While the world contends with the COVID-19, there have been strong surges in consumer demand for hand care products. A category that has previously seen comfortable growth, averaging increases of about 4% annually over the last five years, hand sanitizers are now on track to more than double sales in 2020 in the United States alone. Stockpiling and price increases for alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also expected to contribute to the significant sales gains this year.​

We’re also seeing unprecedented growth in sales and consumption of professional hand care products, and this is expected to continue for several years. Most I&I end users expect they will spend more on hand care in 2021 than they did in 2020.​ In 2020, nearly half of the I&I end users we surveyed estimate they spent up to 50% more on hand care, one-third spent twice as much, and only 7% of end users indicate they are spending less.​ The main reason for spending more on hand care is more frequent hand washing.​

Ingredients demand closely follows product consumption trends. Consequently, ingredients such as preservation solutions, emollients, and mild-surfactant products are expected to have sustained if not exceptional global growth due to the heightened use of hand soaps and sanitizers.​

Follow our 2020 COUNTDOWN CALENDAR for the 30 biggest trends HERE