Maintaining hygiene in a post-pandemic world while navigating inflation and regulatory headwinds

30 Nov 2022 --- Hygiene has become more crucial than ever before in a post-pandemic world. With the growing focus on sanitation and health, PersonalCareInsights gathers the latest scoop in hygiene innovations from industry players CP Kelco, Edgewell and Montagne Jeunesse. They highlight future trends and share how the Green Deal poses a financial challenge for sustainable NPD during an inflationary period.

“While clean-conscious consumers drove sales during the pandemic, growth will continue for brands who continue to meet consumers’ changing needs,” Sandra Catarino, director of strategic segment marketing at CP Kelco explains.

“Consumers want products that are good for them and align with their goals amid inflation, well-being concerns and environmental responsibility. In the personal care industry, that might mean products that are kind not only to the skin but also society’s waterways.”

CP Kelco offers bio-based Arbalon Cellulose Liquid for formulating concentrated, biodegradable body washes, cleansers and shampoos. The company’s Cellulon Cellulose Liquid is a functional, bio-based ingredient that can empower low- or no-water dish care and fabric care formulations.

Catarino shares that as consumers place the planet’s health on par with personal health, delivery format innovations include concentrated and waterless formulations. “These include laundry pods that reduce packaging and water, and solid, refillable and plastic-free formats in toothpaste, skincare and deodorants.”

Designing for sustainability while managing costs is the biggest challenge the industry faces right now.Hygiene delivery systems
Edgewell’s Wet Ones skincare innovation team shares that they have conducted extensive qualitative and quantitative consumer research to identify hand hygiene needs, states and desires in the post-pandemic world.

“This has triggered work within all aspects of the product (formulation, substrate and packaging). We are also leveraging capabilities and inspiration from the skin and beauty space to inform technologies leveraged to innovate,” they state.

According to David English, head of labs at Montagne Jeunesse, chemical-free and natural demands translate into less occlusive and lighter delivery systems, such as mists and serums. 

Technological advancements and products with proven benefits, such as needling, roller application and functional toning, are emerging from Asia when it comes to innovations in hygiene delivery formats, English outlines. 

“Significant investments in environmental development – formulation and packaging – are occurring. However, brands face the concern of being left behind due to competitors’ technology,” he says.

Keeping up with the trends
The Wet Ones remarks that an emerging trend in the hand hygiene space is the shift from functional to multifunctional formulas that kill germs and provide skin health benefits.

Other trends highlighted by the Wet Ones team include “products designed for younger consumers, products that emphasize scent and texture to help deliver emotive benefits or enhance the sensorial experience and packaging that is highly portable and aesthetically appealing.”

“We foresee more facial skincare ingredients and those strongly associated with health emerging in the hand hygiene space as people want more from the products they use daily. We also foresee a rise in scents from the aromatherapy world that trigger different moods and mental states.”Hygiene has become more crucial than ever before in a post-pandemic world.

English adds that Montagne Jeunesse, UK-based cosmetics mask specialist, has observed an increase in performance expectations and a more open approach to skincare needs in all forms of hygiene products, from menopause to acne patches.

“The classic skincare active ingredients are trusted and playing well, as they are understood to have the advantage of established performance capability and cost-effective choice. However, they are now being enhanced with synergic pairings such as cica-collagen,” English explains. 

Navigating sustainability during inflation
Regarding the future of hygiene innovations, the three companies unanimously agree that designing for sustainability while managing costs is the biggest challenge the industry faces. 

“Typically, more sustainable materials come at a higher cost. In addition, products that begin to blur the line between hand hygiene and hand skincare will become a cost of entry,” Wet Ones spokesperson says.

“For mainline products, the next few years will be super cost conscious as inflation impacts all components. Sizes and concentrates will appear, as will more cost-engineered offerings. Trading down is ongoing as long as the consumer’s sustainability, recycling and performance boxes are ticked,” English comments.

Catarino adds that manufacturers face challenges from a texture and compatibility point of view while designing environmentally sustainable packaging.

“Requirements may include higher surfactant compatibility, easy re-dilution at home and the use of biodegradable, non-synthetic thickeners and structuring agents.” 

“The goal should be to solve reformulation challenges with raw materials that hold these features without compromising consumers’ expected performance. CP Kelco has witnessed an increased demand for life cycle assessments to prove product sustainability,” continues Catarino.

New climate goals of neutrality are also predicted to bring dramatic changes.Looking to future regulations
For CP Kelco, new climate goals of neutrality are also predicted to bring dramatic changes. “The Green Deal will start to take shape in Europe, and there are indications that it will be implemented outside Europe as well. We expect hygiene innovation to align with principles of sustainability and transparency,” Catarino says.

English adds: “Regulations in the EU will cement the corporate social responsibility aspects of beauty business as well as logistic efficiencies to survive the recession, complementing the environmental trend of energy and waste prevention. A difficult time to launch significant innovation, but smaller brands will continue to populate the visionary niches with deserved success.”

Similarly, for Wet Ones team, while environmental sustainability will remain at the forefront of innovation, navigating new and changing regulations on definitions within the hand hygiene space poses a challenge.

“We see a bright future for this category. The use of hand hygiene products is forecasted to remain above pre-pandemic levels as consumers engage with the category everyday versus occasionally. This provides ongoing opportunities to innovate in this space, a space that was often overlooked in the past,” it concludes.

By Radhika Sikaria, with additional reporting from Nicole Kerr