Dermstore.com Announces 500th Brand

DermStore.com, an online source for luxury skin care and cosmetics, has announced the acquisition of its 500th brand.

"DermStore has been known for our impressive array of brands and for specializing in serious skin care. In recent years, we have placed a heightened focus on expanding our site to offer our customers an even wider selection of products, ranging from physician-strength formulas to fun color cosmetics to hard-to-find niche favorites," says Dan Obegi, DermStore CEO. "Reaching 500 brands is a milestone for our company–we're now at the top of the beauty e-tail market and can provide shoppers with virtually any item they're searching for."

DermStore launched in 1999 with the vision of fulfilling the unmet need for a reputable dermatologist-backed online store, carrying only the finest cosmetic dermatology products. Since that time, it has evolved into what it says is the premier online destination for beauty and skin care products. DermStore is not merely a distributor of high-end skin care and cosmetic products, it says, but a safe haven for beauty brands to sell their products and consumers to purchase them with confidence.

DermStore now has more than 500 brands and over 17,000 products. Some of its most popular lines include Dermalogica, SkinCeuticals, Egyptian Magic, Obagi, Jane Iredale, Sonya Dakar, Phytomer, Glytone and Kinerase – however, the list expands as new luxury brands are added monthly.

Report Says Personal Care Consumers in Conflict

Consumers across the globe consider personal care products formulated with natural products as being better for them, however there are still concerns over the efficacy of natural ingredients, finds a new report from the independent market analyst Datamonitor.

More than half of global consumers (52%) believe that natural ingredients are better for them, according to Datamonitor’s July/August 2010 consumer survey, indicative of a ‘healthy halo’ that consumers feel they get from using natural rather than synthetic ingredients, which has driven the market for natural personal care products. Consumers believe that synthetic ingredients can irritate the skin due to the chemicals used such as phthalates, parabens and triclosan and are increasingly looking for natural alternatives.

This pursuit of healthier ingredients is also reflective of a broader concern over the ingredients used in personal care products, an extension of a trend used in the food and beverage industry. Globally, Datamonitor found that 57% of consumers were either extremely concerned, or somewhat concerned about knowing the ingredients used in cosmetics and toiletries. There is however a significant knowledge gap, as the Datamonitor survey also found that just 16% of global consumers considered themselves highly informed about the impact of chemicals used in everyday products on their health.

Despite the growing concern over the ingredients used in personal care products, consumers were also found to be ambivalent over the efficacy of natural ingredients in personal care. Just 37% of global consumers agreed with the statement health and beauty products formulated with natural ingredients are equally as effective as non-natural products, whilst 44% neither agreed nor disagreed. This would suggest that marketers still have some way to go to convince consumers that natural ingredients are just as effective as synthetic ingredients.

Matthew Jones, consumer trends analyst at Datamonitor, says, “Shoppers will not be prepared to sacrifice performance benefits when it comes to personal care, particularly as many are actively seeking to minimise the time spent on personal hygiene/grooming. Price is also a factor, as consumer will find it difficult to justify any price premiums when there is doubt as to whether they will even see good results”