Skincare with anti-pollution properties sees rapid increase in sales

News

UK sales of anti-pollution prestige skincare have risen by 30% in the past six months (January to June 2017), with the emerging market for these products valued at £3.1 million, according to research by global information company The NPD Group.

Sales of anti-pollution face masks saw the biggest surge, increasing by 112% from January to June 2017, compared to the same period in 2016, the report found.

Anti-pollution moisturisers grew by 62% during this time, while cleansers and eye creams designed to fight the fumes also had double-digit growth.

“The trend for anti-pollution skincare emerged a couple of years ago and has made a significant impact in the prestige beauty market,” said June Jensen, director of NPD UK Beauty. “As the market develops, we are seeing more brands introducing products that are specifically designed to protect the skin from pollution.”

The report also found that many products packed with antioxidants and SPF are widely marketed as “anti-pollution” and that many feature terms such as “urban”, “city skin”, “shield”, “protector”, “defence” and “environment” in the name.

Make-up that protects skin against environmental aggressors has also seen an increase in popularity, with sales of foundations formulated with an SPF increasing by 11% during January to June 2017, the report found. Foundations with SPF 20 and above reported double-digit growth in this time, while those with SPF 50 increased by 350%.

Products that support a healthy skin regime also recorded strong sales figures. Sales of face cleansers grew by 7% to £1.6m in the same period, while face masks grew by 42% to £2.2m.