The pandemic had little adverse impact on the demand for most personal care products in China, keeping sales of personal care ingredients on the upswing.
“As people increased their frequency of handwashing and other grooming habits, the use of soap/liquid soap/hand sanitizer, shampoo, and shower gel grew – and so did the demand for ingredients,” says Jeanne Huang, Kline Engagement Manager in China. “There were sales declines in offline channels, but a surge in online sales offset them.”
According to Huang, such trends are expected to continue over the next few years. Here are the categories we expect to maintain their gains:
Natural and premium ingredients: A preference for premium care products is growing as the country’s economy improves and consumers’ incomes increase. Meanwhile, Huang says, the negative image of some ingredients, such as parabens, is driving demand for milder and more natural ingredients. They include sodium coco sulfate (SCS, a surfactant), proteins (a conditioning polymer), glycerin and natural oils such as jojoba and squalene (emollients), and xanthan gum (rheology control agent); all are expected to exhibit CAGRs ranging from 7% to 13% over the next five years.
Mild antimicrobials: Demand for mild antimicrobials such as benzoic acid/benzoates has risen as formulators increasingly adopt such ingredients. “That trend, in turn, is driving demand for preservative boosters due to their antimicrobials, as well as moisturizing properties,” says Huang. “The market is expected to see the innovation and introduction of new, less-irritative preservatives in the future. In addition, blends of preservatives and preservative boosters are expected to show faster growth.”
Color cosmetics ingredients: This product group – the fastest-growing one – has experienced a CAGR of 10% since 2018; it’s expected to maintain a CAGR of 8% to 10% in the next few years. Demand for inorganic pigments, including iron oxides, manganese violet, and ultramarines, has been booming; meanwhile, copper powder has been substituting bismuth oxychloride and expanding to more applications based on better performance. Fillers, including boron nitride and mica, have witnessed rapid increases along with surging demand for eye shadow and foundation products such as foundation, pressed powder, and BB cream.
In addition, says Huang, “Natural ingredients such as mica and caramel will take increasingly important roles in the market. Low-quality ingredients, typically the industrial-grade products, will be replaced to a great extent based on industry upgrading.”
For more information on the subject, check out our Personal Care Ingredients: Global Market Analysis, which examines the consumption, supply, and pricing of ingredients used in personal care formulations. Approximately 250 ingredients are covered within 12 ingredient groups; information includes consumption of ingredient by application and region, supplier sales by ingredient type, application, and region; average market pricing of ingredient by region; and forecast consumption of ingredient within a five-year time frame. The report also evaluates drivers and restraints affecting the market and builds a five-year forecast model, giving a clear view of market opportunities in the post-COVID world. In addition to China, the report analyzes Africa, Europe, the United States, India, Japan, Southeast Asia, Brazil, and Rest of the World.
