Brazilian hair care sees ready opportunity in the Middle East

21-Jun-2015 - Last updated on 22-Jun-2015 at 13:34 GMT

The Sweet Hair company out of São Paulo has begun implementing plans, expanding its sales and distribution to include five of countries in the region, as well as Morocco in North Africa.

Sweet Hair products are presently available in 15 countries beyond Brazil. And this month the company signed distribution deals to enter the market in Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Target market
Products that resonate with consumers thinking about both beauty and wellness have been selling well for Sweet Hair in the United Arab Emirates. The company has been exporting to the UAE for eighteen months now.

“Our flagship product in the Arab world is our straightener, which can be used by pregnant and lactating women, children, and formaldehyde-allergic people. It is a dermatologically tested product,” Paulo Kazaks, a Sweet Hair co-owner, tells the press.

Networked beauty
The new distribution deals got underway at a recent industry event in Dubai. Sweet Hair has participated in the Beautyworld Middle East expo for three consecutive years. And Kazaks says he’d like to see even more networking or “matchmaking” sessions at the expo.

At the event, Sweet Hair signed distribution agreements to bring its product line to both Oman and Saudi Arabia. And talks got underway there that will see the product into Kuwait soon too. Beyond those agreements, the company has plans to distribute next in Lebanon and Morocco, and in the coming years to as many as 70 countries.

Bold multifunction
Formulators and kitchen beauticians know that ingredient blends aren’t necessarily limited to functionality in a single segment, like hair care. Accordingly, Sweet Hair is taking multifunctional thinking outside the box and encouraging consumers to use products in fascinating ways.

“There are shampoos that also work as makeup removers, a conditioner that doubles as makeup primer and a hair mask that treats cellulitis,” observes Aurea Santos in an item about the deal on the Brazil-Arab News Agency site.

Exporting and importing
The global beauty market is embracing Brazilian products. And at the same time, Brazil is seeing more foreign retail brands and ingredient suppliers set up shop. For instance, Symrise recently opened a production facility in Belém Pará.

And thanks to business policy reform, international brands like Kores, L’Occitane, Yves Rocher and Lush are doing retail business in Brazil.

In an article on what beauty segments do well in Brazil, Cosmetics Design quotes Mintel analyst Ana Claire Bernades Torres, “the Brazilian natural beauty market remains dynamic and will continue to attract international brands who want to expand their name overseas.”