Updating the trends in skin care and color cosmetics.

Although it has been just nine months since the publication of the last skin care/color cosmetics trends update (see "Capturing the Trends in Skin Care and Color Cosmetics," DCI, October 1995), the industry has been affected by some major forces which will significantly impact the business both currently and well into the future. Specifically, there has been a historic increase in the number of new brands entering the market in both skin care and color cosmetics over the past 12 months. In the main, these represent new companies, rather than new lines from existing companies. Many are connected to or influenced by "professionals," i.e., makeup artists, studios/day spas and, especially in skin care, physicians. These brands come to the market backed by built-in credibility that presents serious competition to the traditional cosmetics industry as we know it today.

Doctors go commercial

Of the 26 women's and three men's skin care brands introduced since last June, 10 are directly (or indirectly) connected with physicians, five are allied with makeup artists studios/day spas and another 10 are naturally positioned or botanically based. Some examples of the doctor ties-ins: Dr. Mary Lupo Skin Care Systems, signature line from a dermatologist/associate clinical professor at Tulane University Medical School; Bioniq Skincare, positioned as a Home Shopping Network private label line, actually the first retail line from Hymedix, a company which manufactures skin care products positioned to the physician's market. Nova Skin Care, a raw materials supplier and owner of the patent for a Novasome lipid vesicle delivery system marketed to the industry, has introduced Nova Skin, a high-concentration AHA line (incorporating the delivery system) targeted to physicians and estheticians; Reversion Acne Control …