Hair care caters Eco trends and diverse needs drive growth
It was a good year for hair care in 2019, although moving forward,
14 Spray July 2020
Veronica MacDonald Ditko, Assistant Editor
results maybe be mixed for 2020. Market research firm
Euromonitor International reported hair care sales—including
styling agents and salon hair care—reached $78 billion
worldwide in 2019, with the U.S. share being $13.4 billion. This
was a small 0.9% rise compared to 2018.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, market research firm Mintel
predicted sales in the U.S. hair care market, which includes shampoos,
conditioners and hair styling products, would continue
to grow slowly, yet steadily, 12% from 2018–2023 to reach
sales of $9.8 billion.
Now, Mintel expects the hair care market to take a brief
hit in 2020, as the majority of U.S. consumers shelter-inplace
and therefore wash and style hair less, leading to longer
purchase cycles. Once restrictions are lifted, Mintel expects
consumers to return to their normal hair care routines. In fact,
more frequent hair washing may occur due to hygiene worries.
Market research firm Kline & Co. also expects sales in the total
U.S. beauty and personal care market to dip in 2020 to $69 billion
and even further to $63 billion in 2021, before gaining upward
momentum again in 2022 at around $64 billion. Hair care is just a
portion of that total.
Kline pointed to a strong consumer response to e-commerce
during the pandemic. Many personal care retailers have been
offering free shipping on products while stores have been shuttered,
and others have offered virtual consultations. Euromonitor
said these online shopping trends are expected to continue with
augmented, virtual and holographic realities to keep consumers
engaged in health, beauty and fashion brands.
Curls, coils and ringlets
With a growing multicultural population in the U.S., Mintel
points to opportunities for hair care companies to introduce new
products. There are higher percentages of Hispanic and Black
adult consumers in Gen Z who tend to be “heavily engaged” hair
care consumers, Mintel said. These consumers are already creating
more demand for products that meet their unique needs, from
straight (curl type 1), wavy (curl type 2) ringlets (curl type 3) to coils
(curl type 4), and all the diameters of curls in-between.
Many ethnic hair care companies are also aligning with the
trend for more familiar and natural ingredients. Familiar ingredients
like coconut oil and honey, as well as new additives, are
especially popular with consumers ages 18–34, an extension of the
natural and clean product trend, Mintel said.
Crafted with staple ingredients such as coconut oil, shea butter
and flax seed oil, Afro Sheen has revamped its styling collection
to include nine high-quality, affordable products. All items are infused
with the scent of “Sultry Oud” and are unisex. They debuted
in stores in January.
“Our hair is a pivotal element in our self-expression and cultural
identity,” said Kelly Keith, VP of Marketing, Afro Sheen. “This
mission to maintain our
authentic, unapologetic
and influential nature is
critical for Afro Sheen.
Our new collection is
formulated to keep hair
moisturized, defined and healthy—for all textures and styles. Nine
all new products, formulations and packaging reflect the evolved
consciousness and needs for today’s culture creator.”
Afro Sheen’s Velvet Flow 4-IN-1 Leave-In Spray is an 8-oz. mist
formulated to detangle hair, refresh lifeless curls and coils and
protect against heating elements.
Afro Sheen’s Texture Flexing Foam is an 8.5-oz product that
helps to define styles and condition hair, for either wet- or dryset
styles, twist-outs and/or rod sets. For blow drier users, Afro
Sheen’s ‘Fro Out Blow Out Spray is a 6-oz. spritz infused with
keratin amino acids to protect the hair from heat, boost shine and
tame frizz.
A modern formula was developed for the brand’s classic sheen
spray. Called Glow Up Shine Spray, the 6-oz. spray adds glam and
shine and uses and environmentally-friendly airless pump. Airopack
supplied the packaging for the Glow Up Shine Spray.
Other products in the revamped Afro Sheen line include the
Lush ‘Fro Butter, Slick Back Cream Styler, Texture Setting
Cream Gel, Crown Defining Curl Cream and 3-IN-1 Nourishing
Oil for hair, scalp and beards.
Going for gold on moisture
Procter & Gamble’s R&D revealed
that African Ancestry hair has curves
and friction that makes delivering
moisture to the hair a challenge. On
top of that, relaxed hair can be fragile
due to chemical modification. To face
this challenge, P&G’s re-launched its
Pantene’s Gold Series Collection. The
line still contains Pro-V nutrient blends
and premium ingredients to meet
these hair care and styling needs, but
products have been reformulated to be
sulfate-free, paraben-free, dye-free and
silicone-free.