Tween Spending Power - More Than We Thought?

If you've been researching tween trends and spending you probably have read their spending power is estimated at between $43 billion and $51 billion. While this is very exciting and an incredibly respectable number, would you believe it's actually more?

What this figure fails to recognize is that ultimately, even if the tween influences the decision, it is the parent who is in control. An additional $170 billion was spent by parents and family members directly for tweens, over and above the reported $51 billion spent by tweens themselves, according to 360Youth.com, which focuses on youth marketing.

With spending figures topping $2 billion, there is plenty of room to grow in this market. Keep in mind with parents in control, it's important to please them as well!  Parents are aware of the new target put on tweens and their products and will be more apt to do their research and not fall for the gimmicks a tween might. The bottom line—if you are entering this hot market, please the parent as well as the tween. Authenticity and quality will endure while fads and tricks won't.

Some tips on creating quality and authenticity:

• Keep education on the forefront
• Promote good habits
• Focus on activity and growth for the tween, not simply "fun"
• Create products that tweens will love and parents will appreciate
• Don't be too "childish" with your design—his generation of tween is more grown up.
• Use quality and natural ingredients
•  Really develop products for tween not just grown up products in tween packaging
•  Marketing only to tweens could be detrimental to the brand Market to Parents too

Key Ingredients Driving Boom in the Cosmetic Industry

It all starts with Baby Boomers and the increasing concern related to retaining youthful looking skin and health in general. This phenomenon of looking younger has led to skin care companies ramping up their R&D departments to create skin care products that include all forms of exotic ingredients, both natural and man made.

Let’s take a look at some targeted categories of ingredients/technologies that are driving consumer spending by giving us newer, better and safer products.

Botox Alternatives:: There’s a ingredient from Seppic with the trade name Sesaflash, containing glycerin, acrylates co-polymer and hydrolized sesame protein that produces immediate, perceivable mechanical tightening for the skin. It’s perfect for a non-surgical face lift.

Non-standard Exfoliation: For non-AHA exfoliation, you can try Laracare A200 from Tri-K, a pine-based polysaccharide. It is a good, multi-functional ingredient that can stabilize emulsions, reduce particle size and boost SPF, in addition to providing non- irritating exfoliation.

Paraben Free: While this has resulted in shorter shelf life for products, knowledgeable consumers are flocking to the fragrance- and preservative-free concept, despite short shelf life.

Nano Encapsulating: Another trend is going back in time to the increased use of vitamin A. New research has shown vitamin A to be possibly the only skin care ingredient that can affect the human genome as approximately 80 to 100 genes are affected in a positive way with the use of vitamin A as a skin normalizer.

Antioxidants: The simple equation is this: put enough antioxidants on board each and every day, and you neutralize free radical damage. This make a great case for antioxidant moisturizers or serums nightly, and even a better case for daily intake of a high quality multivitamin.

EUK-134 from Cayman Chemical is a highly purified molecule that mimics superoxide dismutase (SOD). EUK-134 represents a complete nature-mimetic, antioxidant system that can be used as an active ingredient in serums, moisturizers and sun care products.

Plant Extracts New Again: The use of chamomile, white lupin protein, sweet almond protein, lavender, sage, savory thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, oregano, clove, limewater, rosewater and other traditional ingredients combined with state of the art technology create highly results-oriented products that produce visible results in weeks.

Peptides: Pentapeptide-3 has been found to stimulate collagen synthesis dramatically. These results show pentapeptide-3 stimulates natural biological processes to reverse the aging process of the skin.

The list is endless and makes for a substantial point of difference in products.

Machine Trends

We all understand the power of human touch, but what about the power of pulsed light or high frequency currents on the human body and, more specifically, the face and neck? With Baby Boomers demanding to feel better and look younger and an escalating population looking for non-invasive anti aging treatments, what do the new range of machine treatment modalities hold in store for us as vehicles of change?

Let’s examine IPL (intense pulsed light), High Frequency and LED (light emitting diode) technologies and their use in treating and improving various conditions from acne to aging.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a non-invasive treatment that uses high intensity pulses of visible light to improve the appearance of a variety of skin conditions including: freckles and age marks, acne scars, spider veins, port wine stains, unwanted hair and facial lines and wrinkles. IPL systems work on the same principles as lasers in that light energy is absorbed into chromophores (cells with color) in the skin. The light energy is then converted to heat energy, which causes damage to the specific target area.

High Frequency, also known as the Tesla current, is a safe and gentle oscillating, oxygenating high frequency electrical current that has been shown to enhance blood circulation, increase collagen and elastin production, eliminate toxins and acne-causing bacteria, encourage lymphatic drainage, exfoliate dead skin cells and improve skin care product absorption. Due to its rapid rate of oscillation, high frequency does not cause muscular contractions; instead, it works on the principle of skin toning.

Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a non-invasive procedure done with panels of red and/or infrared lights that deliver low-level pulses of light up to three times brighter than the sun to activate skin cells. It works like photosynthesis for the skin—it converts light energy already found in skin cells to promote healing and anti-aging effects that include reduced fine lines and wrinkles, brown spots, acne, sun damage and increases circulation and moisture and metabolic function.

Digital Imaging for the Skin

As industry professionals we can see our treatments make a difference. However, there was so many times when I was performing treatments that I wished I could show with solid facts that the guest and patient could see a difference.

The use of digital imaging technology can analyze the factual skin condition and give us detailed information about the skin

How does it work? A high resolution picture is taken simultaneously with a quick flash of UV light, the same light that is present in all electronic flash tubes and is completely safe. This UV light is absorbed into the skin, penetrating the stratum corneum and is then reflected back to the camera lens revealing the dermatological conditions of the skin by colors. You are then provided with a detailed report (varies by manufacturer) with solid data on your client’s skin. You can then use this as a marker of your starting point and track quantifiable results and improvement over time.

What can digital imaging analyze?

• Surface spots
• UV damage
• Brown spots
• Red areas
• Wrinkles
• Tone and texture
• Pores
• Porpyhrins
• Sebum production
• Moisture

Several manufacturers have developed this technology for the aesthetic and beauty industry. Some known digital skin analysis tools include Visia™ by Canfield Imaging Systems, Clarity Pro™ by Brightex Bio-Photonics, Beau Visage™ by Astron Clinica and PhotoPro™ by Profect Medical Technologies. Each machine provides an in depth look at what is happening within the skin but provide different features and equipment to do so. Professionals are advised to research the options available to determine which machine best suits their needs and practice. This is a great way to look at the skin and see measurable changes.