The growing popularity for using at-home beauty devices continues at the global level, driven by the ever-increasing number of new brands and products entering the market. In 2016, Kline embarks on its sixth edition of the global analysis of the at-home beauty devices study, which is set to unveil the latest trends, innovations, and most effective strategies in marketing adopted by marketers considered to be important game-changers in their local markets. Each year, this vibrant industry registers winners, underperformers, and notable acquisitions, which are often unexpected, but never missed by Kline.
In November 2015, Kline left speculation up to its readers, announcing that Illumask’s website noted the company was temporarily not taking any new orders and would be relaunched in the near future. Finally, about a year later in October 2016, consumers have discovered that the Illumask website is officially down, while Johnson & Johnson’s Neutrogena has launched a similar-looking light therapy acne mask.
The new device is in fact the original Illumask, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson, and has been upgraded to deliver the same acne-killing benefits in a shorter amount of time, shortening Illumask’s previous 15-minute use time to a 10-minute treatment time under the Neutrogena brand. Neutrogena, which ranks as a leader in the facial skin care space according to Kline’s Cosmetics & Toiletries USA report and whose portfolio includes a large scope of acne treatments, seems like the perfect fit for the new LED acne mask, which has been highly acclaimed for bringing an affordable acne device to the masses, priced at $39.99 for 30 treatments. It probably won’t be long until we see an anti-aging mask on the market under the Neutrogena flagship.
However, Neutrogena’s launch of this acne mask is not the only LED acne device to light up the category in 2016. In September, TRIA Beauty, a leader in hair removal, anti-aging, and acne devices, launches its Positively Clear 3-step Skincare Solution.
This system incorporates a blue light acne device along with a foam cleanser and spot treatment for an easy, holistic approach to treating acne once and for all. The positioning of the new three-step system targets teens more effectively than its first generation device, from the decreased $149 price point, to its social media and digital marketing, to its strategy relying heavily on selling online. TRIA Beauty’s heavy reliance on reviews, testimonials, and before-and-after images, as well as its focus on selling directly to the consumer, is highly reminiscent of the strategy ProActiv has been using for years. However, this campaign is not the only new acne campaign by a major acne device manufacturer. Home Skinovations gives TRIA Beauty a run for its money by re-launching its Silk’n Blue with a new marketing campaign as the one-step acne annihilator in 2016.
To make matters even more interesting, both devices are priced at the same $149 price point. It should definitely be interesting to gauge consumers’ interest in the two new campaigns and devices, with Kline’s Beauty Devices: Global Consumer Insights report.
While these are a few of the new acne LED products to enter the market in 2016, LED lights are a hot bed of innovation in other beauty device segments, such as anti-aging, hair removal, and hair regrowth. One such unique anti-aging innovation to the market in 2016 is the launch of new entrant Beauty BioScience’s GloPro Needle. The GloPro Needle is a device that combines micro-needle technology with red LED light to gently exfoliate and brighten the skin. At a $200 price point, the device is priced competitively in the anti-aging device market and is the first device we are aware of to provide both micro-needling and LED benefits in one product.
This trend towards using dual technologies like LED with another type of technology, such as radio frequency or lasers, is a major movement that Kline is observing in the 2016 market and expecting to see develop in the acne, anti-aging, hair removal, and hair regrowth categories. Device innovators, such as Silk’n, Iluminage Beauty, and iGrow, are some of the brands that come to mind when forecasting the growth of devices using dual technologies. For more information regarding trends and forecasts for the beauty devices market, don’t miss the new edition of our Beauty Devices: Global Market Analysis and Opportunities, which is due to be published during spring 2017.
Written by Ewa Grigar, Project Lead, Consumer Products, and Kelly Alexandre, Analyst, Consumer Products
