Skin care and hair care lead in paraben-free claims with expansion driven by North America and Europe

05 Jun 2023 --- Paraben-free personal care launches have been steadily gaining ground driven by label-conscious shopping, demand for natural ingredients and development of functional alternatives. According to Innova Market Insights, the indexed number of launches tracked with the paraben-free claim witnessed a 7% annual growth between 2018 and 2022.

In particular, the US and Canada (30%) and Europe (30%) were found to be the leading regions for paraben-free product launches. These were followed by Asia (22%), Latin America (10%), Middle East/Africa (3%) and Australasia (5%).

Innova Market Insights ranked top company launches tracked with paraben-free claims with Unilever topping the list at 6%, followed by Henkel (4%), Procter & Gamble (2%) and L’Oréal (2%).

Skin Care, Hair Care and Hand, Bath & Shower topped the categories with the most launches tracked with the paraben-free claim.The data also reveals that the top categories as a percentage of personal care launches tracked with the paraben-free claim are Skin Care (35%), Hair Care (26%) and Hand, Bath & Shower (15%), followed by Body Care (8%) and Sun Care (4%).

Women’s products leading in paraben-free
Innova Market Insights also reveals a surge in the launches of paraben-free claim use in body wipes and fragrances for women, with the fastest-growing subcategories in personal care launches being Body Wipes (+77%), Fragrances for Women (+74) and Unisex Fragrances (+54%), followed by Multi-Purpose Sets (+50%) and Essential Oils/Blends (+43%).

Women are particularly concerned about the prevalence of parabens, as they are considered xenoestrogens, which cause estrogenic overstimulation that can be cancerous to the human breast.

The chemicals serve as solubilizers for other chemicals, or as humectants, and as skin penetration enhancers in personal care products, such as shampoo, deodorant, lotion, hair products, nail polish and particularly artificial fragrances.

Certain women’s products, like lubricants, are often filled with such “unpleasant and even harmful ingredients,” as flagged by the intimacy and wellness brand Odaya. It recently launched a paraben-free solution targeting vaginal dryness, which is associated with discomfort and pain during sexual intercourse.

The sustainable mixture is made with hemp oil that acts as a source of antioxidants, vitamins and essential fatty acids, which helps promote smoothness and moisturization to reduce pain and uncomfortableness during sexual encounters. It also replaces petroleum (which is common in many mainstream lubricants) with organic hemp oil, reducing the potential of a negative allergic reaction or inflamed skin.

“It’s important for women dealing with vaginal dryness not to ignore their symptoms,” says Odaya co-founder Stephanie Girard, “The results can be painful.”

New line of Dial Body Wash products (Image credit: Dial).Recent NPD highlights
Among other paraben-free personal care launches, Ombré Men, a natural personal care solution for men, partnered with Formula 1 world champion racer, Fernando Alonso to promote its new line of natural and paraben-free products.

The line is also sulfate-free, phthalate-free, free from artificial aromas, and are all pH balanced, making them safe for most skin types.

Earlier this month, Dr. Gabe Rosenthal, a celebrity dentist based in Los Angeles County, US, introduced his paraben-free dental care products. The new products, sold under the Dr. Gabe brand, include a toothpaste, mouthwash and toothbrush. They are based on the brand’s star ingredient, hydroxyapatite, which is a naturally occurring mineral that protects and rebuilds the tooth’s enamel while preventing demineralization.

Soap brand Dial also released a new line of 15 Dial Body Wash products that feature both established and new scents to “evoke the nostalgia of the brand,” but with a formula upgrade to cleanse deep while being gentle on skin.

The Dial Body Wash products are formulated with the brand’s new Hydraclean Complex solution, which includes vitamin E. The soaps are gentle on skin, removes dirt and impurities, and leaves the skin feeling deeply cleansed and hydrated.

By Benjamin Ferrer