In our busy, ‘hyperconnected’ world, stress has become a continual problem for most people, regardless of age, location or background. Chronic stress leads to unhealthy behaviors, with 38% of adults saying they overeat, and 44% of the American workforce losing sleep every night because they are worrying about work.1
In the UK, 66% of women feel lifestyle, including stress level, is the most important determinant of skin appearance.1 A recent study confirmed that psychological stress does indeed cause skin barrier function to deteriorate.2 Moreover, in urban settings in particular, external stressors like UV radiation, artificial and natural blue light, air-conditioning and environmental pollution are increasingly causing skin to become excessively dry and dull-looking.
Often the solutions suggested for stress-relief seem unattainable. Of course, we should take time out to relax – but how, when? What we really want is support to streamline daily routines and reassurance that we can entrust some tasks to the experts.
As an industry, we are called on to provide effective personal care ingredients and products that save precious time while ensuring that the needs of skin and hair for care and protection are being met – even when they are exposed to psychological and external stresses. We can offer solutions which make daily routines more efficient, protect against environmental influences and combat the physical effects of stress on the skin. DSM is leading the way with a number of products designed to support consumers looking to ease their stress, whether at home or on the go.
This range of skin, hair, sun and performance ingredients and formulations concept has been developed to combat the visible signs of stress and/or simplify personal care regimes. Besides effective skin care ingredients it includes novel hair care formulations to ease people’s stress in their daily routine and on trend sun care formulations designed to appeal to fast-living Millennials, a hitherto overlooked target market.
1 Jindal S. 2017 Trend: Damsels in De-Stress. Mintel, 2017
2 Chae S, Kim D, Kim E, Choi E. Psychological stress deteriorates skin barrier function by activation of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 as well as endogenous glucocorticoids. Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Kangwon-do, Republic of Korea.
Stress is ubiquitous, especially in today’s urban environments, and the “cult of busyness” can feel overwhelming and impossible to avoid. When coping with stress, we sometimes add to it, like when we squeeze in a “relaxing” yoga class on a busy day…
But what if we could ease the stress by reducing the pressure? At dsm-firmenich, we have developed hybrid hair care formulations that do just that- without compromising on each’s individual style.
Bad hair days can be a source of stress. Since hair is key to a person’s image, achieving the right style is crucial to the personal well-being. Tired, listless hair is never a good look, so promoting healthy lookin With the help of dsm-firmenich’s new hair care trend concept, it is now easier than ever for busy consumers to care for their hair. Our holistic, hybrid products are excellent multitaskers, helping people face everyday challenges without compromising on their individuality. The formulations are specifically developed to help users create their desired look while taking the stress out of worrying about adding the right style and sufficient care for their hair.
Consumers aren’t the only ones wanting to relieve stress: We know that our customers constantly challenge themselves to invent products that amaze and delight. So our new holistic formulation concepts go the extra mile to take the stress out of hair product development.
Our hair-care portfolio includes polymers alongside UV filters, skin bioactives and vitamins. Its strength: Ingredients can be combined to create hybrid solutions that style, protect and provide care, so consumers get a product that fits in with their lifestyle.
At dsm-firmenich, we create formulations that meet consumers’ needs. Take Alp’Dry Shampoo, for example, a product that refreshes the hair on busy days and also saves water. Or our Texturizing Beach Spray, which imitates the effect of salt water for a natural, wavy look, protects against UV damage and provides all-round care. Finally, our Messy Matte Gum allows users to texturize, scrunch and define, but also strengthens, moisturizes and protects, leaving hair with a soft matte finish.
dsm-firmenich’s unparalleled scientific expertise combined with up-to-the-minute consumer insights can help our customers quickly and efficiently formulate products in response to users’ needs. So while we can’t cure the global stress epidemic, together we can at least make hair care a positive, confidence-boosting experience for consumers. That’s one less thing to stress about.
In 2017, social media use was estimated at an average of 2.25 hours per day.1Facebook counts 1.4 billion daily active users, while 95 million pictures and videos are posted to Instagram in any 24-hour period.2 In this age of the selfie, image is king. But it does have a stressful downside, with increased pressure on image-conscious Millennials to look camera-ready 24/7 and to give followers a glimpse into their exciting, busy lives.
While “sun-kissed and active” or “pale and mysterious” may be desirable looks for these photos, sunburn never is. Digitally-savvy Millennials are well-aware of the importance of sun protection.3 This presents an excellent opportunity for cosmetics producers, so we surveyed more than 1,000 people from 8 countries in the 18-29 age bracket. Our aim? To learn about Millennials’ expectations of sunscreen and transform this into holistic sun care concepts featuring sun care formulations specifically for them.
We found that a larger proportion of this generation use sunscreen compared to the overall population (83% vs. 74% respectively), but only 27% reapply it throughout the day. Our survey also revealed that most Millennials only associate sun protection with the beach. What’s more, their reluctance to constantly carry bulky sun care products with them means they often go unprotected.
DSM believes that Millennials are not using sunscreen as regularly as they need to because at present there are no specific products on the market specifically targeting their needs. So what would sun care products have to deliver to encourage Millennials to change their habits?
DSM has identified three main wishes: a non-greasy, non-oily texture; a convenient, easy-to-carry format; and a sun care formulation that can be applied easily without messing with beauty regimes.
In response to these findings, we have complemented our sunscreen formulations with three new hybrid products- delivering additional skin care benefits beside sun protection: High Glide Moisturizing Sun Essence SPF 30, a lightweight, non-greasy and non-oily high-glide formulation for no-stress application; Total Protection into the Blue SPF 50, a moisturizing product and blue light sun care formulation with a very high SPF factor; and No FOMO Sun Stick SPF 50+, which features an opaque stick to reach key regions of the face, including around the eyes, nose and mouth.
DSM’s stress-free, new sun care formulations for Millennials aim to cover all bases and offer sun protection anywhere, all year round. And because our products are hybrid formulations, Millennials can stay moisturized, start to protect their skin against the first visible signs of ageing, screen out blue light or blur skin imperfections too!
1 https://www.statista.com/statistics/433871/daily-social-media-usage-worldwide/
2 https://zephoria.com/top-15-valuable-facebook-statistics/
https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/04/20/instagram-statistics
3 Mintel
PARSOL® Max (INCI: Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol) is a photostable broad spectrum UV filter which delivers outstanding performance that breaks through the boundaries of UVB and UVA to continue into the blue light spectrum.
PARSOL® Shield (INCI: Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine) is a photostable broad-spectrum filter which efficiently contributes to UVB and UVA protection across the full range of application forms at low concentrations.
STAY-C 50 is a powerful anti-oxidant and free radical scavenge. The vitamin active works for a better-looking skin tone and reduces the appearance of skin blemishes and acne.
This ALP’DRY shampoo hair care formulation keeps your hair looking fresh and clean between washes. Containing organic skin care ingredients, vitamins and sensory modifiers.
This skin care serum formulation helps to rebalance skin from the visible effects of daily stress. Its “memory form” texture engages the senses by quickly recovering when pressed.
A sun cream formulation with UV filters, hyaluronic acid, vitamin B3 and styling polymer offers soft feel and light texture.
Download the sun care concept featuring DSM's sun star formulations!
Download DSM’s stress-free hair formulation concept!
Read how DSM’s latest hair care solutions help busy consumers create styles and turn styling into something fun to do!
DSM’s Bi My Buddy sunscreen formulation concept was inspired by men for men. It investigates the barriers men face when buying sunscreen and offers appealing formulation concepts to overcome these.
Our blogger community revealed that many consumers suffer from conflicting skin care needs. There is a clear demand for customizable personal care ingredients with the flexibility to adapt to current skin requirements.