New product launch fuels trend for lighter skin

The Voile and Glissade foundation lines are powder and matte based and are made completely from minerals, consisting of shades designed purposely for women with pale skin complexions. Self-tanning products have been prevalent in the cosmetics industry for some time, with many cosmetic manufacturers creating foundations and moisturizers meant to darken the skin in order to maintain the bronzed look that has consistently proved to be a 'fashion' necessity. However, as sales of sunless tanning products at US food, drug and mass stores fell 20.8 per cent to reach $66.6m in 2006,which according to ACNielsen Strategic Planner figures is the biggest drop in the past five years, there is appears to be a significant gap in the market for the development of products that taps into the desire for paler skin. Aromaleigh has picked up on this trend, making the foundation lines 'available in the widest range of pale shades making it possible for women with even the lightest skin tones to obtain a perfect match'. The foundations, priced from $16 - $17 for a 17 oz bottle and available exclusively at the company's online store, are said to be popular with women who have light, hard to match skin tones, whilst also targeting the gothic subculture, who go for a white skin complexion to bring together an overall look. In order to cater for all levels of pale skin tones the company has created a color range that consists of warm, neutral, cool, yellow, pink, and linen, as well as four linen blends warm/linen, cool/linen, yellow/linen and pink/linen. For consumers who desire a completely white complexion the company has created the 00-Alabaster, a delicately pale shade with slight neutral tones. Due to its facial whitening capabilities the foundation range could be lucrative for the skin whitening industry – currently dominant in the Chinese and Asian markets. Alongside conditioning polymers and emollients, skin whitening ingredients are said to demonstrate the continued highest growth rate in the Chinese beauty market. The market growth for each of these products saw 12 per cent each, which actually outpaces the already strong growth for the industry.