Cleaning Up in Personal Care

Three years ago, at the height of the pandemic, consumers were washing their hands with gusto. Today, with covid-19 fears abating, demand is slipping for bar soap, hand cleansers and body wash. The good news is that sales are still growing—albeit due to soaring prices. Marketers insist that consumers’ focus on personal hygiene remains higher than pre-pandemic levels.

“During the pandemic, there was an increase in hygiene habits like hand washing, but now almost three years post-pandemic, we’ve seen that consumers still look at hygiene with greater interest; more than two-fifths of consumers attaching a greater importance to the health and hygiene benefits of household items they shop for (44%) globally,” explained Karen Laker, marketing director, Elida Beauty, the company behind Caress.

According to Laker, the prioritization of overall wellness and wellbeing, inclusive of hygiene, is also holding strong, driving demand for multi-faceted products that consumers enjoy and feel good about using. Here's a snapshot of the leading liquid hand soaps in food, drug and mass market channels, according to Circana. 

A Look Back & Ahead

Dial, a Henkel brand, was the first soap with antibacterial properties and remains a leading player in the space after 75 years. But as consumer needs evolve, so must brands, according to Vildan Oenpeker-Cerci, SVP-marketing in North America, Henkel. As part of a body wash restage, Dial is building on its cleaning heritage to offer skin care benefits that consumers desire.

The formula’s Hydraclean Complex now includes vitamin E. As always, Dial cleanses deep, while being gentle on skin. Additionally, Dial was approved under the Leaping Bunny program, a globally recognizable standard for cruelty-free cosmetics, personal care, household and cleaning products. Approval demonstrates that a brand is genuinely committed to removing animal testing from its supply chain. The new, improved body wash is gentle on all skin types. The dermatologist-tested cleanser is said to be formulated without “unwanted” chemicals. That means it’s gluten-, dye-, paraben-, phthalate-, silicone- and sulfated surfactant-free. It’s pH balanced, too. According to Dial, it deeply cleanses skin allowing the formula’s lightweight hydration to be absorbed. Finally, the ergonomically-improved bottles are 100% PCR.

“In addition to improving the entire body wash line, we have introduced two new mood enhancing scents,” added Oenpeker-Cerci.

Dial Energize & Boost Berry Burst Body Wash is a fruity berry-scented medley that promises to jumpstart the consumer’s day. In contrast, Dial Calm & Soothe Eucalyptus Mist Body Wash helps users unwind, transporting them “to a calming place,” according to Dial. To promote the revamp, the brand has a new campaign, “Dial up your day.”

“This campaign is built on a true consumer insight as we are all back to our fast-paced lifestyle in the post-pandemic era,” said Oenpeker-Cerci. “We want to encourage our consumers to take their shower moments to take care of their body, mind and soul! So that they are ready to conquer the challenges of the day… as they dial up their day!”

The past year has been significant for Caress. It marked one-year within the Elida Beauty family. Across the personal care portfolio, consumers continue to respond positively to innovations, so Caress is well positioned for 2023 with new premiumization enhancements, strong market presence in retailers like Walmart and Target, and a more focused operating model, according to Laker.

For a look at the leaders in the bodywash category, click here.

Why So Sensitive?

Cetaphil is a leader in personal cleansers for sensitive skin types. Earlier this year, the brand teamed with Perfect Corp. to launch AI skin analysis. The analyzer offers personalized skin assessment scores and skin care regimen recommendations in seconds. The tool’s state-of-the-art technology compares the user’s photo to a database of 70,000 diverse skin images to create an inclusive, personalized report revealing skin type, skin concerns and proneness to various skin conditions. Armed with insights from eight skin care categories, consumers can make more informed skin care decisions.

“We launched this tool to further help consumers select which of our 70-plus product solutions may be right for them while taking the guesswork out of daily skin care for sensitive skin with personalized skin assessments,” explained Silvina Nordenstohl, head of US at Galderma.

Using this technology, consumers can better understand their individual skin concerns and the products to address them. The technology reveals skin type, skin concerns and proneness to various skin conditions. Perfect Corp’s AI skin analysis technology underwent validation testing with Dr. Steven R. Feldman, professor of dermatology at Wake Forest School of Medicine. The technology proved to have a 95% test-retest reliability rate, delivering consistent, highly accurate skin assessments with each scan, according to Nordenstohl.

“AI skin technology has become essential to provide consumers with personalized skin care experiences and we wanted to work with the best-in-class partner,” she explained. “Perfect Corp is the leading Software as a Service (Saas) AI and AR beauty and fashion tech solutions provider. By partnering, we can deliver a synergistic, technology-driven experience to make the user journey ultra-personalized and engaging.”

Nordenstohl said the launch is just one way for Cetaphil to continue connecting with the consumer and providing personalized solutions for their sensitive skin while being a resource for how to properly care for their sensitive skin.

“We have several key performance indicators that we look at as we are evaluating success like website engagement, customer acquisition and brand affinity,” she added.

Click here to view the top 10 brands in the non-deo bar soap segment. 

Well, Well, Well…

According to Laker, wellness is more holistic and multidimensional than ever, prompting consumers to care for themselves physically, emotionally, intellectually and more.

“As a part of our everyday routines, personal care products are a natural opportunity to integrate what’s important to us. Purchasing power has shifted to brands that bring more to the table through differentiators like elevated experiences, personalization, sustainability and larger purpose,” she explained. “What sets Caress apart is our ability to spark the senses and transform the mundane, everyday shower experience. Part of wellness is rewarding, treating and investing in ourselves, and Caress products allow people to create those restoring, invigorating moments affordably and within existing routines.”

Scent is another way to boost overall user experience. Laker notes that scents can be transformative because they can tap into emotions and memories associated with different smells. “As part of our research with IFundWomen of Color in 2021, we learned 1-in-3 women of color entrepreneurs get their best idea in the shower, which spotlights the importance of a multi-sensory shower experience to help unlock that next a-ha! moment,” explained Laker. “Fifty-five years later, Caress is still inspired by and grounded in shower products that care for both body and mind. We’ll continue to harness the power of fragrance and explore even more ways to bring mood-boosting and functional benefits to consumers.”

According to Laker, every few years fragrance trends cycle between today’s fruity and fresh aromas and floral, woodsy, sweet scents. In the past two years, there’s been a nearly 50% spike in Hispanic shoppers purchasing mango scents. Meanwhile, Gen Z is driving an appreciation for everyday self-expression and well-being through scents.

“To account for everyone’s changing preferences, we wanted to ensure that our three new variants helped round out our full range of products,” explained Laker. “We were able to expand the scents in our fruity/floral categories by adding in body wash options like Mango & Almond Oil, Raspberry & Pink Pepper and Aloe Vera & White Poppy, which helped to complement existing variants and fan favorites.”

Another trend is functional benefits like hydrating or moisturizing for body care products.

“Consumers are taking note of these during their shopping experience, which is why Caress has emphasized our formulas on-pack for all our products in 2023,” said Laker. “Benefits like ‘exfoliating’ or ‘soothing’ are easy to find on our body wash and bar soap packaging.”

Cetaphil has always been known for its gentle cleansing ability. Nordenstohl said the brand is committed to delivering innovative skin care technologies for sensitive skin that help restore, protect, and maintain skin health every day.

“Later this year we will be introducing a new collection to further fulfill our commitment to innovation,” she told Happi.

Innovations are critical to success in today’s soap and body wash category.