Soaps, Body Cleansers Evolve with Skincare Benefits & Natural Ingredients

The “skinification” of body care has shifted how beauty enthusiasts interact with and discover soaps and body cleansers. According to Enrique Torres, Ulta Beauty skincare expert and aesthetician, Chicago, marketers are rolling out more bath and shower products infused with “powerhouse ingredients” used previously on the face only. SKUs made specifically for targeted areas, rather than a one-size-fits-all moisturizer or cleanser, are also coming into play for 2022.

“For example, we’re giving extra TLC to our best assets—inner thighs, hands and underarms,” he told Happi. “This trend also supports the evolving intersection of beauty, wellness and self-care. Gen Z, in particular, is engaging with this segment and relevant products much earlier than prior generations, which continues to drive overall category growth.”

This season, there has also been a focus on body exfoliation with launches from Drunk Elephant, Kosas and Tula, noted Dana Kreutzer, project lead for Kline’s most recent Cosmetics and Toiletries Report.

“This has been observed in all channels as in mass retailers, brands like Dove and CeraVe are also evolving,” she told Happi. “CeraVe introduced a new cleansing bar with chemical and physical exfoliation while Dove is expanding beyond daily cleansing and nourishing body washes to serum-infused formulas and products that cater to more complex skin conditions like acne.”

Marketers have also continued to place more emphasis on ingredient-based claims and aromatherapy with the growing trend of plant-based terminology, added Luke Nadolny, market research analyst at Kline, Parsippany, NJ.

“For example, Bath & Body Works’ new Orange Ginger line highlights ingredients like vitamin E and ginger oil on the product packaging which helps instill a sense of comfort and confidence in consumers that this is a good product for them all the while promoting well-being through the line’s aromatherapy positioning,” he said.

Shannon Davenport, founder of Esker, a line of clean and sustainable body products based in Austin, TX, predicts that there will be greater focus on the therapeutic effects of bathing for 2022 with benefits such as improved sleep and a brighter mood.

There are 24.4 million average monthly searches for the bath and body category, according to recent data from Spate. The market research firm found 17.6 million average monthly searches for body care products, and 2.4 million average monthly searches for shower and bath products. There are 2.8 million average monthly searches for body soap in the US, according to Spate.

Still, there was a dip in sales during the past year. Soap sales slipped 16.5% to $6.4 billion, according to data from Information Resources Inc. (IRI) for total US multi-outlet (supermarkets, drugstores, mass market retailers, military commissaries and select club and dollar retail chains) for the 52 weeks ended Jan. 23, 2022. For a deeper look into the categories, check out the chart here.

US consumers are washing their hands less often than they did two years ago when the pandemic hit, according to the Healthy Handwashing Survey from Bradley Corporation. The plumbing and bath fixtures company found handwashing frequency decreased 25% among adults compared to when the coronavirus first hit.

Specifically, in the spring of 2020, Americans were washing their hands an average of 10.5 times a day. This January, that number dropped by one-fourth to 7.8 times per day, according to Bradley Corporation. The decrease comes at a time when masks are coming off and restrictions are being lifted in the US and around the world.

Making Moves in Mass Market
Despite the declines, marketers still expect to clean up in soap and shower products this year. For example, P&G’s personal care brand Native recently debuted its “sweetest collaboration” yet with popular handcrafted cupcake brand Baked by Melissa. The Native X Baked by Melissa collection, which is available at Target and online at NativeCos.com includes body wash. “Flavors” include: Tie-Dye Vanilla, Mint Cookie, Ginger Lemon (limited edition) and Fresh Peach (limited edition).

Baked by Melissa Founder and CEO Melissa Ben-Ishay told Happi: “The Native X Baked by Melissa collection was inspired by some of the best-selling cupcake flavors I’ve created here at Baked by Melissa. Our cupcakes have always been more than just cupcakes. They’re about the overall experience—the smell, the taste, the use of tie-dye and bright colors—I set out to create these treats to make people happy. So, for this collaboration, we wanted to find a way to incorporate that same sensory experience into my favorite native products; scents that bring you joy, smell good enough to eat and allow you to start your day with a fun twist.”

Fellow P&G brand Old Spice is also innovating for Spring 2022 with a variety of new body care products like the GentleMan’s Blend Body Wash, a new formulation comprised of gender-neutral scents such as tea tree oil and eucalyptus. According to the company, the premium formula is gentle on skin and contains petrolatum and pro-glycerin to moisturize skin.

Colgate-Palmolive’s Irish Spring is also getting a modern makeover. Since the brand’s introduction in 1970, Colgate-Palmolive has boasted the distinctive original fragrance of the enduring green and white deodorant bar soap targeted “to men who want to smell good.” Since then, the company has added several scents and products including body washes.

Looking to expand its appeal to a younger male consumer, Colgate-Palmolive tapped creative agencies Chase Design Group and Tin Horse to work as a team with the Colgate-Palmolive global design brand group for a rebrand that better reflects stylish, modern masculinity.

“We created a restrained aesthetic style by using a title case and bold sans-serif typography that retains the fresh white color of the old brand mark, and added a lock-up with a stylized clover in a warm golden hue. It effectively serves as a timeless symbol for the brand’s legacy,” said Steve Dunphy, executive creative director, Chase Design Group, New York.

The design team married the new brand promise—smell from a nice-smelling place—with the versatility of its iconic assets—a richer green Irish Spring structure, white brand mark and golden clover symbol—to create a sleek, modern look that confidently pays homage to the brand’s legacy. The brand promise appears across all new advertising and marketing materials. 

For the bar soap, the richer green is enhanced by the new clover icon. The large multi-packs provide the canvas, similar to a travel poster, highlighting the refreshing destinations of Irish Spring.

The new body wash package design celebrates simplicity, according to the company. A bespoke refreshing natural scene adorns each of the various scents: Original Clean along with Moisture Blast, Active Scrub, Aloe Mist, 5-in-1, Charcoal Refresh, Ultimate Wakeup, Black Mint, and Sage Cedar for a total of 13 SKUs.

Good for the Planet
Sustainable and vegan bath and body line Beloved by Love Beauty and Planet from Unilever is also branching out with fresh new scents for Spring 2022. Available now exclusively at Target are fragrance collections Champagne Grapes & Rose, Hibiscus Water & Jasmine, Strawberry & Brown Sugar and Pineapple & Papaya. New product formats include bath salts, joining the sugar body scrubs and shower gels, among other household and personal care items.

Beloved by Love Beauty and Planet products are vegan, made with plant-based cleansers and moisturizers, free from parabens and sulfate cleansers, and made with 92%+ naturally-derived ingredients, according to the company. Its bottles and jars are recyclable and made with 100% recycled plastic.

Unilever and Dove are taking recycling to the next level with Dove Reusable Bottles and Body Wash Concentrate. The brand describes the move as “buy once, refill for life.”

According to Unilever, Dove is on a mission to eliminate plastic waste without compromising on quality. The new reusable bottles are designed to be reused and refilled with Dove body wash concentrate, which are packaged in recyclable and 100% recycled bottles. Consumers have two packaging options from which to choose. Dove Reusable Aluminum Bottle + Body Wash Concentrate uses 50% less plastic after two refills, compared to standard Dove bottles. Both formats are available in three scents: Daily Moisture, Cucumber and Shea Butter & Warm Vanilla.

Dove is also expanding its hand hygiene portfolio with new additions for 2022. Dove Deep Cleansing Moisturizing Hand Wash and Dove Nourishing Hand Sanitizer are now available in new sensitive skin formats, made with a gentle and hypoallergenic formula, said the company. And, for those looking to spice up the hand washing routine, Dove Deep Cleansing Moisturizing Hand Wash is also available in new Rejuvenating Care with Mango & Almond Butter.

“We know that today’s consumer is becoming more engaged in beauty products like hand soaps and body washes,” Shaun Smith, brand director, US hand hygiene and value skin cleansing, Unilever, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, told Happi. “The increased engagement around self-care has led to a higher interest in wellness related cleansing products that provide dedicated skin benefits. Focusing on targeted skin benefits allows brands to address unique consumer needs and preferences, creating a more personalized experience.”

In other big brand news, Henkel’s Dial formed a partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle to launch a national recycling program for Dial packaging components that cannot be recycled through traditional curbside recycling. The related product line is Dial’s Concentrated Refills. The soaps are available in three scents: Aloe, Lavender and Sea Breeze and the concentrated formula is ready to be used in less than one minute.

The recycling program accepts the caps on Dial body washes and hand soap refills, the pumps on Dial hand soaps and body washes, Dial concentrated refill packets and the exterior plastic wrap and the interior waxed wrapping from Dial bar soap. Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products.

Jessica Alba’s Honest Company is rolling out a new shower product designed for the whole family. Its new Cleansing Body Conditioner features a sweet almond scent and works as a 2-in-1 body cleanser and conditioner. Shea butter and sugar-derived surfactants provide moisturization, said the company.

Indie Beauty Launches
There is also a variety of novel creations from indie companies for Spring 2022.

Besides adding hydration to skin, bath and body, consumers crave the “me time” that soaps and soaks provide. Having just launched at more than 500 Ulta Beauty stores, and soon rolling out to other national retailers, indie beauty company Pursoma’s new line of bath soaks is touted as serenity solutions. Varieties include Cleanse Your Mind, Sweat It Out Body and Digital Detox Sleep. The soaks are made with farm-harvested French Grey Sea Salt and other vegan ingredients, said Pursoma Founder Shannon Vaughn, New York.

The point of differentiation in Pursoma’s bath soaks is the salt, noted Vaughn.

“The use of farm-harvested French Grey Sea Salt with 80 trace minerals has impressive advantages over traditional Epsom salt,” she said. “French Grey Sea Salt is raw, unprocessed, unrefined, naturally mineral-rich and contains pure seabed magnesium for deep pore cleansing and hydrating effects.”

According to Vaughn, baths are a key part of wellness for 2022. She said, “Bathing has really expanded due to people utilizing the bathroom as a place to relax and calm issues with sleep and anxiety. We’ve even included a Spotify playlist on our package to add ambiance to your solitary indulgence.”

Independent skin care line Ornami is also making good use of natural ingredients in its personal care products. Founder Yewande Masi started Ornami Skincare after a breakup. She channeled her heartbreak into entrepreneurship to create a line of products with tongue-in-cheek names to remind women to take care of themselves first. Leading the way is its No Scrubs EX-foliator Sugar Scrub that sluffs away dull, dry skin. A relaxing blend of lavender and vanilla essential oils scent the scrub. The product includes a mini wooden spoon for application.

Utilizing aromatherapy benefits are another key trend for 2022’s bath and body products. For example, Indigo Wild’s Zum Lab Body Washes are now available in Frankincense & Myrrh, Sea Salt, and Geranium-Patchouli. Made with plant-based ingredients like essential oils and vitamin E, the shower gels are also free of parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates and phthalates, according to the company.

Sustainability efforts are also abundant in indie bath and body launches. As part of Seed Phytonutrient’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint, the personal care brand launched Concentrated Cleansing Powders for 2022. By eliminating water, the products are “as lightweight as possible,” the company notes. Aluminum packaging also provides a high consumer recycling rate. Its Exfoliating Body Cleanser polishes the skin with turmeric and walnut shell powder.

Skin care line Naturium, sold at Target, expands into body care with its new The Perfector Salicylic Acid Body Wash. Formulated with time-release encapsulated salicylic acid, the body wash provides exfoliation to help clear clogged pores and smooth skin without dryness or irritation, said the company. Developed for all skin types, the new product is also appropriate for daily use and can also be used as a facial cleanser. Also new is the Glow-getter Multi-Use Body Wash for versatility.

Naturium’s new sister brand Saltair—which joins its owner The Center’s brand portfolio—is available online at www.saltair.com. The collection launched with Serum Body Cleansers infused with exotic, beach-inspired ingredients meant to celebrate all skin tones, all body types and all genders. The brand motto is “every body is welcome here.” It was created by entrepreneur and influencer Iskra Lawrence.

Additionally, a focus on sustainability is top of mind. Saltair’s ingredients and packaging materials are designed to decrease environmental impact, as highlighted by the 100% recycled aluminum bottles packaging.


What’s Ahead for Soap & Shower Products

Sustainability remains a focal point for soaps and shower products as marketers in the personal cleansing category lean further into recycled materials, noted Nadolny of Kline. He cited recent examples as Dial with its refillable bottles made from recycled plastic and Dove’s reusable aluminum bottles for its body washes.

“We will also continue to see the personal cleansing category move in a direction of innovation and products that go beyond just ‘cleansing the skin,’” added Kreutzer of Kline. “There has been a wave of new products that cater to specific skin conditions like acne and extreme dryness and brands are elevating their offerings with a more solution-oriented focus and product routines inspired by facial skin care regimens.”

Trend forecasting firm WGSN revealed the top beauty trends for 2022 and beyond, and overall, the focus will be on usability and sustainability. 

“The trends for 2022 are a translation of WGSN’s global consumer expertise and product design knowledge, which spans teams working across the globe. The top beauty trends for 2022 reflect wider societal changes, as consumers continue to look to sustainably-minded practices and products including waterless elements and longer shelf lives,” said Clare Varga, WGSN’s Head of Beauty.

Two emerging beauty styles that pertain to the soap and shower category are waterless washing and wild bathing. According to WGSN, waterless washing products conserve water, accommodating the one in 10 individuals globally who lack access to safe drinking water. This trend is an evolution of waterless beauty, and bring your own water (BYOW) products, with early innovators offering Showerless Shampoo and no-water-needed shaving products. 

Wild bathing involves open water and outdoor spas. With roots in many cultures, indigenous populations and traditional therapies across the world, such as Japanese onsen and Victorian bathing machines, this practice is steeped in heritage. Bath and body products that replicate outdoor bathing will bring nature inside, according to WGSN. Soaps, substances and materials derived from nature will increase in popularity, as will products based on seaweed or seawater.

“Hand cleansing will evolve to holistic hand care where consumers look for products to address overall hand needs with more personalized solutions, Smith of Unilever told Happi. “The rise in consumer interest in cuticles, knuckles and palms will create more demand for products that provide superior care and moisturization.”

Torres of Ulta says beauty bars and shower oils are making a major comeback this year.

“Not only have beauty and soap bars become more sophisticated in terms of ingredients and targeted use, they also address the growing need for more planet-conscious packaging,” he told Happi. “Shower oils will continue to be all the rage as they help maintain intense hydration, ensuring that your post-shower moisturizer doesn’t always have to do all the heavy lifting.”  

Online New Soap Ingredients

Brenntag North America
(610) 926-6100
Reading, PA
personalcare@brenntag.com
www.brenntag.com

Texturepure sa-1         
INCI: Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (and) Cellulose Gum (and) Xanthan Gum
Suggested Use Levels: 0.5-1.2%
Applications: Facial Cleanser, Body Wash, Hand Soap, Scrubs, Shampoo
Comments: Texturepure sa-1 is a biodegradable and naturally derived thickener and suspending agent designed for skin and hair cleansers to improve texture and sensorial properties. This sustainable ingredient provides a rich, smooth, and luxurious texture to cleansers, and helps to suspend oils and actives.
 
Orange Wax
INCI: Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Wax
Suggested Use Levels: 0.5-10.0%
Applications: Soap, Skin Cleanser
Comments: Orange Wax is an upcycled emollient derived from discarded orange peels produced by the food industry. In personal care formulations, it provides a unique, energizing scent and color, and adds interest to the label.
 
Masamide REP           
INCI: Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside (and) Cocamidopropyl Betaine (and) Lauramine Oxide
Suggested Use Levels: 3.0-5.0%
Applications: Shower Gel, Body Wash, Facial Cleanser, Shampoo
Comments: Masamide REP is a high foaming, thickening surfactant blend made from renewable raw materials. This DEA-free, sulfate-alternative blend provides good wetting, dispersing, and foaming, and is stable in alkaline and high electrolyte systems.
 
Evonik 
Essen, Germany
973 929-8000
Email: EvonikPC@evonik.com
Website: evonik.com/personalcare

TEGO REMO 95 MB
INCI: Sorbitan Caprylate, Glyceryl Oleate
Suggested Use Levels: 0.1% – 3.0%
Applications: Facial and body cleansers
Comments: TEGO REMO 95 MB is a natural-based thickener for surfactant systems that also imparts emollient skin conditioning benefits. It offers efficient thickening and good viscosity stabilization at low temperatures.  It is cold-processable, readily biodegradable, and suitable for certified natural cosmetics.
 
ANTIL Soft SC MB
INCI: Sorbitan Sesquicaprylate
Suggested Use Levels: 0.2% – 2.0%
Applications: Facial and body cleansers, Shampoo
Comments: ANTIL Soft SC MB is a natural thickener with foam-boosting properties. Its temperature-stable viscosity, cold processability, and shear-thinning flow behavior makes it easy to use. At the same time, it provides skin refatting benefits shown to improve skin moisturization after surfactant treatment.  
 
RHEANCE One
INCI: Glycolipids
Suggested Use Levels: 1.0% – 8.0%
Applications: Facial Cleansing, Body Wash, Shampoo
Comments: As the first commercial-scale biosurfactant available for the beauty and personal care market, RHEANCE One represents the next evolution of surfactant technology.  The material provides effective cleansing and solubilization while showing unparalleled eco-toxicity and skin compatibility.  It is 100% biodegradable, 100% based on renewable resources, and imparts a creamy-foam profile.