An inherent tension: the market is becoming polarised between the high technology efficacy and products offering simpler more natural benefits
With the continued popularity of Love Island and the artificial beauty of celebrities like the Kardashians, it’s perhaps no surprise that beauty treatments are in growth. In the last year this market increased by 8% to be worth £2.2 billion. It is by no means only attracting women either: 16% of men went to a salon in the last year. This growth though isn’t just about having a more polished appearance, a lot of the attraction is about the experiential element of going into a salon, which is a huge trend across all parts of life including eating out and entertainment.
It might seem that a highly maintained appearance and the perfect look is a big driver for the sector but this, like many beauty tricks, is just a surface impression. In reality, the group of people pursuing this ideal is actually very small: only 9% of women claim that their looks are important to them and actively dislike the natural look – just 2.3 million in Great Britain. This small group is highly visible and voluble through social media where share of voice is greater than numbers would suggest.
There is a real division between science and natural when it comes to health and beauty. On one hand there is a rise in popularity of “science” brands to almost 14 million weekly occasions with a focus on ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, retinol and collagen. On the other, natural continues to be a very significant trend: in skincare, 24% of all skincare is now natural, and this is growing.
There are many examples of brands creating natural options to reflect this trend. Alberto Balsam in position 20 launched a naturals range this year, distributed exclusively in Asda. Playing into the CBD trend, Aussie launched their Calm the Frizz range using hemp. Simple in position 13 built on their successful launch of biodegradable wipes in 2018 and the product provided a boost to their overall wipes performance.
Oral care brands, including number one brand Colgate (see brand focus) and Sensodyne in position 22, have both focused on the science to build their brands and appeal to consumers' needs. Sensodyne has successfully grown value ahead of the category this year due to an increased price point; Daily Care Gentle Whitening and Sensodyne Pronamel Multi-Action are both worth over £4 million in sales and are the fastest growing ranges. Sensodyne Sensitivity + Gum was a new launch this year which gained a penetration of more than 2%.
The number one in the UK Brand Footprint health and beauty sector for the last four years, Colgate had a strong year with a growth in CRPs of 2% driven by increases in frequency.
Colgate’s success is an example of the pull between naturals and science. In 2019 they recognised changing tastes and the drive for sustainability with their launch of a bamboo toothbrush and a vegan toothpaste called Smile for Good. Smile for Good is available in a recyclable tube, a first for the industry as toothpaste packaging is not usually recyclable. The brand addressed the wider personal care trend for ‘natural’ through the Natural Extracts range, with charcoal, seaweed salt and ultimate fresh lemon variants, and the natural paste portfolio was responsible for £2.8m of Colgate’s growth this year. In terms of science, it’s the efficacy across its products which continue to keep Colgate at the top of the ranking. Sub range re-launches led to 7% growth of Colgate Total, while premium whitening products such as Colgate Max White Expert Complete Toothpaste grew by 10%. Development of both natural and more premium products added value to the brand by attracting a new target: the more affluent shopper.
