“Anti-aging won’t fall”

Nearly one in three facial skin-care products launched in the U.S. last year were touted as having anti-aging benefits, market researcher Mintel says Feb. 18. Sales of anti-aging formulas reached $1.6 bil. in 2008. In contrast, sales of facial cleansers which accounted for $570 mil. last year. Milestone caps off years of robust growth for the anti-aging category, which advanced 13% in the U.S. from 2006 to 2008, outpacing general facial skin-care sales, which grew less than 11% during the period. "Anti-aging won't fall to the recession," says Kat Fay, senior beauty and personal care product analyst at Mintel. "Looking young is extremely important to many women, especially Baby Boomers, and it's not an issue they're willing to compromise on because of tightened budgets. Many women see anti-aging skincare as a reasonably priced investment in their appearance and well-being." Hot new anti-aging ingredients include sirtuins, a class of proteins that boost cellular longevity, Mintel notes. LVMH and The Estee Lauder Companies are among firms using sirtuins in anti-aging skin-care products (1"The Rose Sheet" Sept. 22, 2008, p. 3)