2014-05-05 17:40:23

Acne rising in older women; Clinique rebrand meets this shift

2014-05-05 17:40:23

Clinique has recently rebranded its long-standing ‘acne solutions’ range which caters to acne-prone skin, in a move which apparently responds to this rising trend.

The beauty giant has changed the name of its already popular ‘spot healing gel’ product to ‘clinical clearing gel’, and has renewed and refocused its marketing efforts, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that the company hopes to see the product’s sales double as a result.

Broadening focus

It is a move with which the cosmetics brand, a division of Estee Lauder, hopes to leverage an older consumer demographic who, according to the brand, rank acne as their third most important skin care concern, behind wrinkles and the under-eye area.

The global acne market is estimated to reach sales of $3.02 Billion by 2016, according to Research and Markets analysts, and while pharmaceuticals make up a good chunk of the market, there is room for beauty brands to grow, especially with targeting older consumer groups.  

“Consumers are forever seeking to perfect the look of their skin, but so many struggle with acne on a daily basis. Over 90% of the population will at sometime during their lives be affected,” acknowledged Dr. Paul Mouser, a principal scientist at Ashland.

One for women

Women are particularly affected by adult acne according to the American Academy of Dermatology, which notes that “studies have shown that women are more likely than men to develop acne as adults”.

As a result, beauty brands can incorporate acne-fighting properties into color cosmetics as well as skin care ranges, and ‘acne-fighting’ foundations are currently offered by several brands, including Clinque, Almay, Neutrogena and Lancome.

Multifunction potential?

Dr. Joshua Zeichner of the ADD notes that adult acne treatment can also alleviate other cosmetics concerns for women, an opportunity the industry can benefit from in light of on-going consumer enthusiasm for multi-functional products.

“Today, women with acne have a number of good treatment options, and it’s an added bonus that treatment can be tailored to address both acne and aging skin,” he says.