Marketing over science? Microbiota and skin care insight
Patrick Gonry, Director S&C Consultancy is an industry consultant who will be speaking at the upcoming Cosmetics Consultants Europe (CCE) Open Academy in Barcelona in October.
Full details of the CCE are available here, and details so far available for this year’s Open Academy programme are here.
Find our overview of the skin microbiome trend here, with key expert insights from Euromonitor market research provider available here.
Where has the demand for microbiota related skin care come from?
Gonry explains that the interest in skin care that works with the skin’s natural microbiome is one big example of a trend in beauty has moved over from the food industry.
“It is actually coming from the food industry where probiotics have been identified as having a positive effect on our health,” he confirms.
“Since the skin has his own microbiota, the consumers started to be open to have probiotics into cosmetics.”
Overall, it seems that consumers are the ones demanding skin care that looks to harness similar processes, says Gonry, and while the industry is keen to respond, it has not necessarily been able to bring conclusive clinical research yet.
“The demand comes from consumers, the industry was not really ready when this demand started.”
Why is it hitting the industry agenda now, what factors are bringing it into the spotlight?
According to Gonry, two key factors are behind the current wider interest in the emerging trend.
“First the test methods are more advanced, and claims can be substantiated,” he says.
“Secondly, marketing is observing a big opportunity as the consumer is ready to hear about micro-organisms.”
What are the latest shifts and innovations that have been seen in this space?
Gonry again suggests that marketing is taking a lead where science is still lacking.
“Unfortunately, it’s a lot of marketing and very few substantiations. Some ingredients have been tested on their impact on the skin microbiota,” he says.
“Although there is a lot of noise, there is very few substantiated products. We see more and more postbiotics (= dead probiotics) and prebiotics.”
Finally, Gonry notes that we should look to consolidate industry efforts in this field if skin care based on the skin’s microbiome is to reach its potential.
“Although the interest in skin microbiota is huge, we are lacking guidance. Everybody is doing something, but there is no standard,” he concludes.
