Consumers all want the same thing when it comes to purchases: cosmetic products that work. While consumer needs vary considerably, as does their budget, they all want to get the best possible product from their purchase to suit their individual needs. Its easy for them to get disillusioned with a brand that over-promises and under-delivers, so let’s look at how you can ensure fast results from your cosmetic formulas to win their loyalty!
Rapid results tip #1: Include an instant results cosmetic ingredient
Build your consumers’ confidence by giving them a result they can see, feel or at least be wowed by smell, straight away. Here are some ways to make sure your cosmetic formulas give some instant gratification:
- Soft focus cosmetic ingredients are great in anti-aging products – they can be used to give an instant blur effect to your formula while the real actives take the time they need to ensure lasting results.
- Skin-firming film formers are also great to minimize wrinkles within minutes.
- Soothing sensory agents for acne-prone and sensitive skin types.
- Humectants boost suppleness and moisturizing feeling for all skin types.
- A small input of light-reflecting pigment can help brighten the appearance of darker skin types.
- Skin staining FD&C colorants can provide an instant glow or tan to those seeking a touch of sun.
Remember: many active ingredients need two to four weeks to show lasting results, so instant results cosmetic ingredients can build brand loyalty with visible effects every use. You need them to use the product long enough to see the more dramatic results from your actives, so keep them happy until the true efficacy of the product shows through.
Rapid results tip #2: Create the cosmetic formula to ensure the right level of skin penetration
Even the best cosmetic actives won’t produce the desired results if you can’t get them to the site of activity. Not all actives need to penetrate to the deeper layers of the epidermis – some will still product great results on the surface of the skin (or hair) or the mid layers. Here are some tips to remember:
- Hydrolysed proteins don’t need deep penetration to have great structural results.
- Actives like stem cells and peptides do need to penetrate to the deeper layers of the epidermis to work – make sure your product contains humectants and amphiphilic ingredients, and possibly a delivery agent, to ensure the deepest possible delivery.
- Emollients are great for surface moisturization and preventing excess trans-epidermal water loss – for dry and mature skins, they provide important functions even at the surface.
- Look for input rates and how certain actives, vitamins and herbal extracts are used and delivered from supplier efficacy data – using a great active at the wrong input, in the wrong application, at the wrong pH is just as bad as not having it in the formula at all.
Watch these videos for more tips and understanding:
- Proteins, peptides and collagen in cosmetic formulas
- How cosmetic ingredients get absorbed by the skin
- How to maximise cosmetic ingredient absorption with penetration enhancers
- How to select the best active cosmetic ingredients
Rapid results tip #3: Grab attention with an instant ‘wow’ cosmetic ingredient
The first thing a consumer does, when considering a new product in person, is attempt to smell it. The second thing a consumer does, if they are able to, is rub a little on their skin or fingertips.
If you’ve captured their attention with your claims, these next two steps are almost critical in their pathway to purchase. Why should they spend their money with your product? Here’s the top reasons – master all 3 and you’ll reduce their barrier to purchase! Make sure:
- Your claims are unique and results-based – what is your product going to do for them?
- The product has a knock-out fragrance to suit your target market – remember this could include no fragrance at all, or may need to be naturally created if that is what your target market is looking for.
- The product is a sensory delight – again, to suit their needs, which can differ, but make it really wow them while they play with it before purchasing. This may mean having a particularly smooth feeling on application, but may also include heating or cooling, depending on their hopes and desires for the product, and the performance you are promising.
Other ways you can interest your consumer can be through visual stimulation: capturing their senses by using colored beads, sparkles, or even parts of flowers.
Remember: Consumers have lots of choices, and there is a lot of marketing noise from products that over-promise and under-deliver. If you can win a consumer’s attention for just a moment, you have one chance to get them to love your brand and stay loyal long enough for your cosmetic formulas to work their magic. Tailor these tips to suit your specific cosmetic formulation needs and target market desires and let the results of your products (and sales) speak for themselves!
Happy formulating.
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