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Issue
30 — July 2002 |
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Bodycare has long been regarded as the poor relation of facial skincare. Most
people cover up their bodies for many months of the year, taking the view that
what cannot be seen does not need attention. For years, bodycare has consisted
of cheap, basic lotions or creams, such as Nivea, which are effective moisturisers,
but make no further claims. The market is now changing and bodycare is fast catching
up with facial skincare in terms of advanced formulations and ingredient breakthroughs.
Compared to facial skin, the skin on the rest of the body contains seven times
fewer sebaceous glands. The sebum, along with the hydrophilic film, provide a
natural moisturising agent, forming a barrier against external aggressors to protect
the skin's elasticity and firmness. The skin on the body is therefore particularly
prone to drying out and loses its firmness over time, which is further aggravated
by hard water, sun exposure and even stress. While most women use a facial moisturiser
every day, covering up with clothes makes it tempting to pay less attention to
the body. Keeping skin in good condition, however, requires daily moisturising,
whether it is the face or body.
Since the late 1990s, skincare manufacturers have been turning their attention
to bodycare and producing scientifically advanced formulations which claim to
smooth, firm, condition and delay the onset of ageing.Initially, much of this
new product development was concentrated in the premium sector, but there are
signs that the mass market companies are catching up. Beiersdorf has successfully
extended its Nivea range into active bodycare and L'Oréal has also taken
Plénitude into this new territory.
| Table
1 |
|
| Usage of
body lotion/milk, by European country
|
|
| Base: Women
aged 11-74
|
|
12
months ending June 2001
|
% |
|
|
| All Europe |
21 |
| Germany |
37 |
| France |
23 |
| Great Britain |
15 |
| Spain |
12 |
| Italy |
10 |
|
|
| Source:
Taylor Nelson Sofres, ETCD |
|
Plénitude Body Expertise Nutrilift from L'Oréal Paris is an anti-drying
and firming body moisturiser range, available for normal and dry skin. The normal
skin variant contains ceramides to replenish the skin's lost natural lipids and
provides 24 hour hydration to prevent the skin from drying out. Nutrilift for
dry skin is formulated with Xeralipids, lipid replenishers which combine ceramides
with essential fatty acids. Xeralipids work to combat hydration, helping to reinforce
the skin's natural hydrolipidic layer. The two products also contain Par-Elastyl™,
an active ingredient that has been shown to help inhibit the breakdown of collagen
and elastin fibres which determine the skin's firmness. Par-Elastyl™ is a
key ingredient used in Plénitude Revitalift, the UK's leading anti-wrinkle
and firming cream.
L'Oréal's marketing division Laboratoires Garnier has also branched out
into bodycare with the launch of Body Cocoon and Body Tonic, two daily body moisturiser
ranges. Garnier Body Cocoon body moisturisers were developed for women with normal
to dry skin, a condition affecting 71% of women, according to Garnier. The ingredients
include a blend of micro fruit oils {patent pending} which is rich in lipids that
can be found naturally between the cells in the stratum corneum. Dehydration of
the skin surface, or dryness, occurs when the water content of this layer drops
below 10%, often provoked by a depletion in the lipids present. The tiny oil droplets
in the formulation are absorbed quickly into the skin and remain there, reinforcing
the skin's barrier function.
Garnier Body Tonic is a range of body firming products which combine proven firming
technology with natural ingredients which not only tone but revitalise the senses.
Certain fruit essences have been used in the formulation and tested in vitro to
establish their performance criteria. Grapefruit extract contains anti-oxidant
properties to help protect the skin's resilience. Kiwi extract has been shown
to inhibit the enzymes responsible for the degradation of the skin's elasticity
and green apple extract has been shown to have a stimulating effect on cellular
renewal. Caffeine is also included as it is a well known stimulator and energiser,
capable of boosting cellular activity.
Claire Briney, analyst for Euromonitor, believes that the mass players are increasingly
becoming a force to be reckoned with in bodycare. She says: "Perception of
premium products as being higher quality and offering better results than mass
alternatives is being undermined by the increasing sophistication of mass product
formulations. Premium brands no longer seem to be the only ones to represent the
cutting edge of technology in bodycare and must keep ahead of the game."
Leaning on the success of an established facial care line is a tried and tested
formula among the premium companies. Estée Lauder, for example, launched
Resilience Lift Body Lotion in November 2001, which follows in the footsteps of
Resilience Lift Creme and Lotion. It combined in one product a single technology
addressing three primary causes of skin ageing in mature women, which are chronological,
environmental and hormonal. Addressing the problems of loss of skin tone Resilience
Lift contains a special blend of bio-botanical complex, pentapetide, apple, white
birch and green tea extracts which work to strengthen the dermis by encouraging
collagen production and helping prevent the premature breakdown of collagen by
free radicals. The product also uses optical technology {phytosphyngosine, "soft
focus" polymer} to reflect light away from minor imperfections to make skin
appear luminous and more uniform in tone.
Consumers not only want results-oriented products but want them to perform several
functions at one time. Up until a few years ago, this simply was not possible
as the technology did not exist for different ingredients to work in harmony.
Today, scientific advances have meant that products offer genuine value added
benefits, such as Lancaster's Sun Active Body Refiner SPF8, the first sun/body
treatment that offers sun protection and refining properties in one product. It
works through the action of the sun on the skin which enables the refining actions
of the product to fight more effectively against the appearance of cellulite and
the 'orange peel effect' of the skin. In addition, pineapple extract helps to
exfoliate the skin which helps absorption of refining agents.
Christian Dior's Body Model is a new generation active body treatment claiming
a three in one contouring action. Described as the first cosmetic 'home -trainer'
it has a tensing effect, leaving the skin feeling tightened. In addition it has
a sculpting action for firmer skin and a contouring action, which claims to reshape
the body in one month. The secret in this product lies in the plasticizing texture
of the gel provided by two flexible polymers inspired by the textile industry.
On application, the gel stretches over the body and stays in place.
Bio-technology is at the heart of La Prairie's Cellular Lipo-Sculpting Systeme
which does not claim instant results, but the more realistic claim of a visible
difference within 30 days of use. The formulation uses lipo-sculpting technology
that activates 'lipolysis', the breakdown of fat, accelerates cellular metabolism
and micro-circulation, aids in the elimination of trapped fluids that cause puffiness
and bloating and provides toning and lifting actions. More than 20 ingredients
and eight lipo-sculpting complexes are used including bio-engineered organic elements,
vitamins and rare plant extracts.
La Prairie has also adapted its skin caviar technology for face into a luxurious
body cream, which retails at $300. Caviar, a rich source of natural compounds
essential to the maintenance of skin tissue, has been shown to demonstrate an
excellent firming action. This multi-functional body treatment, which contains
an array of marine substances and plant extracts, sloughs off dull skin, has a
lifting and firming effect and restores the skin's barrier functions and protection
against free radical damage and the degradation of collagen.
In 2002, La Prairie is launching three new bodycare products, based on up to date
technology, including a buffing oil which buffs the skin, stimulates the circulation
and has a deep hydrating action.
The future for bodycare products looks bright, particularly when taken into context
of usage patterns amongst European consumers. According to Taylor Nelson Sofres
ETCD information, only one out of five women regularly use a body lotion or milk.
Penetration in Germany is significantly higher at 37% than in any of the other
big European countries. By contrast, in Italy, only one in ten women say they
regularly use body lotions and milks. Now that new product activity is accelerating
in the mass bodycare market, it seems likely that bodycare will become a regular
part of many more consumers' grooming routine
| Table
2 |
|
Bodycare
brand shares for premium brands in Western Europe, % retail value
|
|
| Total bodycare
market size: $1.75bn
|
% |
|
|
| Clarins |
3,3 |
| Biotherm
(L'Oreal) |
1,6 |
| Lancôme
|
0,8 |
| Collistar |
0,8 |
| RoC |
0,7 |
| Christian
Dior |
0,5 |
| La Roche-Posay
(L'Oreal) |
0,4 |
| Clinique |
0,3 |
|
|
| Source:
Euromonitor |
|
Author
Imogen Matthews
Imogen Matthews is a business journalist and market research consultant and is
a regular contributor to the trade magazines Esprit, International Cosmetique
News and Beauty Business News. Her knowledge of the cosmetics, toiletries and
fragrance industries is unsurpassed. In addition, she specialises in providing
quality market research and PR consultancy to clients within the beauty industry.
She can be contacted on imatquarry@aol.com. Website: www.imogenmatthews.co.uk.
