Earlier this month, the Kline team joined hundreds of skin care professionals and enthusiasts in Washington, DC, at the annual American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) conference to explore all things new in the world of professional aesthetics. The highly attended show demonstrated interest in customized skin care and body applications to strategic partnerships and augmented offerings, and here are some of the notable tidbits that we observed on the floor through displays and conversations with industry experts.
Obagi revealed new branding of its mainstay line at the show, featuring a redesigned logo with a modernized aesthetic, while ZO Skin Health debuted its reformulated Hydrating Crème, containing a new ingredient, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, to target eczema. This comes shortly after ZO Skin Health’s reformulated Growth Factor Serum, relaunched in 2018, in which updated clinical studies were also highlighted at the marketer’s booth.
In the personalized sector, SkinCeuticals showcased its Custom D.O.S.E. technology, a new innovation for the marketer in 2018, which attracted enthusiasts on the exhibit floor interested in learning about the dynamics behind the technology, concept, and ingredients. The demand for exclusivity from physicians was also noticed as Topix put a spotlight on its private-label manufacturing capabilities, debuting its new exclusive product packaging.
Another continuing theme set to shape the market is strategic partnerships that allow brands to elevate their offerings and reach, as seen by high traffic at HydraFacial’s booth. A little more than one year after collaborating with ZO Skin Health, HydraFacial is now partnered with several top-performing professional brands, including SkinCeuticals, Senté, Colorescience, and Alastin. Although not showcased at AAD, Obagi recently expanded outside of the professional channel with the launch of a new brand, Obagi Clinical, in partnership with beauty retailer Sephora. This new venture demonstrates Obagi’s efforts to engage younger consumers who are not currently seeking skin services through physicians, but are expected to eventually.
Body applications were also a key highlight of the event as technology that helps achieve a more toned body shape and produce greater fat reduction continues to energize the market. Allergan’s booth was abuzz with its CoolSculpting product demonstration, while Lumenis showcased its new NuEra Tight, non-invasive technology that claims to treat skin laxity and the appearance of cellulite.
After experiencing the excitement on the exhibit floor, Kline senses another year of high growth for this market following impressive gains of 7% in 2018 as revealed by Kline’s recently published U.S. volume of the Professional Skin Care Global Series report. It is likely that we will also see international brands further tap into the fast-moving space, such as Barcelona-based ISDIN and Brazil-based U.SK Under Skin, both recent newcomers to the U.S. market with booths at AAD.
The new edition of our Professional Skin Care Global Series will address the various themes and innovations we observed at the meeting and provide business executives with a comprehensive picture of the professional skin care market dynamics in key regions, such as Asia, Europe, and North America. To provide marketers with a clearer perspective, Kline will be publishing its first edition of Professional Skin Care: Global Consumer Attitudes and Behaviors Survey, which will pinpoint what consumers value most when it comes to the treatments, brands, and types of products they use through professional outlets. Additionally, the fourth edition of Physician-dispensed Skin Care: Perception and Satisfaction Survey will be coming this third quarter, helping subscribers to understand how skin care professionals view their future aesthetic business and evolving needs.