If you are a skincare enthusiast or have been in the industry, you must be well-aware of the recent, near-sudden popularity of ceramide creams. A few brands had started commercializing ceramide creams around a decade before. However, their demand reached an all-time high with the popularity of Korean skincare in the global market in 2015.
To better understand the importance of ceramide creams in the skincare industry, let’s first understand why they are important for skincare.
What are Ceramides?
Ceramides are Lipids, a type of fatty acid that makes up 50% of our outer skin layer. They are the binding agent to keep skin cells together and act as barriers to protect the skin against external harm. Their molecular structure allows them to retain moisture, which keeps the skin supple and healthy.
While our body naturally produces ceramides, some skin types are naturally deficient compared to others and need to be supplemented with skincare products.
Additionally, aging, exposure to the sun, and various other environmental factors are all responsible for a reduction in the ceramide a body produces naturally. Therefore, most people end up needing to compensate for the deficiency eventually.
How Is Ceramide Important for Skincare?
Ceramides play an important role in protecting our skin from external pollutants and keeping our skin supple and moisturized.
Skin Conditions
The absence or deficiency of ceramides leads to people having dry skin, which is easily irritable. An example of an extreme form of ceramide deficiency is observed in people with skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis that lead to dry skin that is prone to flare-ups and irritation.
Aging
Having ceramide-rich skin helps combat aging. Having fewer ceramides leads to skin dehydration, which causes wrinkles. Therefore, the opposite results in healthier, more moisturized skin, which remains wrinkle-free for longer periods of time.
At least 8.4 million people in the US alone have dry skin, which puts the sheer importance of ceramide in perspective when it comes to skincare. This also provides an idea about the approximate demand for ceramide-rich skincare products in the market.
Demand for Ceramide Creams
While the market was initially slow to respond to ceramide creams, things changed drastically after 2015. Influenced by Korean skincare trends and armed with their new knowledge about the benefits of ceramide creams, customers showed a sudden interest in ceramide creams.
“This surge in demand is noteworthy not just for the leading brands in the market, but also the skincare retailers.“
While the skincare brands are struggling to adjust to this demand and established competition, retailers and wholesalers also need to readjust their shelves to incorporate these products.
The Market for the Ceramide Creams
Let’s look at some of the market stats pertaining to the global market for ceramide and projections for the future.
- The ceramide market growth is expected to have incremental growth worth $90.09mn from 2019 to 2024.
- The annual growth rate for 2020 is expected to be 5.50%
- Increasing global wellness expenditure (worth $7.8 billion in 2019) has created a massive demand for ceramide.
Some of the most prominent beauty, skincare, and wellness bloggers have been heavily promoting ceramide creams. Millennials and Gen-Z are the most prominent target groups, the ones driving the demand for specialized skincare. Hence, ensuring the availability of the product becomes important.
This demand has some prominent skincare brands struggling to cope. A select few companies like Estée Lauder and Unilever were quick to respond to changing demands and proceeded to acquire popular K-Beauty brands like Dr. Jart+ and Carver Korea, respectively. Other companies are also considering acquiring or partnering with K-Beauty brands.
Ceramide & K Beauty
While the skincare brands are coming to terms with this new dynamic, what challenge or opportunity does it create for the retailers?
As of now, there is no clear market leader in this category. Although brands have started developing ceramide-based products, none of them can attain the position of the ‘best in the market.’
However, a key factor here is that K-Beauty products generally have the image of having natural ingredients like ceramide and hyaluronic acid. This gives them an edge over their competitors who are just now opening up to this possibility and are a step behind in establishing this brand image.
While the absence of a market leader is a challenge, retailers and wholesalers can also treat this as an opportunity by investing in K-Beauty products, which already have massive demand and an established image of being more natural.
This will result in skincare enthusiasts choosing the retailers offering K-Beauty products for their skincare purchases. Given the size of the ceramide market, this figure will lead to a significant increase in profits. Since many retailers have not realized the demand yet, the ones benefitting the most are those who move quickly and establish themselves as the go-to place for customers for their skincare needs.
The Most Popular Ceramide Products
We have looked at why ceramide skincare has become popular and why it is unlikely to go away. Now, let’s look at some of the most popular ceramide creams in the market, which, as a consumer or retailer/wholesaler, you should consider investing in.
1. Dr. Jart+ : Ceramidin Cream
This moisturizing cream from Dr. Jart+ is an all-time favorite of many skincare and wellness enthusiasts. Like other ceramide products, this cream also caters especially to dry skins. Dr. Jart+’s 5-Cera Complex, Bifida ferment lysate, and beetroot lock the moisture in the skin and keep it protected against environmental factors like pollutants and sun rays.
It has ample recommendations from consumers and needs to make it to the shelves of all skincare retailers.
2. HolikaHolika : Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream
This ceramide-based cream is immensely popular among people with dry and sensitive skin and has been able to garner notable recommendations and good reviews. It boosts the skin’s elasticity, making it supple, smoother, and plumper. The ceramide hydrates the cells, which gives the skin a fully moisturized feel.
With elements of shea butter and a pH of 5.5, the cream has amazing moisturizing and regenerative properties, which help the users neutralize painful reactions from basic skin irritation and redness. It is a popular product for people with dry and sensitive skin and definitely one that needs to be in every skincare retail store.
3. Missha : M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF42
A perfect combination of skincare and makeup, this product by Missha offers the moisturizing hydration of the ceramide in the form of a BB Cream. Besides the moisture-locking benefit, this product provides protection from sun damage and covers skin discoloration.
It provides good value for money and mixes well with other products. Because of its popularity, it will draw customers to the stores where it is available.
4. The Face Shop : Rice Ceramide Moisturizing Emulsion
This moisturizing emulsion is ideal for dry skin types as it’s made with a formula that keeps skin moisturized, returning it to a healthy condition. It relieves cracked, rough, and flaky skin and forms a protective layer against common environmental pollutants.
This emulsion is lightweight and helps seal in the moisturizer while reducing dark spots and hyperpigmentation, which is very convenient to users with specific skincare concerns.
Final Thoughts
In this blog post, we have been able to explore the many reasons why ceramide-based skincare products became immensely popular and what their current market status looks like. The key takeaway for consumers is to give the products mentioned in the list a try if they have dry skin. They have received ample recommendations from users with the same skin type, which means they are tried and tested.
For the Retailers/Wholesalers
If you are a retailer or a wholesaler in the skincare industry, we hope this article has succeeded in giving you the insights needed for your business. Given the uncertainty of the markets, it is understandable to be more cautious about your investment decisions. However, research has so far shown that the skincare industry has seen growth in the past year.
We Can Help
There is certainly an opportunity for your business to cater to the demand for ceramide-based products. If you are looking to partner with a supplier for the Korean skincare products which specialize in ceramide skincare, we are here to help!
UMMA offers wholesale K-Beauty products to interested wholesalers or retailers. Partnering with us comes with a range of benefits, including:
- Give you access to the biggest Korean skincare and beauty brands.
- Help you stay ahead of the competition.
- Stay updated about the latest trends in K-Beauty.
If you’re still unsure, you can still sign up to take a better look at the trends in the market! Simply register on our website for free and get a registration bonus you can use directly on your first purchase!
