Finding a consumer regularly turning to in-salon beauty treatments was once rare as hen’s teeth, but today may be more a dime a dozen. In-salon treatments are on the rise – in Australia alone, there has been annual growth in the sector of 2.2 per cent. It’s predicted to be amassing just under $5 billion in revenue each year.
What’s behind this boom? Says IBISWorld: “[It’s] propelled by greater demand for beauty treatment services due to income growth and the emergence of new markets. A rise in discretionary income and population growth have supported demand growth, while increased image consciousness among men has boosted demand for services such as hair removal.” Summarises Dermalogica’s Emma Hobson: “You can’t compare. It’s akin to brushing and flossing your own teeth versus visiting a dental hygienist!” Below BD takes a look at what consumers can expect from the sector in 2016:
Locks turn back the clock
Hair remains a key area of treatment, but has expanded far beyond a cut and colour – hair offerings now target hair condition at its core. Damage-reversal is dominating the trends with treatments riding the same wave of success as booming offering Olaplex. Says ambassador Caterina Di Biase: “In-salon hair care treatments can be used to help repair hair in need of some extra TLC and are also a terrific way to ensure and maintain the health and beauty of your hair; a type of hair-insurance.” It’s led to the brand releasing Pro Fiber. Says Di Biase: “It’s an in-salon treatment that uses Aptyl 100 to repair, restore and reconstruct damaged hair, no matter the severity.”
recently launched TREAT.ME range – a personalised, targeting range that focuses on anti-ageing, thickening moisture, and strengthening locks through deep nourishment. For Murphy it’s an extension of traditional hair care, the brand distinguishes itself with “personalisation, mixology, ingredients and the fact we work on scalp health and rejuvenation as well as repairing hair.”
Rebuilder Protein Hair Reconstructor is another treatment focusing on hair condition. Company director Mary Centofanti says of the trend: “Focus is on in-salon treatments that can treat hair that has been damaged by strong chemical services such as multi-bleach applications, which so many of us go through to achieve our ideal colour. Unfortunately this can leave our hair damaged, brittle and prone to breakage.” Davroe has jumped aboard the bandwagon, releasing its latest innovation to target damage at the hair’s core. Says Centofanti: “Our rebuilder protein hair reconstructor product is amazing at renewing and restoring health and elasticity to hair.”
Deep down in the epidermis
Infusions are now big business, with brands creating treatments that assist in penetrating into the skin’s deepest layers. Driving ingredients further and further into the epidermis (and yielding much greater results) is key to a slew of new developments. Says Bianca Roberton from Environ Skincare: “Gone are the days where clients want deep, traumatic and unnecessary peeling for anti-ageing treatments, Environ medical needling and peptide infusion treatments are the most anti-ageing treatments on the market. Not only do they offer guaranteed results, but these treatments are done without disrupting the epidermis and causing possible post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation.”
Innovative technology is key to infusion. She explains of the brand’s latest offering: “Environ offer a Time Defy Peptide Treatment that involves the use of a highly technical formulation of three powerful peptides that are infused with low frequency sonophoresis to stimulate cell communication and impact the release of Collagen type one in the deepest layers of the skin. The skin responds by rebuilding necessary connective tissue in areas of the face that collapse and wrinkle with age.”
Dermalogica has been equally focused on penetrating the skin with technological advancements. Of the brand’s latest development, Hobson explains: “The ingredient technology trend is to create highly active ‘professional use only’ products, packaged in the latest carrier systems, which are delivered further and faster into the skin for rapid penetration by the use of the latest equipment technology such as Micro-Current, Ultra Sound and LED. The results can be quite remarkable.” The skincare brand’s latest development utilises this. “The [IonActive™ Power Treatment] is a highly active and personalised skin treatment which intensely targets stubborn skin concerns including ageing, pigmentation, acne, sensitivity and dehydration. [It] combines the art of personalisation with the science of ionisation to drive active ingredients faster and farther into the skin.”
Similarly, technology that can recreate the effects of invasive procedures without being considered as such, remain popular. New Zealand’s The Face Place offers consumers access to a Thermi-RF Series to assist in “revealing fresh spring skin”. Janelle Brunton-Rennie from the company explains that they include options such as ThermiTight® – facial lifting for the neck and jowls and ThermiSmooth® – facial smoothing without needles. The latter embraces radiofrequency energy to gently heat the skin and stimulate the remodelling of existing collagen.
Says Sonia Clifford of Medik8, technological offerings are essential for maximising results: “Professional treatments have a higher concentration of actives and therapists are trained to recommend and perform treatments that will yield the best results for their clients’ skin. Clinicians also use devices such as the Healite II, low level light therapy, in conjunction with treatments to maximise results and outcomes from the treatment.”
Hydration station
Radiance remains a popular request for consumers, with brands like Medik8 formulating deeply hydrating treatments that focus on plumping skin. The brand’s latest release is a Medik8 Radiance Mask, of which Clifford explains: “It is an instant radiance-boosting mask enriched with L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to be used specifically in Medispa treatments. It contains powerful key active L-ascorbic acid to fight free-radical damage and helps improve the appearance of dull and devitalised skin. The formula incorporates liquid crystal technology to enhance the delivery of ascorbic acid and natural grapefruit oil for a refreshing experience. It is [a] pampering, easy-to-use mask that will leave skin appearing brighter, more radiant and instantly hydrated.”
Interest in brightening and plumping extends into the rest of the complexion. Says Hayley Fahd state trainer of Ella Baché: “[The focus is on] skin brightening and tightening, it’s all about clear skin and an even complexion.” Take the SpiruLines Eye Lifting Patches for example: “They are specifically designed to firm and plump fine lines and wrinkles and reduce puffiness and dark circles around the eye area. [Incorporating] state of the art Bio-Cellulose mask fibres, that give complete adhesion to the skin, infused with amazing active ingredients like hyaluronic acid and adenosine to re-energise and restructure the skin, resulting in a more youthful, brighter eye area.”
