
For years, at-home spa treatments have been centered around wellness, luxury, pampering and relaxation: face masks, footbaths, body scrubs and more. But, due to advances in beauty tech and consumers’ growing interest, the home spa product market is shifting to include medspa-level solutions to the mix.
Log in to view the full article
For years, at-home spa treatments have been centered around wellness, luxury, pampering and relaxation: face masks, footbaths, body scrubs and more. But, due to advances in beauty tech and consumers’ growing interest, the home spa product market is shifting to include medspa-level solutions to the mix.
The pandemic certainly played a role in the rising awareness of medspa treat- and tweakments among consumers of all ages. As Spatea pointed out in 2021, in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns data trends pointed to a major surge in professional beauty service research. That research has boosted consumer fluency in medspa procedures and treatments, as well as growing acceptance.
In fact, Mintelb has noted that 45% of U.S. believe it is acceptable to have non-invasive procedures such as Botox or laser treatments to improve one’s appearance. Increasingly, these consumers are looking for at-home solutions.
To be clear, the medspa industry isn’t going anywhere—in fact, according to Acumen Research and Consulting, the global medspa market reached $16.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow to $63.4 billionc by 2032—but as with most facets of the beauty industry, a burgeoning industry of products for at-home use has its share of the market.
Read on to see the brands giving at-home spa treatments a glow up, and the emerging ingredients offering new claims for the next generation of medspa-like products.
At-Home Alternatives To: Dermal Fillers and Botox
Newly launched from Six Gldn is Super-G Youth Serum, a 10% vitamin C oil bolstered by the brand’s signature Glow ReActivating Complex and Korean medicinal botanicals that firm and plump skin, including licorice, collagen-supporting astragalus, energizing ginseng and antioxidant-rich angelica.
Yet, while injectables have long been at the forefront of the medspa industry, there are those for whom injectables aren’t an option, whether out of medical concerns or simply a fear of needles. Fortunately, there are more and more at-home skin care solutions that can deliver similar results.
For instance, newly launched from Six Gldn is Super-G Youth Serum, a 10% vitamin C oil bolstered by the brand’s signature Glow ReActivating Complex and Korean medicinal botanicals that firm and plump skin, including licorice, collagen-supporting astragalus, energizing ginseng and antioxidant-rich angelica.
Says Six Gldn CEO Karima El-Hakkaoui, “We wanted an easy-to-use product that customers can slot into any routine for a powerful boost. We carefully selected THD ascorbate for its superior brightening power, bioavailability and stability and combined it with the scientifically validated natural ingredients of Korean herbal medicine to combat sagging skin, lines and wrinkles and loss of elasticity.”
Meanwhile, Prima’s CBD-infused skin care has been making its mark in this segment of the market. In fact, its signature face cream, The Afterglow Deeply Restorative Cream, has a loyal fanbase. The product’s vegan collagen, blend of four types of hyaluronic acid, squalane and organic hemp CBD combine to create a buttery cream that results in softer, hydrated, firmer skin.
Savvy suppliers are also bringing ingredients to the market that can mimic some of the procedures in which consumers are most interested.
Targeting Senescence
“True science is behind everything we do and launch at Provital,” says Nina Esposito, area sales and marketing director, Provital LLC., “and our latest launch, Altheostem, is no different.”
The executive adds, “Altheostem, sustainably obtained from lab-grown stem cells of the flower petals of Althaea rosea, illustrates a new biotechnological path to selectively hack skin senescence. By selectively triggering senolysis in aging skin, Altheostem appears as an undeniable dermohacker whose tailored biological action will induce a significant improvement in the skin’s mechanical, visible and tactile features.”
Provital used the power of artificial intelligence to calculate the visual apparent age of the subjects of an in-vivo study after ingredient use. According to Espositio,“This allowed for the quantification of Altheostem’s well-aging power, showing that our volunteers looked 3.26 years younger at the end of the in-vivo study.”
Targeting Facial Muscles
Elsewhere, Silab’s Myoline anti-stress mineral concentrate offers a simultaneous “Botox” effect and boost to well-being. Designed to address skin impacted by psychological stress, Myoline tackles the impacts of tensed facial muscles and the secretion of stress mediators in the skin, both of which result in the premature appearance of expression wrinkles and a dull complexion.
Per in vitro testing, Myoline acts on the neuromuscular junction to impart a myorelaxing, or skeletal-muscle-relaxing, action. After five days of treatment with Myoline, the technology reportedly smooths the appearance of expression lines in young skin, while “blurring” the appearance of wrinkles in mature skin.
Myoline simultaneously stimulates the oxytocin and endocannabinoid pathways of the skin to improve skin homeostasis. In fact, a volunteer study found that participants’ perception of stress was reduced, while perception of skin health improved. Furthermore, Myoline reportedly helps restore the skin barrier function to boost hydration, and radiance for an enhanced complexion.
Injection-free Facial Relaxer
Ashland’s Perfectyl biofunctional, extracted from Oregon-grown chamomile, taps the source botanical’s known calming and relaxing properties. Using Ashland’s Zeta Fraction technology, which derives natural constituents from plants and other sources using electromagnetic waves and no chemicals, the resulting extraction is reportedly rich in flower acids and GABA amino acid. Perfectyl biofunctional also targets post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and sebum overproduction, per Ashland. When tested in vitro and in vivo on three skin ethnicities and four phototypes, the ingredient reportedly helped all complexions get clearer and more uniform.
“The younger generation of women are more and more using more and more non-surgical aesthetic procedures to get flawless skin, and this trend is driven by social media with billions of views,” said Justine Cotton, global marketing, biofunctionals, Ashland. “Inspired by these new aesthetic practices used by Gen Z and millennials to achieve a perfect skin, Ashland has developed Perfectyl biofunctional to help smooth fine lines, refine enlarged pores, and clarify imperfections and uneven skin, specifically pigment spots.”
At-Home Alternatives to: Eye Treatments & Lifts
Consumers are increasingly seeking at-home treatments that mimic eye lifts and rejuvenation services; photo by undrey at Adobe Stock.
The topic of blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, has lately surged by 13.2K average monthly searches, according to Spate datae, signaling increased interest in the procedure. In addition, eyelid tightening average monthly searches have increased 79%. Dark circles, undereye bags and fine lines have driven consumers in the medspa direction for years, with clients often turning to microneedling treatments. However, at-home solutions for eye-area concerns are on the rise.
Tula Skincare’s limited-edition Eye Feel Amazing cooling and brightening hydrogel eye mask is a fast-acting solution for tired eyes. Infused with caffeine, niacinamide, prebiotics and probiotics, hyaluronic acid, and chamomile, the masks reportedly fight puffiness, brighten skin and deliver a plumped, hydrated appearance.
Meanwhile, Sanitas’ new Collagen + Elastin Eye Cream is a blend of plant-based ingredients designed to address undereye wrinkles, crow’s feet, dark circles, bagginess and dehydration. According to the company’s 28-day study, 73% of panelists reported improvement in undereye firmness, 77% noted a reduction in eye wrinkles and 94% noticed increased moisturization. The product, which is reportedly safe for sensitive skin, acts as an alternative to retinol-based solutions.
And, for those interested in under-eye microneedling at home, the BeautyBio Eye Want It All Face + Eye Total Rejuvenation Set retails for $249 and includes consumer-use GloPro microneedling tools with attachments. The package also features The Quench Eye Balm, which is designed to brighten the eye area and features Persian silk tree bark, jojoba oil, macadamia oil and olive oil.
There are also a wide range of ingredients emerging on the market to provide brands with new functions and claims for the eyes.
De-aging the Eye Contour
Greentech's natural active ingredient, Myralys (INCI: water (aqua) (and) propanediol (and) Gentiana lutea root extract), is meant to lift droopy upper eyelids and rejuvenate the under-eye contour by reducing dark circles and eye bags and replumping the area.
To counteract eye contour aging, Myralys targets six interconnected biological pathways. For instance, the active stimulates NRF2-mediated cell antioxidant response to control oxidative stress and oxidation reactions involved in premature skin aging and limits the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) by stimulating glyoxalase-1, a detoxifying enzyme that reduces AGE formation. The technology can also neutralize the UV-induced formation of AGEs.
Furthermore, Myralys limits inflammation and VEGF-A-mediated angiogenesis while promoting lymphatic functions by stimulating VEGF-C release. It also reduces dermal matrix aging by stimulating collagen I synthesis and by protecting elastic fibers from UV-induced elastin degradation.
Clinically tested on volunteers with aged upper and lower eye contours, Myralys was reportedly found to lift droopy upper eyelids, thereby smoothing the skin and making fewer folds observable. It also rejuvenated the under-eye contour by reducing dark circles, eye bags and tear-trough appearance after 14 days of use.
The active is sourced from sustainably harvested French organic wild yellow gentian roots, rendering the material COSMOS-certified.
At Home Alternatives to: Facelifts
Consumers are increasingly seeking low-impact procedures and topicals that provide face lifting benefits; photo by Buyanskyy Production at Adobe Stock.
As it has revealed in other consumer search trends, Spate has revealed that consumers are escalating their engagement in facial skin care from serums and retinols to full-fledged treatments. In fact, in October 2023 the firm reported that “non-invasive facelifts” was among the top-growing skin care-related consumer searches online. This knife-free concept has been a boon for Emface.
The 20-minute, full-face Emface procedure leverages synchronized radiofrequency to heat the dermis to stimulate collagen and elastin production and high-intensity focused electromagnetic facial muscle stimulation to selectively contract facial muscles. The result is a rapid lifting, toning and sculpting effect that mimics a facelifted appearance.
The popularity of Emface has been accompanied by other searches, including threading, which “uses absorbable, barbed sutures to offer a tighter, more youthful aesthetic appearance to the face and neck,” according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The low-intensity procedure is sometimes called the “lunch time lift” for its quick outpatient aspects.
While curiosity abounds for these lifting procedures, a number of ingredient firms have approached lifting effects for topical skin care products.
Microcurrent Inspiration
For instance, Lubrizol Life Science Beauty has expanded its peptide range with Uplevity e-Lift peptide (INCI: water (aqua) (and) tetrapeptide-1 (and) caprylyl glycol) for skin care and anti-aging applications. The sustainable tetrapeptide is inspired by microcurrent devices and mimics the benefits of electrical stimulation on the skin for an upper face lifted appearance and reduced visibility of wrinkles, per the company.
In vitro, the ingredient reportedly showed increased collagen contraction and improved mitochondrial function, resulting in firmer skin and better muscle tone, similar to microcurrent stimulation, per the company.
One month of treatment with the active ingredient on volunteers achieved a microcurrent-like upper face lifted appearance via a “triorbital” skin lift (supraorbital eyebrow and eyelid lift, orbital crow’s feet lift, and infraorbital upper cheek lift), per the company.
Volunteers also presented a minimized appearance of wrinkles and a 13.1% reduction in wrinkle length in seven days, comparable to a commercial microcurrent device.
At-Home Alternatives To: Facials & More
At-home products that mimic professional facial treatments are a key point of interest for today's shoppers; photo by Travelarium at Adobe Stock.
Dull skin caused by environmental damage is a key driver for medspa-level antioxidant facials. New solutions for the at-home market can not only repair this damage but help prevent future harm as well. They can also act as a bridge between professional facial treatments.
Galderma’s Alastin Skincare brand launched the C-Radical Defense Antioxidant Serum in 2022, powered by a proprietary encapsulated vitamin C plus a blend of 14 antioxidants.
Newer to the market is HPPY Skin, which recently debuted with its Refresh Mask, a cold-pressed, at-home cryofacial mask made with plant-based ingredients. Designed to hydrate dull, thirsty skin, the fridge-stored mask includes spirulina, caffeine, raw organic cucumber, squalane oil, kaolin clay and hyaluronic acid. According to a consumer perception study, the product results in skin that felt 90% more hydrated, plumped, healthy and balanced.
As with medspa solutions, at-home alternatives depend on high-quality, high-power ingredients to deliver these results.
Combatting Hypoxiaging
Sederma’s Luceane is a new biodegradable bioactive saccharide extract derived from a biofermentation of a Pseudoalteromonas strain isolated from a candelabra type of Bahamian octocoral. The ingredient counteracts hypoxiaging by stimulating and protecting cell respiration and energy production, according to Sederma. In addition, it induces micropollutant removal within the cells, invigorating cellular metabolism and reinforcing the skin’s holobiont, per the company. The result is reduced skin fatigue and improved radiance. In essence, the ingredient replicates the effects beauty salon oxygen therapies. According to Sederma, Luceane has been shown in vivo to slow the skin aging process by five years after just one month of application—and, after two months, reduce the signs of skin fatigue and improve skin radiance.
Targeting Protein Folding
Another key innovation in increasing skin radiance comes from Symrise via its SuperVisome EPH, an all-natural Achillea millefolium extract that works by promoting heat shock chaperone proteins.
“Heat shock proteins react to stressors that cause damage to the proteins in the skin,” explains Brian Kolman, technical manager, Symrise. “These stressors unfold and damage the proteins. If the proteins remain unfolded, they can aggregate, leading to dull or sallow-looking skin. Heat shock proteins seek out the damaged proteins and return them to them to their folded functioning state. Our studies have shown that SuperVisome EPH can increase the expression of small heat shock proteins in the epidermis of the skin. We conducted testing on 23 volunteers using Colorface [a device intended to provide detailed skin visualization and analysis] to measure luminosity, radiance and brightness of the facial skin. After only four weeks, we saw dramatic increases in all three measurements, suggesting the continued application of SuperVisome EPH can promote healthy, radiant skin.”
At-Home Alternatives To: Chemical Peels
The Inkey List’s Acne Clearing Moisturizer is an overnight treatment that features Mibelle Biochemistry’s retinoid technology, NovoRetin, a blemish-fighting sulfur and retinol blend. According to the brand, the ingredient is designed to stop the enzymes that normally break down retinoic acid, allowing the product to work for longer on the skin, delivering more regeneration and better results.
The Inkey List’s Acne Clearing Moisturizer is an overnight treatment that features Mibelle Biochemistry’s retinoid technology, NovoRetin, a blemish-fighting sulfur and retinol blend. According to the brand, the ingredient is designed to stop the enzymes that normally break down retinoic acid, allowing the product to work for longer on the skin, delivering more regeneration and better results.
Autumn 2023 saw the launched of Ultraceuticals’ Ultra R.E.D. Corrective Serum, which is specifically designed to counteract redness from rosacea and sensitive skin.
Emerging Medspa and Pro Skin Care Themes for Innovation
On the holistic wellness front, Square reports that vitamin, medication and hydrating fluid IV therapies are increasingly popular; photo by Daria at Adobe Stock.
These represent just a handful of procedure-inspired product and ingredient innovation. Looking ahead, Spate has identified a number of other treatment concepts that brands may wish to leverage in future R&D.
For instance, Spate noted that red light therapy has experienced a 43.1K spike in monthly online searches in the United States. Meanwhile, average monthly searches for prescription tretinoin topical ointments have spiked by 32.9K. Perhaps not coincidentally, there have been simultaneous spikes in searches related to hormonal and comedonal acne. (For more on the impact of acne, see the sidebar, “Skin Health is Mental Health.”)
When developing acne solutions, Spate recommends positive messaging, addressing acne concerns across age ranges, leveraging holistic wellness solutions beyond topicals alone, and greater diagnostic prowess to more effectively guide shoppers in their product search journey.
Beyond these concerns, the Square Appointments platform uncovered emerging professional beauty trends in August 2023. The firm noted that medspas have benefitted from “an increase in demand from customers seeking to enhance their self-care routines and explore new beauty rejuvenation treatments.”
This interest has been aided by lower costs associated with many procedures, including microneedling and chemical peels, which have already been discussed in this report, as well as sculpting and contouring, and laser hair removal. The Square report notes that Botox/injectables for anti-aging and aesthetic enhancement results remain the most popular services in the U.S. market.
On the holistic wellness front, Square reports that vitamin, medication and hydrating fluid IV therapies are increasingly popular. The direct infusion model reportedly ensures rapid and thorough absorption of these key materials. Per the company, “from 2020 to 2021, IV therapy grew 37% in bookings year-over-year and another 24% from 2021 to 2022.
With consumers’ interest in professional services showing no sign of slowing, beauty brands have immense opportunities to develop topical, ingestible and at-home device solutions for value-conscious shoppers.
LISA DOYLE was formerly the associate editor of Global Cosmetic Industry and is a freelance writer in the Chicago area. Her work has also appeared in Skin Inc., Salon Today, Modern Salon, Master Barber and Writer’s Digest.
FOOTNOTES
awww.gcimagazine.com/consumers-markets/news/21861916/beautys-2021-resurgence-by-the-numbers
bwww.mintel.com/industries/beauty-and-personal-care/
chttps://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/press-releases/medical-spa-market
dhttps://facemedstore.com/
ewww.spate.nyc/
SIDEBAR: Skin Health is Mental Health
Of those respondents suffering from acne, more than 70% had received negative comments about their condition/appearance. And 40% had been suffering the condition for more than 10 years. Furthermore, nearly 74% suffered from post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.Drobot Dean at Adobe Stock
“The next chapter of wellness will be mind-body beauty, where mental well-being and physical appearance are interconnected,” Mintel recently declared in its 2024 beauty trend forecast. A new report from Topicals points out just how critical this physical-mental connection is, particularly for people of color.
Topicals' report comprises research led by VP of product development Tamar Kamen and Martina M. Cartwright , Ph.D., RDN (registered dietitian nutritionist) of The University of Arizona School of Nutritional Science and Wellness.
The study, conducted in August 2022 via a web-based survey, featured 775 participants with 64.6% (n=501) identifying as having skin of color. Most respondents were female (94.2%) and Black/African American (76.6%), with the largest age group being 18-24 years (48.9%).
Of those respondents suffering from acne, more than 70% had received negative comments about their condition/appearance. And 40% had been suffering from the condition for more than 10 years. Furthermore, nearly 74% suffered from post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Of those suffering dark spots, nearly 50% had received negative comments from “someone close to them” while nearly the same number of respondents felt depressed due to the presence of dark spots.
Those suffering atopic dermatitis/eczema reported missing social activities due to their condition (nearly 58% of respondents), while about 1/3 had edited images of themselves to hide their condition.
Overall, 85.2% of participants rated their skin conditions as moderately to extremely bothersome, with 57.4% stating that their skin condition(s) affected their mental health.
The results point to a continuing need for effective solutions (products and ingredients) for skin of color as well as a greater focus on the mental health impacts of long-running issues.