Did you know that a baby is born every 8 seconds? That’s more than 4 million babies per year! More babies born indicates a larger market for products created specifically for their unique and delicate skin needs.
Shiny baby eyes, smooth baby skin and soft baby hair is certainly a beautiful gift that nature has bestowed on us to cherish. Parent’s and caregivers want the best for their baby’s skin which is 20 times thinner than our own and the first organ to respond to new ingredients and active technologies.
The baby skin care market includes a wide range of products such as lotions, creams, powders, wipes, oils, bathing products, and soaps. Parents and expectant parents want to nurture their children with the best ingredients and care. And, when taking care of baby, safety is just as important, as is keeping an infant’s skin soft and smooth.
Trends in Baby Care
According to Allied Market & Research, the global baby care products market size was valued at $38.0 billion in 2021, and is project to reach $58.8 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2022 to 2031. Interests of performance mimics adult consumer beauty and wellness brands; parents want products that are safe, transparent in sourcing, effective, sustainable, and above all else gentle.
Kayla Villena, Industry Manager – Beauty and Personal Care for EuroMonitor International, states that “Baby and child-specific products see growth across all categories. Sustained demand for hygiene, new formulations, and product launches all contributed to the resilience of baby and child-specific products in 2021.
After heightened demand at the start of the pandemic, particularly in baby wipes and other hygiene-related categories, baby and child-specific products was expected to see a slight contraction in 2021. However, the category continued to experience growth following renewed interest in baby care, specifically due to investment in formulations.
Following trends from the adult beauty market, baby care brands introduced popular skin care ingredients in their reformulations, while celebrities looked to enter the baby market, leveraging their fan bases and dominant social media presence. With beauty enthusiast millennials and Gen Z consumers becoming new parents, there is clear demand for baby brands to offer the same variety of ingredients and claims as products in their own beauty regimen.”
Testing Methods
With baby’s skin being a bit more sensitive, how does the consumer determine the safety level of a baby care product? Standard methods range from company to company, and if considering creating a baby care brand, be prepared to answer parents’ questions on safety measures taken during development.
Below are a few examples of resources and company testing standards for baby care products.
PERSONAL CARE REGULATORY
Dr. Modaresi, from personal care regulatory limited, states that “products’ safety for children under 3 years old is a very important factor while formulating the products.
This range of products should go under specific safety assessment considering the babies skin surface area over body weight, the potential differences in metabolism between newborns and infants up to six months, and adults.
Hence, just repeated patch testing on adults’ skin, which is mainly done for evaluating irritation, cannot substitute the overall products’ safety including ingredients safety assessment for baby products.
Safety assessments for baby products should be carried out by certain qualified professionals and must cover the finished product, all the ingredients, and how products will be used.”
DOVE
Source: Dove website
From baby wash to lotion, our scientists are there to make every Baby Dove formulation as gentle as possible. “All products undergo hypoallergenic testing, and all products are pediatrician and dermatologist-tested,” says Kimberly Day, a scientist on the Baby Dove Research and Development team. “Once we know the baby products are safe on skin, we ask parents to take the products home to evaluate them under normal-use conditions. We have a pediatrician involved to closely monitor the product safety during use.”
Our skincare experts understand the unique needs of babies’ skin. As well as carefully testing baby products in the lab, many – like Baby Dove scientist Carla – will try them out on themselves and their babies to make sure each one is effective, extra-mild and gentle enough to use. Another one of our scientists always keen to self-test is Evan, a dad of two.
MUSTELA
Source: Direct Response from Customer Service
Mustela’s testing methods are supreme requiring 450 measurements and testing requirements for their formulas. And, once safety is ensured, Mustela tests the product’s harmlessness and effectiveness under real conditions of use: on a panel of babies and children (including infants under a month old) or pregnant women, depending on the product. This procedure always takes place under the supervision of dermatologists and/or pediatricians. Reference website for full disclosure.
Additionally, there is a specific assessment performed for cosmetic products intended for use on children under the age of three which includes the following:
- Toxicological profiles of ingredients
- Exposure assessment
- Targeted users (children of more and less than 36 months, from birth on including babies out of neonatal intensive care unit)
- Skin local compatibility of formulation
- Microbiological quality and preservation
- Stability
- Physico-chemical characteristics
- Experience from market surveillance
This evaluation is based on recommendations of SCSS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety).
The margin of safety is calculated considering the targeted population (children) and their age, since the ratio Skin Surface Area over Body Weight ratio changes according to the age.
Furthermore, as part of Mustela’s innovation and continuous improvement process, and because safety is their top priority, Mustela’s researchers have developed a unique patented model using reconstructed infant epidermis (Stelaskin) that allows the tolerance and the effectiveness of Mustela products to be tested in a laboratory without the need for animal testing.
Need help on where to extend your baby care brand?
With so many beautiful, healthy babies in the world, there’s no better time than now to develop a great baby skin care product or brand. BeautyEdge LLC can help ensure your product and marketing strategies align with the latest research. Partner with BeautyEdge, we can help you identify and capitalize on the growth potential of this market segment today!
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