Western consumers are now demanding skin care influences from Asia

Speaking to Cosmetics Design, Dow Corning’s Stewart Long explains how important it is for silicon firms to keep abreast of the latest consumer trends in order to stay relevant and deliver what the consumer wants now, and develop future innovations for 5-10 years’ time.

“We are now seeing Japanese and Korean trends now affecting the Western trends in skin care,”​ says the skin care specialist.

“Consumers are much better connected, and this means we know all about skin care from Korea and Japan, or hair care in Brazil – all big markets.”​

The textures and experiences related to products in Asia are different to what is experienced in the West, and because of technology consumers are now more aware of these and demand them in the West.

The challenge for ingredient suppliers is to connect to the consumer, says Stewart, so that they can offer the right product to their customer.

“It is really important to connect with the consumer even if you don’t deal with them directly to understand what motivates them to buy products and this then shapes our future innovation – we need to be relevant,”​ he adds.

Dow Corning launched its ES5600 skin care emulsifier at the in-cosmetics show in Hamburg, influenced by Asian trends as it has lower viscosity and allows for lighter formulations.