Anti-aging still driving skin care market with US women winning the face-off

19-Jun-2012 - Last updated on 20-Jun-2012 at 15:00 GMT

Related tags Anti-aging skin care Human skin color Us Mintel

American women are the most likely to use anti-aging facial creams in a bid to hold back the signs of aging and preserve an image of beauty, according to new market research.

Carried out by Mintel, the study found that women in the US use far more anti-aging facial skin care products than their European counterparts in France, Germany and the UK, and this has led to a substantial growth in the past five years of the $2.3 billion US anti-aging skin care market.

According to Mintel, 37 percent of US women have used anti-aging creams and serums for the face, compared to 23 percent of UK women, 24 percent of the female population in France, 25 percent of women in Germany and 26 percent of women in Spain.

Anti-aging a hot topic

Anti-aging was a hot topic at the recent SkinCare Ingredients 2012 event, discussed in length by the research department of French cosmetics maker L’Oréal, and Mintel’s research bolsters the assumption that consumer demand for the next advancements in anti-aging could mean big business.

The report also highlights that the Western markets (US, UK and France) also account for the most anti-aging skin care product launches between 2009 and 2011 in comparison to Japan and China.

According to Mintel’s Global New Products Database, almost half of total skin care product launches in the UK carried an anti-aging claim from 2009-2011.

France and the US were only slightly higher, whilst China and Japan followed with much lower numbers—27 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

Time for technology?

The market analyst is also quick to point out that skin care devices, touted in the industry now for some time, may hold the key for the future of anti-aging.

At present usage is modest, with only one in 20 US women using an anti-aging device, however Mintel claims over a third of American women report that while they haven’t used an at-home anti-aging device, they would be open to trying one.

This is also driven by the desire for women to partake in at-home treatments as opposed to visiting a professional.

“Technology is ingrained in our everyday lives, from smartphones to constant connection through social networks,” says Amy Ziegler, global personal care analyst. “Embracing technology in our beauty regimen seems like the next logical step.”