Haircare has become an exciting space for new product developments, manufacturers are trying to convince consumers that they should adopt a haircare regimen to match their skincare regimen and they’re doing this by using a new lexicon, learning from other categories and extending formats into new segments. Claims inspired by skincare and colour cosmetics, such as anti-ageing and product featuring light-reflecting technology, offer exciting growth opportunities for the haircare market,” said Emmanuelle Moeglin, Global Fragrance and Personal Care Analyst at Mintel, in a speech at the Cosmeeting tradeshow in Paris.

According to Mintel’s Global New Product Database (GNPD), “Brightening” and “Illuminating” is the fastest growing claim - with the number of new products carrying this claim globally shooting up from 21% of all global haircare launches in 2010 to 46% in 2014 [1].

Opportunities for growth

The research from Mintel has found anti-ageing haircare has huge scope but is yet to match skincare in this arena – while 27% of facial skincare global launches in 2014 were anti-ageing, only 3% of haircare global launches carried this claim, suggesting opportunities for growth in the haircare sector.

Indeed, when it comes to anti-ageing ingredients in haircare, Mintel reveals that almost half (46%) of UK consumers are interested in using them and an additional 19% would pay more for them. Meanwhile, a quarter (26%) of French haircare users notice some changes in their hair as they get older, but just 25% of users remain unsure of the benefits of using anti-ageing haircare products.

Anti-ageing will increasingly move into haircare and there is scope for a far higher use of biomimetic ingredients especially in stimulating hair growth, offering anti-hair loss and volumising solutions,” suggests Emmanuelle.

High interest from Black consumers

The potential of the anti-aging claim in haircare is confirmed by another research focusing on haircare consumption habits of Black consumers in the US [2]. According to Mintel, 42% of Black consumers have tried or would be interested in trying anti-aging hair products.

In keeping with the trend of combating the effects of aging, 30% of Black consumers have used or are interested in haircare products that treat baldness and thinning, while 46% have used or would be willing to try colour or tint products.

The movement toward natural hair - whether natural hair weave or all-natural styles - is making Blacks a lot more conscious about the ingredients they put in their hair. They are looking for ingredients that are natural, restore damaged hair, and make their hair healthy - and they’re looking for results. Anti-aging products that include natural ingredients and promise to deliver on restoration are sure to appeal to Black shoppers,” explains Tonya Roberts, multicultural analyst at Mintel.

Customisation to grow in popularity

Finally, also taking inspiration from skincare, customisation in the haircare market is set to continue to grow in popularity as consumers show strong demand for these products. Indeed, in France, three in ten (29%) women express an interest in buying customised hair treatment products designed for their hair needs.

New entrants in the haircare sector are responding to a rise in demand in customisation by offering customised shampoo, blending bases with concentrated serum and resulting in a made-to-measure haircare products. As consumers increasingly look for a personalised products, we expect this trend to expand into mainstream haircare in 2014 and beyond,” concludes Emmanuelle Moeglin.