from wearing a mask for extended periods. With the mask rubbing the skin, breaking down the skin barrier, along with a buildup of sweat and oils in a humid, bacteria-rich environment, it is not surprising the level of the skin condition plummets beneath the mask. This means that there will be millions of


people looking to protect their lower face area with more robust skin products. The emphasis will be on protecting the skin from abrasions while also delivering moisturisation benefits.


The eyes become the prize One obvious result of covering the lower face is that the eyes become an area of greater focus. When in conversation, people will look at the eyes to improve understanding and analyse emotions. The eyes can also be indicators of age and health, and so consumers are keen to ensure their eye area is well looked after. Since the pandemic began, sales of eyeliners, eye shadows, mascara, and eyebrow pencils have increased at a time when other products have fallen.2


It should be remembered that


despite the eye area not being covered by the mask, the wearer is likely to become more sweaty as a result of wearing the mask, so waterproof products are still going to be important around the eye.


PERSONAL CARE GLOBAL


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84