New formats for essential products are big business. Today’s market is increasingly consumer lead – a phenomenon for which social media has played a crucial part. Access to You Tube and beauty blogs provides the opportunity to be trained in the benefits of these new, or sometimes traditional, technologies and rituals.
Consumers like novel ideas and the quest for time saving solutions has resulted in some clever and brave formulating. This has lead to a host of new textural and functional products coming to market. Here we look at a couple of new formats from the recent evolution of old-school products.
Powder
Traditionally wash products are surfactant gels, but why do they need to be? A powder product can offer so much more. No suspension issues, water free so possible to avoid preservatives, more concentrated, reduced packaging, and the big convenience factor is that they are suitable for travel in your hand luggage. A surge of these products have appeared on the market, the first of which I encountered was Dermologica’s Daily Microfolliant. This rice starch based powder can be dusted on to wet hands and lathered together to cleanse and exfoliate the face. Fitting in with the convenience factor there are a number of product launches claiming to deliver effects within 60 seconds. Givenchy’s Hydra Sparkling 1 minute glow is a micro-peeling cleansing powder with a texture as light as talc transforming to a delicate foam on contact with water which eliminate the day's 'visible' impurities. These products are typically sulphate free and formulated with a starch based carrier powder. High foaming mild powder surfactants are used to create a flash foam in the hands. While natural finely ground botanicals and pumice give exfoliation.
The Cornelius Marketing & Innovation department’s lab are very interested in this concept and have worked on a number of wash powder variants: Plant-O-Foliant is a plant and mineral based cleansing and exfoliation powder which is blended with water to create a light and creamy lather. Wowder is based upon similar lines but creates amazing soft wash foam without any exfoliation. Finally, our latest concept is Magmafoliant – this is based on volcanic Corlite which provides gentle exfoliation and a combination of bicarbonate of soda and citric acid which creates a self-foaming lather when mixed with water.
Powder format hair products were popular back in the 16th century, where they were used to freshen Peruke wigs. The dry shampoos of today are not to dissimilar! Powders have leaped back into the hair care market and are in some ways not to dissimilar to the function of wig powders of old! The use of products like dry shampoo have long been the saviour of new mums and busy women. Refreshing hair and absorbing excess oil. These types of products are typically based on absorbent starches which after absorbing oil can be brushed out and due to popularity are now available in smaller handbag size cans for maintenance on the go. Bastiste have extend their range with different fragrances and marketing claims such as Conditioning, Strength & Shine, and formulations suited to Blonde, Red & Brunette hair. Bastiste XXL Volume promises to give hair extra oomph with the addition of silica. The high absorbance of amorphous silica dries out the roots and reduces the slip of the hair giving it a more textured look. The Mum and Me brand dry shampoo says it like it is – ‘Skip a Wash’. The ultimate convenience product for the mum on the go.
Hair brand OSIS decided to ditch the expensive aerosol packaging and go for a salt & pepper shaker type pack with their styling powder OSIS Dust It. This Mattifying powder can be used to create high volume hair. Applied to hands and rubbed through hair gives a matt messy effect. Shaken into the hair roots this Silica Silylate based powder dries out oils, knocks back the shine & adds instant volume, a back comb in a pot. Leaving the hair roots feeling coarser they can be replumed to boost volume. Expanding on the powder theme OSIS Powder to Wax based on Silica Dimethicone Silylate provides re-mouldable creamy wax hold with the lightness of a powder styler.
We have worked on Fluff-It powder styler. Based on Hydrated Silica hair is given a matt texture and boosted volume, ideal for application to boot root height, texturising chop styles and for creating up does that stay put all day and night.
Cushions
We have seen tinted moisturisers, BB creams and then the CC cream. Where do we go from here? The Koreans have done it again and created a totally new format product. The BB cream has been reinvented and packaged in a sponge filled pack. Amore Pacific brand IOPE have taken the Korean market by storm with their latest foundation with skincare benefits packed in a sponge filled case. Air Cushion XP compact is basically a BB type foundation soaked into a sponge. Supplied with a puff designed to optimise application by not soaking up the precious formula the product can be easily tapped into the skin leaving the complexion even and glowing. The product is applied in a light veil so feels light on the skin, particular good in humid conditions, while perfecting the look of skin and offering skincare benefits such as moisturisation, SPF, pore minimisation, brightening etc. A Air Cushion product is sold every 30 seconds in Korea, a trend that is sure to travel the world as the BB cream did. Air cushions have recently become available in the USA sold in Sephora stores under the AmorePacific brand but have not emerged in the EU yet. Iope are not alone, many other Korean brands have created Air cushion products.
The Cornlius labs have taken this concept and tweaked it to formulate Colour-POP Blusher, a light feeling liquid blusher that can be packed in a sponge packed pot. Giving the perfect dosage to your finger-tip this can be patted into the cheeks giving a vibrant ethereal glow to skin.
Conclusion
New rules are being created all the time and there is no need to be trapped by old ideas when formulating. Product format and texture are highly important in differentiating a brand and creating new trends. For more information on the Cornelius Textures kit please contact us. Our labs are currently working on innovative textural products so watch this space.
1 - Plantofoliant
2 - Wowder
3 – Fluff It
Jennifer Hermitage and Ella Ceraulo
Ref:
Mintel Executive Report Feb 2014 – Soap, Bath & Shower Products
