Anti-pollution cosmetics consumers seek visual clues

Visual impact: the environment​

Demand for anti-pollution items in Asia is led, in particular by urban consumers in polluted cities, who witness the first-hand visual impact of pollution on both the environment and their skin.

A cause and effect relationship between “consumers seeing smog on a skyline and their skin looking ‘dull’” exists within the skin care segment, Belinda Carli, Director, Institute of Personal Care Science revealed.

As this connection develops, so too have consumers’ concerns demonstrating “clear signs to indicate how pollution is affecting their skin”.

Visual impact: the skin​

Consumers in cities and areas that are not as heavily polluted do not visually see a smog line, and equally, do not see ‘dull’ skin complexions resulting from pollution.

As a result, brands targeting consumers in these regions must redirect their marketing messages and tell stories based on other drivers that will accurately appeal to consumers’ needs.

Ideally, these should focus on the importance of truly cleaning skin, another leading driver of the anti-pollution trend. To continue this growth, the emphasis, once again, should be placed on encouraging consumers to understand the effects of pollution, visually.

“In polluted cities, for example, it may take two washes to cleanse the skin, which again, can easily be seen on make up removal pads,”​ said Carli.

Hybridisation is crucial​

Anti-pollutant products are forming a significant role in the multifunctional trend: “so many ‘simple’ anti-pollution products in the marketplace, so to be different now, a product needs to be anti-pollution ‘plus’ other benefits,” Carli highlighted.

There are various ways that new propositions entering the marketplace can achieve this. One example is to include creating multiple functions from the active material itself such as anti-pollution offerings with skin whitening benefits.

Alternatively, product developers may use an anti-pollution active with another active such as anti-pollution with anti-ageing protection from two different actives, to pitch to a particular market segment.