HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LAUNCH A NEW BEAUTY PRODUCT?

For any new beauty brand, one of the first challenges they will come up against is trying to plan a firm launch date for their new product range.

So what sort of timings should you plan for when developing a new beauty product launch??

For years brands, suppliers and retailers have been quoted as saying it takes at least two years to develop beauty products. On the other hand, there are fast beauty brand who have launched in just a matter of months.

So, who is right? The answer is both - it depends on what you need and when you need it.

If you are looking at a major launch within a big corporate operation it could take two years or even more. There are often months of consumer research, concept ideation & testing, many stakeholders to engage and numerous boards to present to. This process alone can take a year, and you haven’t even started to develop the products.

Timing will also be dictated by the type of product you want to develop. If you are working on the next breakthrough in clinically proven anti-ageing you can go through months or even years of creating formulas, testing these and not achieving the results you need to. Or, if you want to develop a monograph product (a US registered drug such as SPF) there is a minimum testing requirement that can put development lead times up to 18 months!

The issue with taking two years is that you are missing out on trends and ingredients that are created, realised and done before the year is out. So how do you do it quicker?

The answer could be that the manufacturers have done the leg work for you. They have their own laboratories and scientists whose sole role it is to create the next generation beauty products - they are looking at the same trends as you and fantasising over the possibilities with the newest ingredients. If these ready to go / off-the-shelf products tick the boxes of your brief, then go for it! Don’t feel the need to tinker with something they have spent months crafting and perfecting.  

The other way to improve your speed to launch is to work with one of these ready to go products but tweak (with something that is essential to your brand or consumer of course). This might be a shade of lipstick inspired by the catwalk or an ingredient that has to be present in all of your brand’s products. By working with formulations that are already developed and tested you not only reduce your development time but also your risk.

In summary, yes you can develop a product in a few months, or it can take 2 years. It all depends on whether your product simply needs to hit a current trend, and you can source a great ready-to-go product from a manufacturer, or whether you want to develop something truly innovative in the market. 

THE BEAUTY BRAND COACH

WHY IS EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT THE SKIN BARRIER?

With over 2.5bnviews on Tiktok the #skinbarrier is big news in the skincare industry right now.

Whether it’s at the core of new skincare product development, being discussed by influencers and beauty press, or being heavily researched by consumers who want to know more about it, the skin barrier has gone beyond a trend and moved into a core pillar of the skincare industry.

So what is it, and why is the skin barrier such a huge topic?

THE ROLE OF THE SKIN BARRIER

To understand why the barrier such a focus, it’s important to look at the fundamental role it plays in overall skin health. It’s the bodies first line of defence and has two vital roles:

Hydration - Internally regulates water loss and retains moisture, ensuring water and electrolytes do not evaporate from the skin

Protection - Externally shields from external aggressors such as bacteria, chemicals, pollutants, irritants & UV

WHAT IS THE SKIN BARRIER?

The barrier is in the outermost level of our skin within the Stratum Corneum in the Epidermis. Contained in the skin barrier are 3 main layers:

The Lipid barrier, which is protected by our Acid Mantle and above this is our Microbiome:

Microbiome - The skin microbiome is the billions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that comprise the skin microbiota. The natural bacteria maintains the skin’s immunity and prevents pathogenic growth

Acid mantle - The Hydrolipidic film on the skin's surface made from sweat and sebum that has a pH of around 5.5. It's acidic nature acts as barrier to unwanted bacteria. It also supports a balanced microbiome and locks in hydration

Lipid barrier - Composed of Ceramides, Cholesterol & Free Fatty Acids, it supports the skin barrier function by reducing Trans-Epidermal Water Loss and protects from external chemicals, pollutants, irritants & UV

If a skin barrier is healthy then skin should feel at its best - soft, supple and hydrated. Likewise, the cause and effect of a #damagedbarrier is under the spotlight and is linked to a wide range of skin issues.

A DAMAGED SKIN BARRIER

What does this mean when our skin barrier is compromised? Well, unfortunately it can lead to a wide range of skin concerns:

• Cracks in the Lipid Matrix can allow irritants such as bacteria to penetrate skin, leading to breakouts. Gaps can also allow water to escape which can cause skin to become dehydrated

• A disrupted microbiome can lead to an imbalance between the beneficial and harmful bacteria, resulting in skin conditions such as acne and rosacea

• An imbalanced pH can lead to an overgrowth of bacteria, leading to skin irritations such acne & dryness

With the range of skin concerns linked a disrupted barrier, no wonder the skincare industry is heavily focused on barrier repair. As a result, new launches are coming thick and fast from all skincare brands which will continue into 2023.

So, if barrier health has always been so important, and so many varied skin concerns can be linked back to a disrupted barrier, why is it such a topic of conversation now in the skincare industry?

SKIN BARRIER TREND INFLUENCERS

• The long standing wellness movement helped to drive a focus on skin health rather than just skin aesthetics. Multiple skin wellness trends have since emerged, such as pre/pro/post biotic skincare for a healthy microbiome and the embracing of ceramides through brands like CeraVe to promote skin health. The foundation of all these skin-wellness trends is always taking care of the skin barrier

• #skinimalism has driven a change in brand and consumer behaviour. Complicated, multi-step skincare routines fell out of favour during the pandemic, driven by factors such as more mindful purchasing and concerns that high strength layered ingredients were irritating skin. The push for simplicity helped the industry to really hone in on solving the root cause of skin conditions, supporting again the focus on the skin barrier

• Protecting skin from external aggressors has been a long standing mission in skincare industry e.g. through SPF, pollution shields, blue light shields and wide-spread use of antioxidants. Promoting a healthy skincare barrier has naturally emerged from this, helping to nurture and strengthen your skins natural defences against external irritants

• The viral #cleangirl aesthetic showed off fresh-faced beauty on Tiktok, ideally with minimal makeup, which again focused attention on the goal of naturally healthy skin. The conversation around the skin barrier has blown up on Tiktok, which will continue into 2024 and beyond

We hope that’s helped to break down the need-to-knows on the skin barrier.

The great news for our skin is that improving barrier health will continue to be a focus in skincare industry for the foreseeable future.

THE BEAUTY BRAND COACH

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN BEAUTY BRAND

Beauty is big business.

Globally worth around $528 billion, the BeAUTY AND PERSONAL CARE market is now fully democratised with tradtional beauty powerhouse brands existing alongside celebrity brands, retailer own labels and market disrupting entreprenuers.

If you have the passion and budget, the beauty market is open to anyone who dreams of owning their own beauty business.

So if you are thinking about taking the first steps on your beauty brand journey, we thought it would good to share some thoughts on what to plan for first. As a team with decades of beauty development experience with large global retailers as well as beauty start-ups, we have experienced and worked through many bumps in the end-to-end product development journey.

So, where do you start?

BRAND DEVELOPMENT

When you have a spark of an idea, spend quality time working through your brand vision and plan.
What will your brand stand for and what are its values? Who is the target customer and why? Where will your brand be positioned in the market vs its competitors?
Laying down the brand foundations at the beginning, and understanding what will make it stand out from a crowd, is vital to set a clear path ahead and anchor all the decisions you make in the future.

BUDGET

Speak to an experienced product developer early on to understand the sort of costs involved in launching a beauty brand. There are many areas of costs to be aware of and factor into budgets at the outset - from regulatory support through to website creation. The more questions you ask at the beginning of your project will make sure you can set up your product brief and launch for success.

It may also be helpful to reach out to other beauty entrepreneurs to make sure you have a view of what costs to expect. Many in the beauty industry are happy to share their experiences! This will help to ensure you are going into your beauty launch with your eyes open and aren’t caught out late into your project.

TIMINGS

Depending on the type of beauty product you are planning to create, its important to be aware of timings. Even if you take off-the-shelf formulations, packaging and raw materials can be on leadtimes of up to 16 weeks. For new formulations testing will take 3 months, and for true innovation or SPF products you may find that project leadtimes stretch to 18+ months.

Once you know more about the leadtimes expected to develop a new range, work with a product developer to draft a project timeplan with deadlines for all key activities, and set a clear, realistic launch date to drive the pace of your decisions.

PRODUCT BRIEF

When drafting your brief for your product launch, think about every aspect of the formulation that matters to you. Whether its formulation claims (e.g. vegan), texture or fragrance, you need a clear idea about what you are looking for and what is going to matter to your customer. Then when you speak to product and formulation developers, you have the foundations of your product ready to build upon.

Understanding what markets you want to launch is is important to consider at this stage as well. This will make sure your formulators take into account the relevant regulatory compliance for that region.

If the first attempts don’t meet your vision, spend the time revisiting the brief and making sure you know what want to improve so you can give the clearest feedback possible.

For packaging do your research with experienced developers to understand what are your must-haves and what are your nice-to-haves. Sustainability will be one of the first things to discuss. Go out to beauty stores to look at whats out there in the market, so you can pull together examples of the sorts of packs you do and don’t like. This will set up conversations with your developer about what is going to work within your budget.

Finally, have a clear idea on your RRP, margin and target cost of goods. This will help make sure you achieve the best possible product within your budget.

MANUFACTURING PARTNER

An experienced product development agency will have a trusted network of manufacturing partners across the globe. This means you can issue your product brief to a number of manufacturers and select the best partner for you based on response to brief.

Make sure you know what to expect around things like production tolerances, management of excess components and payment terms. Standard terms and ways of working can vary, so having an early conversation on this means that you and your manufacturing partner are on the same page from the outset.

LAUNCH PLAN
Understanding which markets you want to target is really key not only to shape your product brief, but also to set up the right conversations with retailers and distributors. What are your priorities for launch markets, and where do you want to focus in the future?

Again, speak to industry experts about setting up for retailer conversations so you know what sort of questions to prepare for. The earlier you start these conversations the better so you can shape your launch plans early.

Take the time to find the right partners for PR, marketing and website development. There is no point coming up with an amazing product if nobody knows it exists!

We hope this helps with getting started on your beauty brand journey - it’s an amazing industry which we love working in!

If you would like some support delivering your beauty range to market, please get in touch for chat.

THE BEAUTY BRAND COACH

TIKTOK BEAUTY HACKS – THE WEIRD, USELESS AND DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS

AhhH social media, the place where everything appears believable, all seems possible, and sometimes people will quite literally try ANYTHING!  

We consumers have always been on the hunt for a hint, trick or tip that’s going to make our lives that little bit easier, and then along came TikTok to revolutionise the world of beauty hacks!

But is erection cream really the next lip plumper and will garlic cloves actually relieve sinus pain, or are hundreds of consumers putting their health at risk with these bizarre beauty tips?

Here is a countdown of our dubious TikTok beauty hack highlights…

GARLIC NOSE

Not strictly beauty, but this ‘wellness hack’ by Rozaline Katherine gained millions of views for apparently helping clear out your sinus by stuffing garlic cloves up each nostril for 15 mins, which when removed, causes your nose to run.  Experts were quick to advise against this hack; not only is there the possibility of things getting stuck where they shouldn’t, but the reason your nose runs so extremely is because the garlic cloves irritate the nasal lining...Best to stick to vapor rubs to clear sinus’ we think!

VAGINAL STEAMING

Another trend that has gained millions of views advises women that squatting over hot water mixed with herbs will improve the smell of your vagina and fertility. As pointed out by Cosmo, Vagina’s are self-cleaning organs that do their own thing, and this steaming practice will upset the delicate PH balance. It definitely cannot help with fertility issues…so lets leave steaming to facials!

GLYCOLIC ACID DEODORANT

A much-loved ingredient for smooth and glowing skin, but what is it doing under our pits I hear you ask?! The hashtag #glycolicacidasdeodorant has racked up over 5.3 million views on TikTok for apparently preventing body odour, stopping sweating & reducing pigmentation.         

But is there any science to back up these Tiktokers’ fresh pits claims? Well, Glycolic acid is said to lower the pH of the underarm, creating an inhospitable environment for odour-causing bacteria. However, Refinery 29 explains that this hasn’t been substantiated, and water from sweat will neutralise glycolic acid which reduces any benefits.

We know that Glycolic Acid is effective at reducing pigmentation when used 2-3 per times per week on our face. However, we also know that it’s not usually recommended for sensitive skin. So considering the sensitive nature of our pits, there’s likely to be other products designed for underarm odour which may be more suitable than glycolic acid!  

With mixed reviews, and concern around suitability, efficacy and safety, we think there are more effective ways of naturally deodorising our armpits….Plus, the tingle on our face can be irritating enough, let alone that sensation on our underarms!

SUNSCREEN CONTOUR

It’s safe to say that we’re a generation obsessed with sunscreen! And, as if the beauty world wasn’t outraged enough by Gwyneth Paltrow's sunscreen tips, sunscreen contour became another application method to polarise consumers.

Beyonce’s makeup artist first suggested the method in 2016, and this later took off thanks to Eli Withrow when she shared her ‘naturally snatched’ look. This consisted of using SPF50 on the highlights of her face to block more UV rays, and SPF 30 on the shadows of her face, therefore allowing a deeper tan to develop. In theory, creating a ‘naturally’ contoured look.

The technique assumes that you can control the sun’s exposure through varying SPF levels, which is highly unlikely considering that all areas of the face will be exposed to different levels of sunlight. Instead, the method will probably result in a patchy tan and sunburn.

Also, and more importantly, there is no such thing as a healthy tan! Byrdie reminds us that exposing skin to more UV will help us age faster, expose to radiation more, and sacrifice to skin cancer. Therefore it’s important to follow expert advice when it comes to sunscreen application and avoid any ‘hacks’ which suggest using them differently to recommended….best to stick to the cream contour method.

While this has been a quick look into the potential dangers of misinformation, it doesn’t detract from how influential Tiktok has become in the world of beauty. Even Refinery 29 have a dedicated series all about tiktok hacks called Beauty In A Tik, where each week editors put TikTok's viral beauty hacks and innovative trends to the test.

As trends and hacks become a bigger part of our relationship with beauty, consumers have loved discovering new beauty tips on TikTok that really works for them. However, we think this will increasingly be balanced by education from trusted professionals to help filter out the positive from the negative advice.

THE BEAUTY BRAND COACH

Skin Wellbeing

WITH THE PANDEMIC ENSURING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH WILL CONTINUE TO BE MAIN PRIORITIES FOR CONSUMER IN 2021, WE ARE SEEING THE CONSUMER DEMAND MORE FROM THEIR BEAUTY PRODUCTS; NOT ONLY MUST THEY MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD, THEY NEED TO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD TOO- IT’S ABOUT THE TOTAL 360 EXPERIENCE. THE FIRST EVER LARGE SCALE STUDY EXAMINING THE LINK BETWEEN STRESS AND BEAUTY, FOUND THAT 75% OF WOMEN SAY STRESS AFFECTS THEIR SENSE OF FEELING BEAUTIFUL.

THIS MEANS THE LINK BETWEEN WELLNESS AND BEAUTY IS GROWING, WITH CONSUMERS SEARCHING FOR TRENDS WHICH SHOW A HOLISTIC APPROACH TOWARDS SKINCARE.

THE MARKET TREND DRIVERS

• As a result of the skincare market pivoting towards healthcare, the Skin Microbiome market will grow to $2.97bn by 2030.

• Messages that encourage confidence and naturalness will have greater appeal, particularly as body positivity continues to gain traction. For example, several brands and retailers have embraced skin imperfections and challenged the notion that healthy skin needs to be flawless in 2021, including Cult Beauty with its #UpCloseOnSkincare campaign.

• 13 to 26 years old see skincare as the Holy Grail of beauty routines. It’s now about nurturing and caring for skin, as the notion of health takes a growing place in the world of cosmetics.

The 4 consumer trends we are seeing are:

• Sensitive skin & scarring

  In the UK 32% of women claim to have sensitive skin, and 70% of people have skin conditions or scars that directly affect their confidence.

  We know that stress can trigger flare-ups of eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis, hives, cold sores, fever blisters, and other skin rashes. With the ongoing impact of the pandemic on mental health (in December 2020 a US census found 42% of US adults were experiencing stress or depression) this explains why we’ve seen a surge in brand launches starring quintessential calming ingredients.

• Natural Skin health

  The demand for skincare to provide more than just aesthetic benefits is accelerating. 65% of beauty consumers link the beauty and wellness categories together.

  Skincare for health is emerging in tandem with global consumer interest in overall health as well as the need to communicate and educate skincare's health benefits for future success.

• Seasonal Skin

  Hot weather, cold and dry climates as well as changing seasons means consumers are looking for products which meet seasonal demands. Air con and central heating can impact skin, such as dehydrating and causing breakouts.

  39% of UK female facial skincare product users agree cold weather impacts the appearance of their skin.

• Skin Protection

  COVID-19 has renewed consumers focus on what's polluting skin. Stylight noted a 136% increase in Google searches for “blue light skincare” since the beginning of 2019, peaking at a 336% increase in May 2020. There is also an increased brand focus on protection and barrier repair ingredient call outs.

Hot Beauty trends for Beauty NPD

• Focus

  The pandemic has opened up new skin considerations whether its increased cleanliness, masks, or using skincare to de-stress. As a result, brands need to focus on skin wellness, not just aesthetics.

  Consumers are also looking for skincare that will help protect skin coming out of the pandemic, such as skin barrier and linking into overall wellness.

• Education

  As consumers are increasingly aware of external factors on skin, adaptive beauty products that can be customised to the user's changing skin needs willgain traction and brands should help educate on factors that can influence skin changes

  The conversation around the impact of hormonal changes is also opening up, presenting opportunities for targeted innovations.

• Packaging

  Packaging which tailors to 'freshness' or 'sealed' similar to probiotics. Consumers are even using 'beauty fridges' to keep skincare fresh, so this is something that would lend well to this trend.

• Ingredients

  "Natural" and  “clean” ingredient labelling has experienced  backlash as consumers education themselves on issues like ingredient safety and depletion of natural resources. Brands have the opportunity to instead focus on validating how ingredients promote skin health, sourced using transparent and sustainable  practices.

  Use of wellness focused ingredients continues to grow e.g. microbiome and 'fermented' ingredients- linking into the live ingredient trend.

Within our latest trends report, we explore the consumer insights shaping this trend and we can reach out to consumers through exciting and innovation NPD.

There is so much to uncover about this trend so please get in touch to discover more and find out how we can bring ideas to a commercial reality

THE BEAUTY BRAND COACH

HAIR TRENDS 2021

In 2020, our social feeds were awash with pictures of DIY home haircuts and dye jobs (sometimes with mixed success), with many of us truly appreciating how much we relied on professionals to feel like ourselves.

Quite rightly, The British Beauty Council have launched their #ohhellobeauty campaign to get us all back into the salons, but as we approach the halfway point of 2021, we wanted to take a look at the standout trends that have been defining haircare at home this year and what’s on the horizon for autumn/winter 21.

KEEP IT CASUAL

An Ipsos Mori survey in April 2021 found that 3 out of 5 of us in the UK were happier with a more casual approach to their appearance, with a third less likely to style their hair as a result of the changes we made to our lifestyles during the pandemic. It seems like we are not ready to let go of our messy buns just yet, especially as many are expecting the hybrid home / office working model to continue for the foreseeable future. So what does that mean for the haircare industry?

Low maintenance hairstyles dominate, with shaggy bobs, curtain bangs and ready-to-go mullets key examples of this effortless look trend. Likewise, in terms of colour some of us got used to our roots in 2020 and have moved to a softer balayage in 2021, or have embraced their natural grey (see @salihughes for inspiration on this). In terms of products, quick-fix dry shampoo will continue to be a well loved format for consumers looking for time saving hair routines with Revolution Beauty recently entering this category. Innovation will expand in this category - see the Carter+Jane Scalpfix, marketed as a healthy alternative to dry shampoo to absorb oil while soothing problem scalps with Rosemary and Peppermint Oil, and Frank Body with their Dry Clean Shampoo with Rice Bran and Tapioca Starch.

SKINFLUENCE

Skintellectual consumers continued to to build the knowledge of skincare ingredients in 2020 as many of us switched to online research and shopping. Although the trend for adding traditional skincare ingredients into hair was already present in the haircare industry, that trend has now accelerated with haircare-skincare hybrids focusing on scalp health alongside protecting and strengthening hair. From Hyaluronic Acid, AHAs, Centella Asiatica through to Micellar Water, the hair industry is now fully on board with the inclusion of skin loving ingredients.

Dove are introducing a Scalp Tonic with Niacinamide and Aloe, formulated to soothe stressed out scalps, while the Galinee Scalp and Hair Serum is based on a microbiome friendly pre and postbiotic formula with fermented rice water, aligned to one of the key skincare trends in 2021.

This trend will continue to strengthen in 2021, with skin-loving ingredient stories becoming a hygiene factor in any credible haircare launches going forward.

NATURALLY YOU

The natural hair trend has gone from strength to strength, supported with increased education and content on platforms such as Tik Tok over the last 12 months. Unique texture, coils and curls were celebrated with the Curly Girl trend in 2020, and curl defining innovation continues into 2021 through trends such as hair plopping (a drying technique for frizz free curls) and no-poo shampoo regimes. Aligned to this heritage, indie and mainstream brands are all bringing curl care products to market in 2021. Kérastase are launching their Curl Manifesto range, with a full range of treatments and cleansers, while Pattern founded by Tracee Ellis Moss, launched a range a treatments based on traditional care remedies earlier this year.

Protective styles for natural hair will also be a key feature, linking to time-saving, low maintenance and hair health boosting consumer needs. - braids, bantu knots, butterfly locs and twist outs are fully celebrated this year, alongside products to help maintain scalp health and refreshing sprays.

WELLNESS

Wellness was the key beauty buzzword in 2020, as many of us turned to at home selfcare treatments to provide some much needed TLC and downtime. Mintel forecasted in their Beauty and Personal Care Trends Report for 2021 that “The concept of total wellness has become integral to beauty routines” and that routines that help to relieve stress and anxiety would remain a key consumer need across the total industry. This will fuel the continued focus to scalp health, with Cosmeticsdesign-Asia noting that stress-related hair loss or poor scalp health will increase consumer demand for scalp and hair repair innovation.

As well as wellness-inspired ingredient and product innovation, this trend in the hair category also incorporates taking some extra time on your hair routine to treat and repair, with a dual benefit of providing you with time to relax + revitalising hair health. An example in 2021 is the launch of the Olaplex No.8 Moisture Mask which is sure to be a hit for followers of this cult hair brand, especially as their No3 Hair Perfector Treatment was one of the top selling beauty products of 2020 in UK beauty retailers.

LOOK AHEAD AUTUMN WINTER 2021

As we turn towards the second half of 2021, what other trends will emerge as we continue to explore our new post-pandemic lifestyles? We predict that big, bold OTT styles will make an appearance if we are able to fully return to nightlife, especially alongside an expected cosmetics trend of standout colour and glitter, as a celebration of the joy of being able to go “out out” once again.

Other ones to watch include continued trial of shampoo bars as the waterless trend continues to influence the hair industry (see L’Occtaine for a recent launch in this area with 99% biodegradable ingredients), alongside continued innovation in the dry shampoo market in line with low maintenance styles. Mintel calls out the latest NPD launches in these areas in their May 21 Innovation highlights. Finally, the soft curtain bands of 2020 will be replaced by bold, edgy fringes with attitude, as showcased at the Milan winter runway shows with an explosion of uber short fringes.

As ever, if you are interested in creating your own haircare range, or growing your existing range, then get in touch for a chat to find out how we can help.

THE BEAUTY BRAND COACH