The link between cosmetics and household products

Nowadays, consumers expect similar brand values from the household products they buy as from personal care. Imogen Matthews, consultant to in-cosmetics, investigates how personal care and products for the home are becoming increasingly entwined.

In his industry trends presentation at this year¹s in-cosmetics show in Paris, Tim Westall, of marketing consultancy New Solutions, outlined the case for "the new domesticity", the leading edge of a trend that he maintains may have a big impact on the beauty and personal care industry. He said: "Beauty will no longer be the domain of just cosmetics and toiletries brands, it will be increasingly owned by cleaning products and household appliances."

Westall cited a number of books recently published which detail this "new domesticity" phenomenon. American professor of Law, Cheryl Mendelson wrote "Home Comforts", which became a runaway best seller in the US, striking a chord with many working women who felt a desire to return to the home. Westall observed that even hardcore feminists among book reviewers admitted incorporating many of the book's tips into their own cleaning routines.

Across the Atlantic in the UK, Rita Konig has been hailed as the latest successor to the Mrs Beeton tradition with her spin on household management entitled "Domestic Bliss". Her book builds on the idea that the home is an extension of a woman's personality and that it is as important to her that her home is admired as much as she is.

Quest International is working with traditional laundry product companies and showing them how fragrance can be used in new and innovative ways within the detergents markets. Borrowing ideas from fragrance, fashion and consumer lifestyles categories, Quest is challenging these companies to look at ways of adding value to laundry products. Ideas include a pampering handwash powder based on a soft feminine fragrance which can be used forb special and delicate clothes, and natural refresher wipes for use on clothes which are not especially dirty but could do with freshening up without washing. Other fragranced-based concepts include an assortiment of "tea bags" for the wash containing mood-enhancing essential oils, and a washing powder incorporating UV protection which provides increasingly effective protection the more the clothes are washed.

Several cosmetic and toiletries companies have been quick to pick up on the "new domesticity" trend by creating new sub-sectors for home-based products within their portfolio. Much of their appeal is their ability to hark back to the way things used to be, rather than the modern pursuit of everything that is new and different. One of the better-known brands is Crabtree & Evelyn, whose collections encompass bath and body care as well as home fragrance, accessories and gourmet foods. For the home, candles, linen and room sprays, padded hangers and drawer liners are designed to lightly scent each room with a favorite fragrance. Another brand with its roots in cosmetics and personal care products, Estée Lauder Company Origins, markets home care products under the Clean Sheets name, which includes a fine linen wash, candle and room freshener.

Two French-based companies have a strong focus on protecting fading traditions and reintroducing old traditional recipes to their ranges. L'Occitane was created by Olivier Baussan who used a traditional method of extraction to produce L'Occitane¹s first products based on essential oils extracted from local plants in his native Provence. Several of the signature fragrances, including verbena, rose and lavender, are used across bath, bodycare and home products, so that a customer can choose his/her favourite scent across the range.

Former managing director of L'Occitane, Olivier Ruth, set up his own specialist company in 1997 called Durance en Provence, which also follows time honoured traditions and techniques for extracting and blending essential oils for its luxury skin, bath and body, home fragrances, home care and linen care ranges. As one might expect from a premium toiletries brand, the prices are not cheap by household products standards, but have a certain "je ne sais quoi" that cannot be found among mass-market brands.

Dish Washing Detergent and Multi Purpose House Cleaner {priced at c.$17 per litre} contain essential oils of sage and grapefruit whose natural antiseptic properties help to keep the house clean, and which have the aroma of rural France. And Scented Liquid Detergent with Anti Dust Mites is an innovative formula unique to Durance en Provence, in a selection of fragrances that are reminiscent of fresh summer mornings designed to personalise the scent of your clothes and wardrobe. Other home products in the range include Perfumed Vacuum Granules, Pillow Perfume, and Perfumed Ashtray Sand. Each product comes in 19 different fragrances and include Tea Leaf, Tomato Leaf, Bamboo, Red Fruits and Verbena.

US brand Caldrea bears the strapline "the spirit of keeping home" and claims to sell the first line of aromatherapeutic household cleaners. The laundry products include a laundry powder, fabric softener, linen spray and automatic dishwashing liquid in four signature fragrances -lavender pine, citrus mint ylang ylang, green tea patchouli and jasmine lily.

Westall observes that there are many more companies such as these, all bringing a mainstream aethetic dimension to the household. "We think it represents the start of the re-feminisation of the household - where as much care and love is lavished on the home as on the self", he comments. "The blurring of distinctions between products of services for Œself' and those for Œhome' could lead to significant opportunities for brands to extend into territory previously considered too stretching."

Also see: night creams and estee lauder

About The Author:

April Tom is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-cosmetics.com. Tips on skin care, hair care and beauty products to bring out natural beauty.