As you step out to the brisk cold air this winter, your skin faces new challenges. For personal care brands, this seasonal shift presents an ideal opportunity to revitalize your skin care offerings and meet consumer demand head-on.

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The Growth of Skin Care in Health and Beauty

Two years into the global COVID-19 pandemic, everything has changed. Everything.

“Life as we knew it” has been replaced with a completely reimagined reality. Consumer priorities and attitudes have changed across the board.

It’s not all bad. Yes, everyone is tired of thinking about the pandemic; tired of canceled events, controversies, daily reassessments of risk and all that goes with attempting to live in a world that is in the grips of a contagion. Nonetheless, many of the attitudinal shifts sparked by the pandemic can be characterized as positive – and by embracing them as such, personal care brands have an opportunity to connect with consumers on a new level.

The key for formulation and product development experts is to pay very close attention to the evolution of ideas occurring in real time and follow suit by providing products that fit new paradigms.

Health and Beauty Merge

As consumers rethink their priorities, every aspect of their lives is up for redefinition – and studies show that prevailing concepts of beauty and personal care are very different today than they were pre-pandemic. Lockdowns gave people the time to experiment – redefining how they assess, purchase and use personal care and beauty product offerings. They also gave people time to turn to “skinfluencers” on TikTok, SnapChat and YouTube for no-nonsense, real-world advice.

The result? Not surprisingly, people are more likely to consider personal health in all their decisions, and this translates to a movement toward embracing a more natural “look” – less polished and more real. As remote work brought meetings into people’s homes, complete with occasional appearances by the dog and kids, many reset the bar for their appearance accordingly, aiming to be “presentable enough for Zoom.”

It also means they’re increasingly motivated to choose products that are made with natural ingredients. “Green beauty” and “clean beauty” trends are driving increased demand for organic skin care options. Multipurpose products that enhance both appearance and health (think tinted moisturizer) have gained favor with people looking to simplify their routines and simply take better care of themselves. “Self-care” has gone mainstream and holistic (a healthy progression beyond self-indulgence).

According to GWI, in Q1 2020, 18% of consumers purchased skin care products every month – behind the likes of makeup/cosmetics (23%). By Q2 2021, consumers considered both categories to be equally important – recognizing that beauty begins with good health.

Individuality Reigns

It is also an equal-opportunity revolution. Just as the pandemic affects people of all genders, ages and ethnicities, its impact on consumer priorities also crosses all demographics. Issues surrounding diversity and inclusion have come to the forefront of social awareness. Consumer product companies are well advised to reflect and support an enlightened and inclusive mindset. In the personal care/ beauty space, brands have a role to play in normalizing male engagement with skin care and cosmetic use, for example. The same GWI consumer research report sums it up this way: “As the profile of beauty buyers changes, catering to their individual needs is crucial in 2022, and beyond.”

Brands that take an active interest in their buyers’ evolving priorities stand to gain market share and be part of positive change. Reformulating products to fit demand for natural, organic, effective ingredients is a good start. Offering a variety of products to fit the individual needs of diverse groups is crucial as well.

Where to begin?

In light of these trends, personal care/beauty products are reassessing their product development and marketing initiatives to meet new and evolving demands. PLZ Personal Care is here to help, with deep experience developing product formulations to meet specific requirements, including the sought-after ingredients that can make a big difference in consumer appeal. We are experts in product development, sustainability and ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, filling and packaging for personal care products.

We formulate, blend, fill and package branded and private label products, including highly customized and unique formulas. Our products adhere to federal and state VOC-regulated requirements, ensuring the highest levels of sustainability and responsible manufacturing, while providing the very best quality and service to our customers.

PLZ Corp. is the North American leader in the manufacturing of aerosol and liquid personal care products, with industry-leading technology and over 2.7 million square feet of manufacturing and warehousing space across 18 production facilities. Our high-speed and specialty product lines are capable of running over 900 million units annually – with 120 production lines providing the flexibility to efficiently execute multiple line changes daily. Seven of our 18 facilities are dedicated to production of personal care products. And offering the fullest service to our customers, each facility is a strategic contract manufacturing partner for formulation development, supply chain management, manufacturing, packaging, delivery and more.

Visit our personal care products webpage to learn more.

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Gender-Neutral Product Development Trends in Personal Care and Beauty

As society evolves, the personal care industry must keep up-to-date with the latest beauty trends and opportunities that these changes provide. An increasing number of consumers are rejecting gender stereotypes and the products that are marketed to them. This presents a major opportunity for diversification of men’s care and gender-neutral personal care products.

As companies personalize their offerings to cater to this market shift, PLZ Personal Care is well equipped to manufacture products featuring custom formulas for every brand we serve. Download our Gender-Neutral Infographic to learn more about the rise of gender-neutral product development trends in the personal care and beauty market.

Download Infographic

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It’s never been more important to use safe, non-toxic formulations featuring attributes such as elimination of harmful ingredients including parabens, sulfates, or formaldehyde, or adherence to organic, vegan, and Halal certifications, as well as eco-friendly alternatives and packaging. According to a recent online survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Whole Foods Market, 85% of consumers who simplified their beauty routines in 2020 plan to continue their new practices, and 57% of respondents expressed interest in knowing more about the ingredients in the products they buy.

This article provides an overview of the latest clean beauty trends driving product development this spring, and highlights PLZ Personal Care’s capacity to help brands bring clean beauty product ideas to life in this increasingly-crowded and competitive personal care segment.

Superfoods – Not Just for Our Bellies Anymore 

There’s been a persistent shift among consumers of all ages to view the products they use as a lifestyle choice tied to their overall wellness. As a result, wellness trends that have gained traction in food and beverage are now making their way into personal care products, with brands clamoring to manufacture safe, cruelty-free products designed with the whole family and the whole earth in mind.

Food-grade ingredients present an attractive option to do just that, so superfoods such as olive oil, rice, chia seeds, avocado and kale are popping up in everything from hair care to facial skin care to sunscreens and beyond. For example, a blend of nourishing natural oils such as meadowfoam, argan, almond, plum, combined with mango or shea butter are great conditioning agents to make dry, coarse hair feel soft and static-free.

Packaging Counts Too! Helping the Environment with Sustainable Solutions

In addition to being conscientious about how personal care products are affecting their bodies, consumers are concerned about how products affect the environment. As a result, the movement toward ethical sourcing and sustainability of ingredients, as well as packaging is here to stay.

People want to know the origin of the ingredients they use every day – from the sunscreen they spray on their body to the creams that they use on their face. Consumers evaluate factors such as whether the ingredients are eco-friendly, what part of the world the ingredients are sourced from, and how the products are manufactured to make sure they are doing their part to protect the environment.

With consumers’ “less is more” attitude, products utilizing vitamin and botanical enriched ingredients with essential oil aromatherapy options have become more common. And, we’re also seeing a rise in waterless personal care offerings that aim to reduce the use of water and plastic. In addition to traditional waterless options such as dry shampoos and sprays, we are seeing products such as bath and shower products, facial skin care and deodorants reinvented into cubes, powders and bars, and alternatively packaged in recyclable cardboard or aluminum.

Spring Forward with Clean Beauty Options that Meet You Customers’ Growing Demands

At PLZ Personal Care, your product is our passion. Great service and support are at the core of our partnerships, so we communicate openly, operate with integrity and bring a shared passion to your business because that’s the only way we know how to run ours. As the market-leading product developer, formulator and manufacturing partner for personal care products, product innovation has always been a core component of services, so we offer unique insight into the ever-changing world of product development. From ideation all the way through formulation and execution, PLZ Personal Care stays in step with evolving industry trends to bring brand visions to life with unique and custom formulations of hair care, skin care, facial care and over-the-counter products.

Whether your brand is looking to create a new clean beauty formulation or refine an existing product, our nationwide network is committed to a smarter, more efficient and continuously improving process for development of superior personal care products on every project, every time. We offer unique and custom formulations of color cosmetics, skin care, hair care, bath and body, fragrance, deodorant, health and industrial products. We also offer options for moisturizing and natural formulas free from synthetic and animal-derived ingredients, and use of ethically-sourced, sustainable ingredients, and dual-function product solutions with SPF. Our extensive library includes plant-based ingredients, vitamin-infused ingredients, natural minerals, essential oils, organic-certified ingredients and non-GMO ingredients. PLZ Personal Care is also an Organic Certified Co-Packer, with the capability to support compliance to the Made in USA Standard.

As the world continues to embrace clean beauty this spring and think ahead to the future, you can feel confident partnering with PLZ Personal Care to seamlessly deliver high-quality personal care offerings that help your brand stand out on the shelf and stay ahead of the competition. Visit the PLZ Personal Care homepage to learn more.

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Into A Growing List of Aerosol & Liquid Personal Care Products

The availability of Cannabidiol (CBD) oil products is on the rise. According to a recent report by leading cannabis market intelligence and consumer research group BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research, the collective market for CBD sales is expected to exceed $20 billion in the United States by 2024. This anticipated market growth has consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies feverishly working to add CBD oils into a wide variety of personal care products, beauty products and beyond.

WHAT IS THE CBD OIL BUZZ ABOUT?

CBD is one of over 80 compounds called cannabinoids that are found in the Cannabis sativa L. plant. Unlike other components found in cannabis, CBD is not psychoactive, which means that CBD does not change a person’s state of mind. Some research suggests, however, that CBD produces significant changes in the body – delivering health and wellness benefits.

Word of mouth combined with Congress’ passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) have sparked a growing demand for FDA-regulated consumer products derived from cannabis and its components across a wide range of industries including:

• personal care
• cosmetics
• health and wellness
• food and beverage
• pet care
• skin care
• pharmaceuticals
• beauty

WHY BEAUTY AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS? WHY NOW?

The revenue generated from sales of CBD skin care products alone is estimated to be valued at more than $645 million in 2019 according to Future Market Insights’ “CBD Skin Care Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2019-2027” Report.

Topical CBD oils offer the promise of delivering hydrating, anti-aging and inflammation reduction, along with vitamins A, D and E, and essential fatty acids, so they are being incorporated into the following product categories:

• deodorants (spray or roll-on)
• shaving creams
• shower foams
• body and massage oils
• body sprays
• hair care products
• cosmetics

LIQUID AND AEROSOL CBD CONTRACT MANUFACTURING CONSIDERATIONS AND BEST PRACTICES

As CBD product sales make their way from hemp farms into retail stores, many CPG companies are looking to capitalize on consumer demand. Prior to producing a new liquid or aerosol product infused with CBD oil, CPG companies must consider a number of variables.

Since the market is still in its infancy, proper documentation can often be difficult to obtain, so it’s important to partner with a contract manufacturer with specialized expertise producing product formulations for emerging markets. Such a manufacturing partner will have established relationships with suppliers to ensure that you are sourcing high-quality CBD oil, and can provide guidance on product development and formulation.

PLZ Personal Care’s contract filling services address increased customer requests for the development of cosmetic and personal care products infused with CBD. Our CBD oil-based formulation and contract filling capabilities enable the development of a variety of high-growth CBD products including deodorants, massage oils, body sprays, hair care products and more.

We work with customers through formulation and product development, testing/validation, filling, packaging and delivery to fill a variety of product sizes from small sample and travel size CBD oil products as low as 0.2 oz., up to larger home care products of 8 oz., with valve sizes from 13 mm up to 1 inch. We also utilize our established supplier network to ensure the sourcing of high-quality CBD oil, backed by proper documentation.

Our facility is EPA, DEP, ATF and FDA (OTC drug) registered. We are also an Organic Certified Co-Packer, with the capability to support compliance to the Made in USA Standard. Business philosophy and quality operating systems are based on ISO 9001 and current Good Manufacturing Practice Guidelines (ISO 22716 and CFR 21 Parts 210 and 211).

FUTURE FOR AEROSOL AND LIQUID CBD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

We notice major beauty trends ahead of the curve and we share our insights with customers, which is why the CBD oil market has become an ideal fit for our capabilities. Whether your company is launching a new CBD oil product and needs an expert source to help right from the formulation stage or a strategic contract filling partner, we work side by side with our customers to create and refine a variety of aerosol and non-aerosol CBD product formulations.

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