What's hot in anti-ageing?

“These days skincare products have to be high-tech. Consumers now have access to things like home-peeling treatments, so they do expect more from their skincare products,” says Bao Tam Phan, Marketing Manager at Pierre Fabre. “Women don’t just want a moisturiser, they want one that will give them firmer and younger-looking skin too. Younger women will be looking for a moisturiser that will help to prevent signs of ageing, such as one containing sunscreen, while more mature women go for something with line-smoothing benefits.”

At Vichy, Medical Training Manager Marion Kane says: “Manufacturers are having to continually relaunch and update their products to keep up with the new technology as well as the promises offered by cosmetic surgery. Our Myokine product, for example, works by relaxing the muscles in a similar way to Botox injections.”

Some new anti-ageing products:

• L’Oreal’s new Age Re-Perfect Pro-Calcium is designed for women from age 60, which claims to address the problems of slack, thin and uneven skin – the key concerns of women of this age group. Calcium levels decline after the menopause and this is thought to affect skin. The calcium in the cream is said to make skin more resilient and less fragile.
• Many skincare experts believe that up to 90 per cent of the signs of ageing are caused by sunlight damage and increasingly consumers are looking for sun protection in their moisturiser all year round. L’Oreal has reformulated its Revitalift day cream to include SPF15 protection.
• Hyaluronic acid has been used for many years in the form of micro-injections to combat lines and wrinkles. Pierre Fabre has introduced Eulage, which contains hyaluronic acid and retinaldehyde, claimed to enhance hyaluronic acid production in the skin to improve elasticity and firmness.
• Peeling was once the domain of beauticians and dermatologists, but now there are kits you can use at home to get similar effects. Garnier’s Purifying Peel Kit is a gentler version of the chemical peel used by dermatologists and contains lacnozinc and salicylic acid.
• Ginger has a relaxing effect on the skin and is the main anti-ageing ingredient in Garnier’s Ultralift.
• The eyes are one of the first areas to show the signs of ageing and an eye cream is usually the first anti-ageing product a woman buys. “Women start using eye creams from about age 25 nowadays, with the idea of preventing the signs of ageing around the eyes,” says Marion Kane. Garnier’s Nutrionist eye cream contains omega 3 and 6 to reinforce the skin’s barrier function, magnesium to energise skin cells and caffeine to stimulate circulation. Vichy’s Liftactiv Pro Eyes contains Fibrocyclamide, which is claimed to protect existing skin fibres and stimulate production of new collagen and elastin fibres. Nivea Visage Aqua Sensation Anti-Shadow eye cream contains cucumber, ginseng root and magnesium to combat under-eye shadows.
• A moisturiser is no longer just a moisturiser – it has to provide intense and long-lasting hydration for skin. Dior’s Hydraction claims to deliver moisture both from within and on the skin’s surface by using Aquaporin technology to improve the circulation of water between the skin cells. Lancôme’s Bienfait promises 24-hour hydration and includes omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, vitamins C, E and B5 plus magnesium, copper and zinc.
• Dior’s Capture R60/80 Filler claims to reduce the appearance of wrinkles in just one hour by visibly tautening skin, using a formulation that combines silicone micro-spheres and commiphora oil.
• Soya extract is a popular anti-ageing ingredient and is found in Lancôme’s High Resolution. It’s said to have a direct action on fibroblasts to stimulate extra collagen production.

Improving anti-ageing skincare sales

“Women are looking for personalised advice on what will suit their skin type and the pharmacy environment is ideal for this as they already trust the opinion of the pharmacist,” says Bao Tam Phan at Pierre Fabre. It’s important to keep your knowledge updated so you can advise on the best products to suit your customer’s skincare needs.

“Skincare can be a confusing area as there are so many products to choose from,” says Marion Kane at Vichy. “Make it easier for your customer by keeping product arrangement in a logical order, making sure the fixture is always tidy and point of sale labelling is easy to understand.”

Going organic

The organic trend has spread from food to clothes and household goods and now to toiletries including skincare. Just as consumers want to know exactly what they are putting into their mouths, so they want the same reassurance that what they put on their skin is as pure and natural as possible. “Organic skincare is here to stay. Women are fed-up with promises that just don’t work and would rather use something organic than a chemical product that does nothing,” says Carol Harvey, Sales Director for Moor Spa organic skincare. She believes that this is an area where pharmacy can differentiate itself from the grocers, where few organic skincare products are currently stocked.

At My Pure, distributors of Akin organic skincare, Simon Golding says the hippie image of natural and organic products has been shaken off. “Women know that these products don’t use cheap mineral oils, but naturally sourced plant oils, and they deliver good results. Akin uses certified organic ingredients wherever possible.”

And it’s not just women with sensitive skin who are using these products, he says. “Whenever women hear that another celebrity is a fan of a natural or organic skincare range, it encourages even more to try them out.” He says there’s been a 20–25 per cent increase in sales of natural skincare products. “Pharmacists are at an advantage because they can buy for their specific customers’ needs and make their point of difference here. Large chains and grocers often just buy the pseudo-natural ranges,” says Simon Golding.

Solutions for problem skin

Spots are big business, with the medicated skincare market now worth £90.8 million and growing by around 4 per cent a year. It’s not just teens who suffer with spots and people are no longer willing to put up with them. There have been an increasing number of skincare ranges designed for problem skins with the aim of preventing spots from appearing. One of these is Vichy’s Normaderm, a complex called Zincadone A that contains glycolic acid to exfoliate, glycadone for anti-bacterial properties and Stimoderm to stimulate cell renewal. It also contains ingredients to combat the excess sebum that leads to spots.

Freederm has been a huge success in pharmacy. “It’s been the only new OTC formulation development in recent years – it’s the first time an anti-inflammatory has been included in acne treatment, but in a non-irritating formulation,” says Gail Bunn, Senior Brand Manager at Diomed Developments. As well as Freederm Gel, there’s now Freederm Lotion, an anti-bacterial cleanser combining benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine dihydrochloride in a non-irritating formulation (free samples are available to customers from their website www.freederm.co.uk ).

Problem skin treatments are ideally suited to pharmacy, as customers often need advice. “Having a pharmacist on hand to give advice will lead to better product selection,” says Gail Bunn. “It’s important to be approachable, as it’s an embarrassing subject for customers, especially teenagers.”

Selling skincare tips

Emma Charlesworth, Category Development Manager at Numark, offers these tips on merchandising skincare:

• Use recognised brands such as Olay and Nivea, positioned at eye level, as customers look for these when considering a skincare purchase, whether they intend to buy them or not.
• Label shelves where possible to ensure planograms keep their shape.
• Don’t just sell product, sell complete solutions – for example, merchandise cleansers, toners and moisturisers together to encourage link sales.
• Don’t confuse your customers. The skincare section needs to communicate professionalism. Restrain from stocking products and accessories irrelevant to core pharmacy business.
• Face all products forward at the end of each day or first thing in the morning.
• Think about your customer base – does the space you have allocated cater for these groups?