Beauty and Fitness part 3: Looking after the inner you

Beyond sun protection​

As the active beauty trend evolves beyond sun care protection, brands will start to release “new and innovative products that not only prepare and support consumers before and during physical and mental activity but also aid in the recovery process for example,”​ highlighted Sharon Kwek, Senior Innovation and Insights Analyst, Beauty and Personal Care, Mintel.

Going forward, we can also “expect to also see brands play with encapsulation that can be activated by water, friction or temperature,”​ Kwek added.

Fighting stress​

Mintel’s research indicated that 54% of Indonesian consumers asked said managing or releasing stress is one of the most important factors for a healthy lifestyle.

If beauty brands can develop products that answer this need, they have the potential to open up a variety of partnerships and opportunities that are relevant for and target multiple demographics.

“The demand for stress relief has opened up pockets of opportunities for brands to release products that prepare consumers both physically and mentally before the start of any workout,”​ Kwek stated.

Key target demographics​

   1. Extreme sports fans​

Protective and hydrating products are on the up to safeguard active consumers who participate in extreme sports from the possible severe effects from hot and cold temperatures.

High-performance items that appeal to both men and women, amateur and professional, for a large range of sports in a variety of weathers including low temperatures, rain, wind or fog, are created to support physical and mental wellbeing during the pursuit of activities.

    2.   Heat activation and encapsulation products​

Hot forms of exercise such as Bikram yoga, hot pilates, hot barre and hot boxing typically takes place in rooms that are heated to 32°C. These forms of exercise support “detoxification, flexibility, calorie burn and mental focus”​, Mintel adds.

Future R&D initiatives may well focus on retailing beauty buys that emit skin and hair toning and conditioning treatments following heat activation.

Specific friction or temperature levels could cause the release of encapsulated active ingredients and fragrances that support overall physical comfort and health.   

    3. Mothers and babies​

Baby care is an area within the personal sector that is attracting increasing attention from the industry.

Personal care items that encourage bonding, skin hydration and muscle relaxation are high on producers’ strategies as they focus on building beauty options that support exercises, “with serotonin and dopamine boosters for mothers short on sleep, soothing benefits for tired muscles and emollients to minimise stretch marks”.​

   4. Antioxidant monitors give skin care advice​

By monitoring the skin’s condition, consumers can immediately understand the impact of diet and lifestyle habits. Advice One X, for example, uses patent-pending scanning technology to track antioxidant levels to provide this information. In the future, these items may well be developed to give guidance on “pre-workout protection and post workout rebalancing”​.

    5. Smart leisurewear​

Monitorisation of the body during workouts is also a focused area of interest for developers to enables consumers to understand their muscle activity and engagement during workouts.  

Muscle tone and recovery, along with the effects of skin care products and provision of lotions and fragrances can support active consumers during workouts.

   6. DNA personalisation​  

To further encourage the collaboration between beauty and fitness, Orig3n has recently revealed its Fitcode DNA testing system that analyses various measures to understand how long the user takes to recover from an intense workout.

As personalisation is such a fundamental trend in 2017, focused R&D initiatives that provide the consumer with a snapshot into their body’s performance can then lead to customised workout routines and products that encourage restoration.