How are sensitive-skin worries driving changes in consumer purchasing habits?

As the percentage of the global population who identify as having sensitive skin increases, it is having a dramatic effect on consumer habits in the personal care industry. Here we discuss key drivers of this change and how business can best meet it.

Safety-conscious consumers have shaped the spectrum of consumer-preference needs over the last ten years. Progressing from green to natural, natural to conscious and culminating in the progressive “clean beauty” movement. Clean beauty has seen enhanced focus placed upon transparent labelling of ingredients and testing, making information more readily available and, ultimately, empowering consumers to make informed purchases.

Brands took note and responded with a marked increase in on-pack claims ranging from vegan or cruelty free to so-called ‘free-from’ claims, some of which have been fuelled by changes in regulations, such as paraben-free, whilst others simply highlight ingredient classes which consumers may wish to avoid (such as sulphate-free, fragrance-free or even colourant-free). Consumer-intelligence data from Mintel’s GNPD suggests that such free-from and product-tested claims are being used to reassure consumers of product safety and efficacy.

Figure 1: Penetration of free-from and product tested claims suggests that consumers are seeking reassurance over the safety and efficacy of their skin care purchases (Source: Mintel GNPD (USA, France, Japan), Full year 2023, skincare new product launches with “for sensitive skin” claims).

And the population of people identifying and understanding sensitive skin issues is growing.

A recent meta-analysis and systematic review of 26 studies across 18 countries suggested 71% of the general population had sensitive skin to some degree. This prevalence of self-declared skin sensitivity has grown in a number of countries, including the UK, US, India, China and Japan (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31869523/). For most individuals, self-declaration of sensitive skin is likely influenced by experiencing dry skin, redness or breakouts, with worry that continued experience may lead to acute skin conditions such as dermatitis.

Growing awareness of the impact that urbanisation, pollution, stress and hormonal changes can have on skin has further fuelled the desire for sensitive skin solutions; dermatologically tested products and those that have free-from claims.

For years, consumers that are sensitive to their skin health have faced a conundrum when it comes to cleansing. Effective cleansers could remove the skin’s natural and essential oils, potentially exacerbating underlying skin issues, whereas not cleansing could lead to congestion due to leaving behind makeup, oil and dirt. This has prompted significant development of numerous surfactant technologies, with consumers moving away from products they considered to cause dry skin (typically containing sodium laureth sulphate or sodium lauryl sulphate) and seeking milder cleansing from surfactants such as sarcosinate or taurate derivatives.

Since those with sensitive skin are likely to be highly attuned to the perceived efficacy and mildness of the products they purchase, choosing the right combination of surfactants at levels that deliver optimum performance is key in building their trust and encouraging continued use.

Recently, Croda’s research and development team have explored the synergistic benefits of combining sulfate-free surfactants with a new, glycolipid-based cleanser, NatraFusion™ SL HA. The aim of this investigation was to understand if traditionally mild, sulfate-free surfactants, such as betaines, could be made even milder by being used in combination with this new, ultra-mild biosurfactant.

A zein protein solubilisation protocol was used to simulate the irritation potential of a material when in close contact with the skin. This protocol is based on the premise that the less zein protein that is solubilised, the less irritation potential a surfactant poses to the skin and thus, the milder it is likely to be. Croda’s technical team were able to identify synergistic ratios of surfactants that, when used in combination with NatraFusion SL HA, minimised zein protein solubilisation. We found that for a commonly used surfactant already recognised as being mild, cocamidopropyl betaine, used at 10% active, just 1% active concentration of NatraFusion SL HA delivered a statistically significant improvement in the mildness of the surfactant blend. That is, NatraFusion SL HA was able to reduce the irritation potential of cocamidopropyl betaine at a 1:10 combination ratio, with the mildness being improved further as the inclusion level of NatraFusion SL HA was increased further.

Consumers with sensitive skin are increasingly looking for gentle cleansing solutions with optimised performance to deliver truly mild, low-irritation claims. Building confidence with a gentle yet powerful cleansing system by employing clever formulating insights can create an opportunity for brands to effectively navigate today’s more safety-conscious consumer landscape.

You can find out more about Natrafusion SL HA here or download the full technical brochure here which goes into more detail regarding the synergistic combination test results.