Product categories within the beauty industry
Most people who work in the cosmetic industry for large to medium-sized companies specialize in one type of cosmetic product. They are limited to hair products or skin products and rarely is there an overlap. Formulators at contract manufacturer or consultants have much more opportunity to work on the different types of cosmetic products, but even they are limited by the projects that come to them. If you want to be a complete cosmetic chemist and maximize your career flexibility, you should learn about the products in all cosmetic categories and the basics of how to create those formulas. The first step to that is to know the products in each of the categories. techsupportreviews
Cosmetic product categories
While there are thousands of cosmetic products on the market, they can all be sorted into 5 distinct categories.
Skincare products
These products are designed to improve the appearance of the
skin. The skincare market accounts for about 30% of all cosmetics sold, which
is the largest share among all categories. Skincare products can be classified
according to how they work and what they do.
First, there are products that remain on the skin. These
include moisturizing products designed to improve the appearance of the skin.
There are also anti-aging products that promise to remove the signs of skin
aging (such as wrinkles). There are sunless bronzers that change skin color.
And there are over-the-counter medications that protect from the sun, treat
skin conditions, treat acne, and actually reduce wrinkles.
Other types of skincare products are designed to remove
impurities from the skin. This includes cleansers such as body soap, hand soap,
shower products, toners, bath foams, and more. It also includes scrubs, masks
and exfoliators. You can also add shaving creams and depilatories to this
group, as they are designed to remove hair from the skin.
Haircare products
Hair products are the second most popular type of cosmetics,
accounting for about 25% of sales. Like the category of skincare products,
hair products can be classified according to how they work and what they do.
Most often, hair products are purchased that are designed to
remove impurities from the hair. These are liquid shampoos that cleanse the
hair, but there are also powder and spray shampoos. They remove dirt, oil, and
other impurities from the hair. There are specialty shampoos that qualify as
over-the-counter medicines and include anti-dandruff shampoos, lice products,
and hair restoration shampoos.
Hair conditioners are another type of product designed to be
rinsed off, but they also leave behind material that enhances the look and feel
of the hair. There are also intense conditioners, protein packs, hot oil
treatments and many other specialty products that are designed to improve the
look and feel of hair.
The third type of hair product is those that should be
left on the hair. These products can help change the feel of hair, but are
primarily intended to improve the appearance of hair. The largest segment of
these products are styling products, which include hairspray, mousse, styling
gels, putties and more. There are also leave-in conditioners.
The final category will be reactive hair products that
chemically alter the composition of the hair to alter its appearance. For hair
straightening, there are straightening products. For curly hair, there is a
perm. And for changing hair color there are permanent, semi-permanent and
temporary dyes.
Color Cosmetics
Most people think of these types of products when they say
the word "cosmetics". Colored cosmetics account for approximately 20%
of the cosmetic market. This group includes products that remain on the skin
and change color and appearance. Includes facial products such as foundations,
lipsticks, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara. You can also include nail
products such as nail polish, glitter, and all related nail care products.
Colored cosmetics are the most regulated of all cosmetics because governments
around the world restrict the types of ingredients that can be used for
colorants. Some of the coloring ingredients that were used before the creation
of the modern cosmetics industry were quite poisonous.
Fragrances
Fragrances and perfumes have been part of the cosmetics
industry since before the 17th century. These products should be used to change
natural body odor. They account for approximately 10% of the cosmetic market.
They are formulated with perfumes, colognes and body sprays. This group also
includes body sprays, which are aerosol versions of cologne.
Personal Care products
The last category of cosmetic products is other personal
care products. This group accounts for approximately 15% of market sales
(depending on the products you include). These include oral care products such
as toothpaste, mouthwashes, and whitening products. It also includes deodorants
and antiperspirants, although I suppose you might argue that they can be
classified as skincare or fragrance products.
Become a better cosmetic chemist
If you want to become a more versatile beautician, you need
to learn the technologies behind all of these cosmetics, not just the ones you
work on every day. Don't let yourself be classified in one product category
without knowing all the other categories. You can specialize in one area, but
don't limit your knowledge to one specialty. An extensive knowledge of all
types and categories of beauty products will enhance your career choices,
improve your formulation skills, and make you more inventive.
Suggested Homework
Select a product category and take a close look at the
product types in that category and the technologies used to solve consumer
problems.
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