Hybrid help: Givaudan unveils highlighter with prebiotics to address all-in-one demand

The Skin Care Highlighter is a transforming gel formulation designed to add a glow to the high points of the face such as the cheekbones.

The Swiss company claimed that their new product instantaneously creates a ‘transparent nude look’​, inspired by beauty trends in Asia such as the natural ‘glass’ skin look.

According to Mintel, approximately 60% of Chinese beauty consumers aged 20 to 24 aspire to achieve the glowing glass skin look.

Strategic Marketing and CMI Manager, Shan Godbille said the firm has observed a move from whitening claims to illuminating claims in the market today.

“Many brands are shifting their positioning from whitening to illuminating, and globally, new skin care launches with illuminating and brightening claims have increased from 16% to 25% between 2015 and 2019.”​

Additionally, the Swiss firm identified the need for make-up products that are infused with skin care benefits to give the skin a healthy, glowing look.

As such, the Skin Care Highlighter contains six active ingredients that give the product a multitude of benefits.

This includes ingredients such as Yogurtene Balance, a prebiotic and paraprobiotic to balance the skin microflora, as well as Vetivyne, which claims to add volume to the skin.

“This Skin Care Highlighter is developed with full consideration to the consumers' need – multiple highly concentrated active ingredients to ensure the efficacy in an ampoule format to offer an on-the-go option and jelly-transforming texture to surprise the senses,” ​said Godbille.

While beauty consumers are demanding more from their products, they also desire more simplified beauty routines.

“From the consumer researches we conducted in Asia, we did observe such a quest. [Consumers want] multi-functional or all-in-one beauty products to answer the increasingly growing need of convenient, less time-consuming yet efficient beauty solutions to cope with their fast pace life,” ​said Godbille.

She speculated that this is driven by consumers’ increasingly busy lifestyles.

“The perspective towards time has changed. Time is the new luxury. [Consumers] desire beauty care solutions that are efficient and fun at the same time. It should not be seen as a chore.”​

Givaudan believes this product will appeal especially to the Asian beauty consumer.

Godbille explained: “Asian consumers tend to have a rather complex, multiple-step beauty care rituals. We have sensed a strong need of shortening the daily routine while maintaining the same efficacy or skin results. In addition, they are very keen on texture. Lightweight, non-greasy and fast-absorbing are often quoted when we discuss products with consumers.”​

Godbille said the company believes we will continue to see more multifunctional products available in the market down the line.

“In the future, we expect to see more and more products that blur the lines of different categories to surprise the consumers, for example, colour cosmetics with skin care benefits. There is a lot of opportunities for R&D and marketing innovations.”​