New sun care product releases hitting the market must make a splash and have maximum appeal to consumers to have a chance of competing in an already saturated sector (in the UK alone there are over 1990 sun care products to choose from!).
I will be looking at the latest trends in the sun care sector and how formulators can position new sun care products to maximise consumer’s interest and persuade those who would not normally use sun cream that it is vital to protect themselves.
Botanical and Natural Sun care
According to MINTEL’s latest Sun Care report, there is certainly scope for growth in natural claims. New MINTEL research found that up to 75% of US consumers are interested in sun protection products with natural ingredients, while only 53% of sun care launches in the US featured a natural claim (e.g. botanical/herbal, organic, all natural).
Formulators can capitalise on this trend by including skin friendly and natural ingredients rich in antioxidants or labelled as a ‘Super-Food’ such as Oat COM and Oat Lipid within the formulation, and feature claims that strongly market the benefits of these ingredients on the packaging.
Medical Positioning
MINTEL research has also found that after sun brands with a more medicinal marketing slant could help boost negligible sales of after sun, and address competition from regular body lotion which consumers may use instead of a more specialised after sun.
Many medicated after sun products currently on the market claim to offer relief from pain and itching associated with sunburn, minor burns, minor skin irritations, insect bites and minor cuts and scrapes – helping lend a more effective image.
Oat COM, our extruded colloidal oatmeal, is not only FDA monographed as a skin protectant but can also soothe redness, calm itching, and relieve skin irritations. Oat COM is the most advanced colloidal oatmeal in the cosmetics sector, outperforming a standard competitor colloidal oatmeal in improving skin redness and accelerating barrier recovery. When used in an after sun, Oat COM, can increase the overall skin repair capacity from environmental damage, including sun damage.
Target Sensitive Skin
Of those that use sun protection, MINTEL found that 23% of consumers feel safer using sun protection products designed for sensitive skin. Sunscreen for sensitive skin also targets the family market, as a MINTEL survey showed that having a proven mild formula (61%) is a primary factor in helping parents determine whether a product is safe to use on their children.
Our sun care formulations are designed for sensitive skins based on our hypo-allergenic, GMO free Oat ingredients, including Oat SILK – a texturiser that greatly improves the sensory attributes of an emulsion and is from a natural and safe source.
Innovative Opportunities
A key question that brands need to ask is how can they get ahead of the market when formulating sun care? What innovative opportunities are out there? MINTEL highlighted the importance of using different textures and formats to capture consumers attention, with over 32% of German consumers stating they would be interested in trying different formats.
These could include textures such as a mousse, dry oil, balm or gel.
Another area seeing immense growth is the use of sheet masks in the after-sun market. After sun sheet masks that evoke pleasant and sensory experiences (cooling, soothing, relaxing) and replenish any damaged skin from sun exposure are also seeing growth in the sun care market. Oat Lipid could be used within this sector to provide intense moisturisation, hydrate skin and replenish any ceramides and moisturise that have been lost through sun exposure. Oat Lipid also contains powerful antioxidants that reduce the impact of UV induced reactive oxidant species.
Request your free Oat Cosmetics Sun Care Formulation booklet!
For more information on Oat Cosmetics full product offering, visit our product pages. To discuss using our ingredients in your sun care applications contact Angus Robertson, Business Development Manager on + 44 2380 767228 or email ar@oat.co.uk.
