THE INNOVATOR ARTICLES
A QUICK GUIDE TO DEVELOPING A NEW BEAUTY PRODUCT
Want to launch a new beauty brand, or wondering how to grow your existing one? Don’t know where to start?
We’re a small but mighty team of beauty industry experts, who love working with entrepreneurs to help bring their brands to life.
A BIT ABOUT US
Sam, our lovely founder, has a wealth of experience working for beauty retailers and design agencies, and has built a team of experienced product development specialists to offer a full end-to-end service for a success beauty launch.
So where do conversations usually start with our clients looking to bring their beauty ideas to life? The most important stage of all - THE PRODUCT BRIEF….
BUILDING THE BRIEF
The quality of a beauty product brief developed at the beginning of any beauty development launch will define how smoothly the project runs.
We aim to walk through all aspects of a new product brief that will define a clear vision for the product, from concept creation through to carton board spec. Whether its claims, ingredient traceability or fragrances, we aim to outline what really matters to each unique product and brand. This process often helps to drive forward innovation and help make sure the product really stands out against the competition.
BUDGETS AND COMMERCIALS
Spending time at the beginning of a project discussing all potential project costs is key. Honesty and transparency is key here so that we rule out what isnt going to add value, and make sure we cover off all the must-have spend with clear reasoning of why its needed.
FINDING THE RIGHT MANUFACTURING PARTNER
Whether the priorities are COG, sustainable credentials or the manufacturer location to support supply chain requirements, its key that the brand and manufacturer are aligned in values and expectations.
Often the response to brief from manfacturers will give an early indication on who really “gets” you and your brief, and what you want to achieve. You may be working with the manufacturer for many years so its important to get this decision right!
DESIGN
The exciting bit! The look and feel of any beauty product cannot be underestimated. It showcases who the product is targeted at, the quality of the product, the sustainability ethos of the brand…basically it’s key to nail this for your brand launch.
At this stage you also need to be clear on your vision for key messaging on your product is critical e.g. product claims and brand comms. We can support you to create a knock-out brief for a designer to get to work. We also have some amazing design partners who have years of experience working on beauty product design, so you can land a on-brand pack design to grab your customers attention vs the competition.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
So you’ve got your brand positioning, product brief and manufacturing partner lined up. What comes next?
From formulation and packaging approval, critical paths, claims testing regulatory support, artwork creation…..every aspect of a beauty product launch needs to be managed to launch on time and on budget. We can help you plan for what to expect and how to keep your launch on track.
SETTING UP FOR A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH
As a skincare brand owner herself (hi Clear Skin Days!) Sam Murton has first hand experience on what is needed to set up for a strong brand launch.
From website creation, sales support for beauty bricks and mortar and e-retailers, warehousing services, drop-ship services, introductions to beauty PR partners, amazon account support - basically we can help with anything that you might need outside of the actual product launch to help hit your commercial targets. Even if you have already created your product, we work with existing brand owners to help elevate your brand in market.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED!
Product photography? Product mock-ups? Translations? Anything that you might need to support your beauty brand is possible.
If you would like to find out more about the beauty coaching and beauty support services we can provide get in touch for a chat.
THE BEAUTY BRAND COACH
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
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