It was private want that pushed Amina Grimen and Ayat Toufeeq to launch an e-commerce website devoted to skincare. The pair have been struggling to resolve their very own skincare issues and had no entry in Dubai to the clean beauty merchandise that have been turning into standard all over the world. And in order that they launched Powder.ae in 2018, turning into the primary firm to supply the GCC area with “clean” skincare and make-up merchandise.
Since then, a number of manufacturers have emerged in the Middle East specializing in clean beauty, as customers in the area turn out to be extra conscious of the components that go into these merchandise.
There isn’t any regulated definition for what may be categorised as “clean”, however typically they’re merchandise void of toxins, generally created and packaged with sustainability and environmental ethics in thoughts.
“We outline it as unhazardous. Skincare and beauty merchandise which might be free of components which might be primarily not good for you,” says Grimen. “Consumers are involved about what they’re placing on their our bodies and pores and skin and this making them snug in their very own pores and skin – it’s not about concealing however somewhat enhancing your pure beauty.”
The world cosmetics trade is projected to succeed in $463.5 billion by 2027 in response to Allied Market Research and inside that, skincare and clean beauty is among the many quickest rising segments. In the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) area, the cosmetics skincare market was valued at $4.67 billion in 2020 and is anticipated to develop to $5.05 billion by the tip of this yr, earlier than surpassing $6 billion in 2024 in response to Statista.
Traditionally, most cosmetics merchandise have been bought offline from legacy manufacturers like L’Oreal, Mac and Lancôme. But the rise of social media gave start to new, online-led manufacturers, some a consequence of collaborations with celebrities and influencers and these legacy manufacturers, others solely new cosmetics corporations based and led by celebrities. These embody wildly profitable manufacturers like make-up artist Huda Kattan’s Huda Beauty, singer Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and actuality TV star Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics, all of which adopted a web-based first, direct-to-consumer method.
Prior to the pandemic, 40 per cent of Gen Z and 42 per cent of millennials bought cosmetics on-line, now, after the pandemic, on-line gross sales of cosmetics have elevated and the trade is being disrupted as soon as once more – this time, with the rise in demand for clean merchandise and skincare. Makeup manufacturers have shifted their focus onto skincare, even Huda Beauty, Fenty and Kylie Cosmetics have launched their very own skincare strains. For Powder, competitors has intensified as a number of clean beauty e-commerce websites have emerged together with Glow Getters, Hoiisa, Balmessence, Beautiful Brands, Aspire Beauty Co, Secret Skin and Miss Pallettable, all of that are primarily based in the UAE, the nation with the very best spend per capita on cosmetics in the area.
“We are seeing that many legacy manufacturers are hopping on board the ‘clean beauty’ motion, however area of interest or indie manufacturers are successful the race with customers. We consider it’s because customers are extra assured with manufacturers which have sustainability at their core which have a tradition of transparency which customers are after. They additionally supply extra option to the educated and digitally savvy customers in the area and globally,” says Grimen.
While the development for clean beauty started a number of years in the past in the US, it’s finally because of the pandemic that progress has rocketed. As do business from home grew to become the norm and the obligatory must put on face masks was applied all over the world, make-up gross sales declined, particularly offline. Coupled with the messaging round self-care and wellbeing throughout this time and taking care of one’s immunity, focus shifted to ‘goodness from inside’.
“Just as persons are consuming more healthy, exercising extra, and taking care of their our bodies, they’re now taking care of their pores and skin. Skincare has actually turn out to be a frontrunner in the beauty house following Covid,” says Grimen. “It was already on the rise in the previous couple of years, however the pandemic with the rise of self-care has fast-tracked the trade. As a consequence, wellness and selfcare is turning into a life-style affecting all sides of life somewhat than being an occasional observance.”
The give attention to wellbeing has permeated different sectors too, together with meals and health.
“They overlap and intertwine,” says Sarah Al Shaalan, analysis analyst for life-style and behavior at Mintel. “It extends past clean consuming to clean dwelling and there may be way more consciousness in terms of that. Middle East customers are tech savvy in terms of bloggers and Instagram and audiences interact nicely with advertising and marketing methods which have clean merchandise, these with no chemical substances or components and embody components that aren’t dangerous on the pores and skin.”
But, there may be nonetheless a necessity for extra schooling and understanding of what we’re placing in and on our our bodies. Secret Skin founder Anisha Oberoi is seeking to goal younger ladies to lift consciousness of components used in the beauty trade.
“I need to go to varsities and speak to younger ladies earlier than they begin utilizing beauty merchandise, we need to allow the ladies in this area to personal and handle their very own well being,” says Oberoi. “In this area the impetus on recycling is constructing, gross sales of natural groceries have gone up, each beauty model is making an attempt to clean up their act. The buyer is much more intelligence, they’re turning the field and searching on the preservatives which might be in the product.”
While the clean beauty sector is rising in the area, the likes of Powder, Secret Skin and others are dealing with challenges that different e-commerce startups at present face coupled with a male-dominated funding market that’s solely simply realising the funding alternative in this house.
“For a small however rising startup equivalent to ours, elevating consciousness in an costly digital market that’s crowded has been difficult,” says Grimen. “Additionally, as we proceed to develop, discovering and attracting the proper expertise on a finances has additionally been tough in terms of matching wage expectations. The expertise is right here however discovering somebody with abilities who is able to play the lengthy sport takes time.”
