Skin and body care products in the UK and globally are big business - worldwide, the market is expected to see value sales grow to £2.2 billion by 2018 according to Euromonitor. In analysis of the UK market, consumers spent a little more on their skin care products and tended to use every last drop.
Knowing which products to develop can be a daunting challenge as multiple new trends emerge. 2014 was flooded with New Product Development, but the tubs of white cream that consumers would have once considered familiar and appealing were noticeably absent. The continuing trend for product multifunctionality was in evidence in 2014.
Another trend is the development of skin care products with scientifically backed claims of anti-aging effects. Shifting perspectives and an aging population in the UK mean that brands are increasingly viewing the target market as encompassing women of all ages.
Mature stars such as Charlotte Rampling, Tilda Swinton, Jessica Lange and Helen Mirren are increasingly being chosen to be "the face" of major cosmetics and skin care campaigns.
According to analysts at Canadean, brands are not targeting the older demographic effectively, despite the fact that the rising pension age means that women are staying in full time employment for longer and have higher disposable incomes.