Gearing Up for Summer Beauty Needs

June 21 will mark the first official day of summer 2015, which also marks a change in consumer demand when it comes to beauty products. This means good news for companies launching hair and skincare products that protect against heat, humidity, UV damage, and those pesky clogged pores resulting from an increase in sweat production—let’s be honest, it happens.

Similar to how different seasons cause changes in diets (anyone else a fan of summer watermelon?), shifts in seasons also bring about new beauty trends, according to a whitepaper Mintel launched in March. The whitepaper, “Seasonality," reports beauty manufacturers are now introducing innovative products based on consumers’ needs during a particular season; specifically, they are launching products to protect against certain weather conditions affecting skin and hair.

Seasonal products made up 11.1 percent of all beauty and personal care product launches in 2014, the report and stated, which rose from 9.8 percent in 2011. In addition, seasonal product launches for facial skincare rose from .5 percent (globally) in 2009 to 1.2 percent in 2014. Mintel’s consumer research also shows consumers around the globe want different products based on season changes, with 80 percent of German consumers reporting their facial skincare needs change throughout the year. Similarly, almost half of Chinese females who are facial skincare users said they choose different brands during different seasons.

Winter weather means consumers want products to hydrate dry skin, according to Vivienne Rudd, director of insight, beauty and personal care, Mintel. But the sizzling summer temps bring on a whole different set of needs.

“Extreme summer conditions are calling for products which protect the skin from heat and humidity, as well as UV damage, and which build up resilience against the forthcoming autumnal changes," Rudd said. “By creating these seasonal options, brands have a chance of building year-round loyalty."

Specialty chemical companies such as Croda and Clariant are already tapping into the seasonality trend with beauty ingredients to help consumers gear up for summer.

Croda launched an advanced surfactant for oil-based facial cleansing, called Cithrol 10GTIS, during the in-cosmetics 2015 show in Barcelona. The mild surfactant allows formulators to create gentle cleansers that are efficient at removing consumer’s long-wear and waterproof makeup. The makeup and dirt built up in pores are readily dispersed into the oil, then water is applied to skin and instantly emulsifies. Once rinsed, the skin feels clean, renewed and soft after sweaty summer days.

Clariant also recently launched a new line for creating tailored skin care products. The company’s set of 100-percent natural Plantasens® serums, which are ready-made lipidic blends packed with nutrients, can help personal care formulators provide each skin type with the treatment it needs. In addition to moisturizing, the liquid gels also provide sensorial benefits in formulation to best address each skin type. For example, consumers who develop especially oily skin in the summer can use Plantasens Grape Serum to unblock pores, normalize the oil gland functions and protect against transepidermal water loss (TEWL).