Nail care part I: Format, claims and textures revolutionise development

Consumers are increasingly attracted to products that help to protect, repair and treat the nail, along with those that use gentle skin care ingredients and formulations. 

Nail care and nail health are therefore anticipated to become key growth areas for international nail care product development.  

Hot topic​

Over the past year, nail colour brands have upped their product development efforts, in a bid to promote new offerings and encourage customers to return to the purchasing category.

Social media has played a leading role in the rise in interest in 2016 through to 2017. “The social media fuelled nail art boom has resulted in nail polish users amassing large collections of nail colour products,”​ shared Charlotte Libby, Global Colour Cosmetics and Fragrance, Mintel.

Sales have slowed, however, as customers choose to use their existing range of nail products instead of opting for new ones. As a result, brands are looking at “new innovations of format, claims and textures to encourage new purchasing in the category”​, Libby went on to say.

Driving innovation​

With the nail treatment category proving popular with consumers, brands are creating new innovations and reproducing claims made in the facial skin care sector and replicating these for nail care buyers.

“Nail masks, detox and food-inspired ingredients, natural formulations and colour-care hybrid products are all emerging,”​ added Libby.

Currently, longer lasting gel nail systems are increasingly available and affordable for both in-salon and at-home use. Moving forward though, the industry is looking to develop solutions by answering consumer concerns surrounding products that lack certain benefits.  

As some users have reported experiencing dry, breaking and brittle nails following the use of gel nail system, they now seek treatment products that repair and protect the natural nails.

A new rival?​

While the “audience for nail care products definitely has potential to grow”​, Libby highlights, it is unlikely to have the potential to compete with the skin and hair care sectors, as it is not expected to reach the market value or volume figures of the skin care and hair care categories. 

“The face and hair are bigger priorities for consumers, while the product repertoires used in a skin or hair care routine exceeds that of nail products,”​ said Libby.

The second part of this interview with Charlotte Libby, Global Colour Cosmetics and Fragrance, Mintel, which looks at leading players in nail care innovation and the specific factors they must consider when developing new products, will be published on 13th June 2017.