TREND REPORT: AT-HOME DEVICES

by Elisabeth King

At-home beauty devices sparked a worldwide mega-boom a decade ago. Just as the electric toothbrush and high-tech hair straighteners radically transformed dental and haircare, cleansing brushes, light-based platforms and anti-ageing skincare devices offered almost professional standards of treatment in the comfort of consumers’ own homes.

But the sector has had its fair share of ups and downs. While many women justified the high cost of some of the devices by calculating what they saved on salon visits and products, price resistance affected the category’s overall growth. Ten years ago, L’Oréal acquired Clarisonic, the US sonic cleansing brush brand, for example, and was forced to shutter it last year because it failed to live up to its growth potential.

The Covid-19 pandemic has turned around the fortunes of the at-home devices market. Spate, the US machine intelligence platform used by leading beauty multinationals such as L’Oréal, Estée Lauder and Unilever, pinpointed the accessories and beauty devices sector as one of the top four beauty search trends of 2020.

Part of the reason, added Bustle, was the closure of dermatologists’ offices in major markets as consumers battled an upsurge in skin concerns such as acne and stress-induced ageing. Yet the consumer media group fingered skincare devices as one of the major beauty trends of the final quarter of this year, led by wands, at-home LED devices, microneedling and microdermabrasion to treat acne, pigmentation and boost collagen production.

Other signs that the tide has again turned positive was seen at the 2021 CES event in Las Vegas in January, the world’s largest consumer electronics show. After bemoaning the fact that high-tech beauty and devices had not accelerated in the US, by contrast to China, in 2020, the organisers pushed this year’s innovations into the spotlight from the Lumini PM (Personalised Mirror) to Perfect Corp’s Facial Ageing Simulation.

Mintel also confirmed that US attitudes to at-home devices had changed during the pandemic. According to the researcher, 75 per cent of American women are said to either already use or are interested in buying skincare devices. Nu Skin was voted the world’s number one brand for beauty devices by Euromonitor International for the fourth time this year. In September, the company reported triple-digit growth in the US, South America and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), thanks to major launches such as the Nu Skin ageLoc Lumispa.

In the UK, the prestigious John Lewis department store chain launched its first virtual beauty tech department in August, featuring four devices that targeted skin problems - the Foreo Bear Facial Toning device, the BeGlow Tia All-in-One Sonic Skincare System, the MZ Skin LED Mask and the Dermaflash LUXE Anti-Aging Exfoliation tool.

The sector is also growing in importance at international cosmetics shows. In-Cosmetics Global’s new Beauty Tech zone, initially scheduled to launch in 2020, will now debut next year in Paris at the cosmetic show’s iteration in April, bringing together major international suppliers, buyers and retailers to showcase their innovations.

The majority of growth in at-home devices may be in China, but the US remains the largest market with a 38 per cent global share, reveals Precision Reports. Europe is the second largest market with a 26 per cent market share. In spite of an avalanche of competitors from all over the world and new names throwing their hats into the ring, the dominant companies in the sector are Procter & Gamble, Philips, Nu Skin, Conair, Panasonic, MTG, YA-MAN and Hitachi from Japan, Remington, Foreo, Skin Innovations, NuFace and Tria.

Predictions vary wildly about the potential for the global growth of at-home devices over the next decade because a lot depends on what products are included in leading reports. Research And Markets, the world’s largest research store, defines the major categories as - hair removal, cleansing, LED therapy and photo-rejuvenation, acne treatment, hair growth, oxygen/facial, cellulite reduction and dermatology. The major areas consumers are looking to treat are blemishes, pigmentation, wrinkles, fine lines and age spots, says the researcher, and global sales are expected to reach US$46 billion by 2030.

Persistence Market Research is even more gung-ho about the strength of the market and predicts the category will hit worldwide sales of US$80 billion by 2031 - a CAGR of 15 per cent between now and the end of the forecast period. The data tracker also expects the US to remain the dominant market because of its large percentage of Gen Xers, Baby Boomers and the elderly and its leading edge in development and R&D.

But Asia is on track to achieve the highest growth, led by China and India. During Alibaba’s 2019 Singles’ Day shopping event, five of the top 10 appliances sold were at-home beauty devices. Even though the sector is well-established in Japan and South Korea, the beauty powerhouses are expected to achieve growth rates of 19 per cent and 20.5 per cent, respectively over the next decade.

At-home beauty devices are available from a wide variety of sales outlets in Australia from dedicated websites, major e-tailers, marketplaces, department and appliance stores and more. As summer approaches there is a lot of demand for hair removal appliances and there’s plenty up for grabs this season for those who want to sweep away unwanted hair. Like their professional counterparts, at-home products work by concentrating light energy to target hair follicles.

Remington offers some great models, including the i-Light Pro Face & Body and i-Light Compact Control IPL Hair Removal System. Philips is a world leader in the hair removal sector with the Lumea Prestige IPL Cordless and the Lumea Essential IPL Long- Term Hair Removal device. With its promise to deliver permanent hair reduction in as little as four weeks, the Braun Silk-Expert Pro 5 IPL has carved out a cult following.

This year has been a standout for fans of anti-ageing devices. A top choice to treat double chins is the Tripollar STOP VX radio-frequency tool. The Nu Face Trinity uses microcurrents to tighten and firm the face. Tired complexions can be perked up with the Trophy Skin MiniMD. Eyes are rejuvenated with the Tria Anti-Defying Eye Wrinkle Correcting Laser and Foreo Iris Eye Massager. While those looking to treat age spots can reach for the Talika Pigment Control.

Sales of cleansing devices have soared during the Covid-19 pandemic as consumers worldwide battled acne and congested skin. Mecca offers the PMD Beauty Clean Pro, which features SonicGlow technology and deep-cleanses skin using 7000 vibrations per minute. The Foreo Luna 2 Facial Spa Massager claims to remove 99.5 per cent of dirt and oil. And Conair keeps prices affordable with the True Glow 2-in-1 Facial Cleansing System sold through Target stores.