Looking beyond blemish-prone teens, new acne treatments target adults

Drug Store News, Oct 11, 2004 by Antoinette Alexander

It is no secret that anti-age treatments continue to be all the rage in the beauty care aisle, but for millions of consumers, their skin care needs go far beyond smoothing wrinkles.

Millions of Americans suffer from acne and nearly everyone has experienced, to varying degrees, skin problems at some point. Contrary to popular belief, teens are not the only ones battling blemishes. In fact, according to a Johnson & Johnson Skin Care Attitudes and Usage Study, half of women ages 25 to 65 define ideal skin as having no acne, and more than 70 percent of women ages 25 to 49 had experienced acne in the past year.

Manufacturers are taking notice and are racing to produce the most innovative and effective treatments in battling pimples, while at the same time, boosting their bottom lines and bolstering front-end sales. According to Information Resources Inc., acne treatments pulled in $130.3 million in the drug channel for the 52 weeks ended Aug. 8.

Helping to fuel that growth are products that promise to get deeper into clogged pores, to even skin tone with patent-protected formulas and to blast blemishes with multi-step regimens.

Clearasil, a division of Boots Healthcare USA, has seen success with its acne-fighting products and, according to IRI, experienced the highest sales for the 52 weeks ended Aug. 8:$12.7 million, up nearly 30 percent compared with the year-ago period.

Clearasil's growth is due in part to its new Clearasil Ultra Treatment Cream, a leave-on cream that at $7.99 has attracted older consumers. Clearasil plans to extend the two-SKU Ultra line in January.

Feeding off the growth in the men's grooming category, Clearasil also has developed a new Clearasil For Men line, which includes shave gel, shave balm, acne scrub and face and body wash for $4.90 each. Most drug chains have positioned that collection with other acne-fighting treatments, except for a few chains that are trialing it with men's grooming.

Cris Burson-Thomas, marketing manager for Clearasil, believes that the growth in the acne treatment category stems from new innovations and customers realizing that they must not only treat blemishes, but also prevent them--and, in turn, use more products.

While men have proved that they are not afraid to take care of their skin, manufacturers that can reach adult women effectively certainly stand to benefit, as research has shown that women are more likely than men to experience acne later in life.

Johnson & Johnson markets its Clean & Clear line to teens and young adults, but it is targeting adult women with its Aveeno Clear Complexion line, which is infused with moisturizing soy extract. The newest edition to the line is the Daily Cleansing Pads, which debuted in August for $6.99.

L'Oreal Paris has struck a cord with adult women with its multi-step skin care regimen Pure Zone, which was created for teens and young women.

"Because our heritage and expertise are grounded in anti-aging, Pure Zone has created incremental business within our existing customer base beyond the originally targeted audience," said Carol Hamilton, L'Oreal Paris president and general manager.

Procter & Gamble's Olay has taken notice of the growth in the segment and has expanded its cleansing portfolio to include Daily Facials Intensives, described as "grown-up skin care for rebellious skin."