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skin, sunflower extract to hydrate and rice bran extract, which helps to smooth the skin and tackle signs of ageing.”


Skinimalist appeal


Multi balms also tap into the minimalist trend that has picked up in beauty. “People today are more inclined to the ‘less is more’ approach. The more products being used, the more expensive it is and the more time-consuming it is for people,” say Rashi and Nidhi Sethi, co-founders of Skin Story, a brand that launched in December 2021 in the UAE with three Multisticks, two tinted and a colourless stick, designed for both men and women to rehydrate skin while on the go.


The Sethi sisters believe that multi balm sticks are already trending globally. “Having the ability to carry around your skin care stick and not have a messy pot that you leave on your bathroom counter makes a difference in the frequency that customers will use it. People all over the world are looking for compact, easy things, and this will become bigger in the years to come,” they tell Cosmetics Business.


It is also a format that holds particular appeal for men, as ShakeUp’s co-founder Jake Xu testifies. The men’s cosmetics and skin care brand’s Hydrate in a Hurry stick has become a best selling product in its western markets. “We get a lot of great feedback from guys about how easy it is for them to carry it around and use it especially after a workout or a swim where chlorine really dries out the skin. It is also multipurpose and can be used as a balm for elbows, so these factors definitely caught our customers’ attention.”


Zoe Offen, Senior Brand Manager at The Red Tree says that stick-format skin care “also addresses the ever growing concern of how much water the beauty industry uses by substituting for an oil-base.” Nevertheless, the format does have its drawbacks. “Sticks will


Products like Stila’s Blurring Stick aim to give consumers an easy-to-use multifunctional skin care solution


Sam Murton ‘‘


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Skin type, seasonality and also nuances in different cultures and regions may all be factors to consider when deciding on the suitability of the stick format, while ensuring that it benefits usability is also key.


Multifunctional products have a place in the market, however brands then need to think about how they will satisfy the appetite for NPD. Zoe Offen, Senior Brand Manager, The Red Tree


The need for multiuse products really resonates with consumers in times of economic


uncertainty Sam Murton, founder and CEO, Be for Innovation


LAUNCH HIGHLIGHT: WYOS THE SHINING STAR MOISTURISING STICK


Sticks are central to new personal care brand WYOS (Write Your Own Story), with all products in the range using the format. This includes The Shining Star Moisturising Stick, an all over,


non-greasy oil stick that is said to leave a poreless, glass-skin look and a dewy, healthy glow but can also be used on fly-away hair or even to make tattoos pop. Being travel-friendly, mess-free and waste-free, the WYOS team, Jamie Glassman (CEO, founder) and Wendy Charland (COO, co- Founder) tell Cosmetics Business that it is also more environmentally friendly. “Solids use significantly less water and are lighter, so they have a lower shipping impact. The packages are also fully recyclable. But we aren’t just launching a stick for the sake of white space. The stick needs to offer a true benefit in the segment, and our formulas deliver on their benefit promise.”


always be seen as a less premium option and less hygienic than typical liquid/cream applicators such as pumps, pipettes and bottles,” Offen explains. The point is also picked up by Xu. “In the west, we can see the benefit of having this format to use in the office, when the AC is drying our skin but in places like China or India, where people they feel like their faces become covered in different pollutants while they’re out and about, the last thing they probably want to do is to get a balm and rub it all into their skin. You just have to have local understanding about the personal preferences of people in different living environments.” Sticks are also unlikely to meet universal appeal simply because consumers have different needs and preferences when it comes to product texture. Jackson says:. “I think sticks work really well on skins that tend to be a little bit on the oily side as they don’t have excess texture, which is why this product has done so well in K-beauty – Korean consumers do tend to have slightly oily skin. And although anyone with any skin type can use a stick product and it will still work, if you’ve got dry skin, you tend to want something that’s a little richer. You go for what feels good on your skin.” Brands should also be wary that the format avoids falling into gimmick territory. “Whatever the new componentry is, it has to serve a purpose and make the product better,” says Xu. “But I do think there’s so much more that can be done with sticks. A cleansing balm would be easier and less messy than a face soap that requires a dish. I can see how that would improve on current usability.” What multi balms and skin care sticks do give consumers is choice. “It is all about providing different variations for people to choose from, and that makes it very exciting,” says Xu. “You can serve your customers who might have a preference for one texture over another.”


Meanwhile, the lure of a new K-beauty trend is attractive to consumers and content creators alike, and combined the appeal of multi balms as multi- use, waterless and on-the-go moisturisers, many more brands could enter the space. Murton says: “I definitely see multi balms growing in popularity though 2023, especially as consumers learn more through channels like TikTok about the Korean multi balms’ heritage in skin health”


cosmeticsbusiness.com March 2023 cosmetics business 11


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