Natural beauty inside-out

You want customers who are happy to research online but come into your store to talk to you and make their purchase. You might be surprised who they are…

Image: The Pull Agency (thepullagency.com)

You might have thought that under-25s are only interested in looking good with eyebrow and hair styling and heavy facial make-up. But you’d be wrong.

More than 70% of so-called Gen Z would actually prefer to always feel good than always look good.

And they care about using products that have natural ingredients (58%), cruelty-free credentials (51%) and use recycled packaging (42%).

These are some of the headline findings of a survey of 1,200 UK consumers of all age groups commissioned by The Pull Agency, a creative agency specialising in healthcare and beauty brands.

Gen Z is an important demographic. In 2019, this generation became the largest and outnumbered Millennials in the UK, accounting for 33% of the population, spending £7bn annually.

This latest generation of digital natives is also the most likely to go online to investigate their health and beauty product options but then buy them on the high street. A third of those aged 25 and under admitted as much, more than any other age group.

Around half (48%) prefer to shop for health and beauty products on the high street and are far and away the most likely to visit a specialist retailer including independents (10%).

The agency’s research also found that six out of ten Gen Z shoppers (60%) said they had bought beauty or personal care products by the age of 14, compared to just 39% of Millennials and a quarter (23%) of those aged 50+.

Claire Rance, head of brand strategy at The Pull Agency, says: “Gen Z aren’t focused solely on digital channels. They don’t typically have the larger expenses that come later in life and therefore have more disposable income to spend on health and beauty – but they also enjoy the physical high street shopping experience. Retail-tainment is the real draw for this generation.”

Social media

The research further revealed that more than half of Gen Z consumers (52%) say they mainly discover new looks and trends on Instagram, significantly more than any other demographic. YouTube is their second largest source of influence, followed by friends and family members. Eight out of ten (83%, more than any other demographic) are influenced by product ratings and reviews.

They’re also the most likely (33%) to be swayed by health and beauty influencers – but only one in seven (14%) would be influenced by celebrities. However, like every other age group, they’re also most likely to discover and pick up new products in-store.

“It’s no surprise that the beauty industry is keen to attract Generation Z shoppers as they were set to be the largest age group in the global population in 2019,” adds Rance. “However, that means understanding that they have a unique take on the products they buy and the reasons behind their decisions. Technology is a key element and many younger consumers tend to be open to trying new solutions like voice search or augmented or virtual reality.

“The importance of Instagram also can’t be overstated when it comes to younger consumers, and neither can the value of demonstrating a natural, sustainable and responsible approach to product development. With shoppers now starting their beauty purchases at age 12 or even younger, the opportunity is considerable for brands that get it right.”

Male grooming

Another market sector showing dramatic growth is male grooming. This is now worth £100m in the UK while the global cosmetic market, including male and unisex offerings, is worth a staggering £60bn globally.

Although 59% of British men use facial products as part of their daily routine, cosmetics still have a certain stigma attached to them for males. Reaching out to a broader appeal, start-up brands that are focusing on a male and unisex appeal are helping to propel the alternative cosmetics market.

Meanwhile, Ambience CBD research showed 40% of Britons will only buy skincare products with natural ingredients and a further 55% would not buy skincare products if they were aware that they are made with animal products.

Innovative brands that are able to break away from the traditional perceptions of cosmetics are likely to be at the forefront of profitability.

What to do about... Skin Ageing

Getting old happens to everyone sooner or later. But what causes it to happen in the ‘sooner’ category?

Accelerated Skin Ageing occurs when specific external factors affect the skin and trigger internal processes, causing ageing symptoms to appear prematurely.

The problem is that symptoms of accelerated skin ageing often indicate a decelerated skin rebuilding process. If these symptoms are left alone, the premature ageing symptoms become further developed and difficult to restore.

This is what has happened:

The skin’s ability to produce collagen and elastin has decreased.
Skin thickness, elasticity, and density reduce at an increasing speed.

The solution is obvious – increase collagen and elastin for thicker and more elastic skin, regenerating the epidermis. Improved collagen turnover results from increased collagen synthesis in the extracellular matrix of the skin. Fine lines and wrinkles in the skin become increasingly reduced as cell turnover rate is increased.

This permits increased moisture retention and, over time, skin thickness, elasticity, and density return to (and even exceed) normal levels for a given age.

For more learning on this subject visit nourella.com

What to do about... Female Hair Loss

For most women, wellbeing’s crowning glory is a full head of hair. And for many men, too.

Hair loss is a considerable physiological and social problem for the people who experience it.

Extensive research and development efforts have been dedicated to investigating different treatments for hair loss. For many people, hair loss can feel like losing part of their identity.

A recent study highlighted that hair loss can lead to loss of self-confidence, low self-esteem and heightened self-consciousness. All of these psychological aspects are very common in women who suffer from female hair loss.

Although severe deficiency in a number of vitamins (e.g. niacin, vitamin D and biotin) has been associated with hair loss, symptomatic vitamin deficiency is ‘extremely rare’ in most countries in the modern world. Biotin is found abundantly in many food groups and is also produced by normal gut microflora.

In Western populations, people typically receive 35-70 mcg/day of biotin through diet while the adequate intake is 30-35 mcg/day. Therefore, biotin deficiency rarely occurs in healthy individuals on a regular diet. However, heavy alcohol drinkers and patients on anticonvulsants are at an increased risk of deficiency.

Meanwhile, niacin deficiency currently happens exclusively in very poor countries and in patients with malabsorption syndromes, alcohol-dependency or psychiatric disorders.

Vitamin D deficiency is another story completely, as we in northern Europe know very well.

The fact is that supplementation can help with this very common issue – enter Proteoglycan Replacement Therapy. Clinical research provided by hair loss specialist Nourkrin (Pharma Medico) is based on an outcome study where women with Diffuse Hair Loss engaged in a six-month course of treatment with Nourkrin® Woman (600 mg Marilex® per day). By the midpoint of three months, the participants reported significant results and overall satisfaction with their hair growth recovery and appearance.

After six months, treatment satisfaction increased further as 96.49% of participants reported improvement in their hair growth, and 97.37% reported improvement in their hair appearance and quality.

The full study is available at http://bit.ly/TreatingFemaleHairLoss