The company noted that there is growing consumer interest In APAC region, such as Japan, where as many as 56% of women believe they have sensitive skin.
Wang attributes the large number to the increasing awareness of the effects of environmental factors, personal lifestyle habits, and psychological stress.
These factors can negatively impact how consumers look and feel with many perceiving their skin irritation part of having 'more sensitive' skin, resulting in a higher demand for sensitive skin care.
Additionally, this trend is accelerating because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is pushing people to frequently wear masks.
“The pandemic also brings a lot of skin sensitive problems since wearing masks all day, and it also further raises the consumers' attention to skin problems,” said Echo Wang, marketing specialist, care solutions at Evonik.
The company said sensitive skin care would continue to flourish in markets such as China, where widespread issues like urban pollution were driving consumers to pay more attention to the skin.
“These consumers are willing to use more specialised sensitive care products. They’re paying more attention to ingredients and effects as well as technology, and products with efficacy verification can gain more trust from consumers,” said Wang.
As consumers begin to gain a deeper understanding of sensitive skin, Wang predicts there will be more emphasis on products that claim to repair the skin barrier in addition to relieving the sensitivity.
“More and more, consumers are realising that the main reason of skin sensitivity is related to the damage of skin barrier and that repairing it is the key and best solution to relieve skin sensitivity.”
Active bags award
Recently, Evonik’s Rovisome Sensitive NG won the 2020 Ringier Technology Innovation Award for Personal Care in China, beating 184 other entries submitted by 108 companies.
Rovisome Sensitive NG is based on calendula and licorice extract and utilises a specialised delivery system.
This technology helps to increase the bioavailability of actives in deep epidermal skin layers, boosting its effectiveness.
According to the German-headquartered company, this delivery system is what makes the active ingredient stand out in the market.
“The biggest problem faced by active ingredients is their bioavailability rate. Only when the deep skin level is achieved can the effect of active ingredients be played,”
Additionally, the active has a high Sustainability Product Index, which enables formulators to develop sustainable solutions.
According to Evonik, its studies have demonstrated that Rovisome Sensitive NG can mitigate irritation-related markers after exposure to insults like UV exposure.
Additionally, in vivo studies showed that it can skin irritation when utilised with retinol, a commonly known skin irritant.
“We are proud to be recognized for delivering products and solutions that create value and competitive advantage for our customers. Evonik is committed to contributing to the industry by creating high performance, environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions that meet consumer needs.” said Evan Wu, VP of Evonik Care Solutions Asia Pacific.