The retail buyers in attendance at Indie Beauty Expo Los Angeles 2020 were on the hunt for products to help their customers feel better, not just look better.
That’s the takeaway from the results of the beauty trade show’s buyer survey revealed in parent company Indie Beauty Media Group’s latest edition of Anthology of Independent Beauty, a digital recap of the two-day expo and the two-day BeautyX Summit that immediately preceded it. The survey was sent to the more than 500 buyers representing retailers such as QVC, Ulta Beauty, Goop, Dermstore, Erewhon, The Detox Market and Asos that packed the downtown LA venue Magic Box at The Reef for IBE LA from Jan. 29 to 30.
Among the 15 brands singled out by survey respondents, almost half were in the CBD beauty and wellness category. Others were ingestible brands delivering stress relief and sleep-supporting supplements. Even sex toys and sound bath instrument manufacturers received survey shout-outs, making it clear that the beauty retail environment of yore filled with conventional fragrance, color cosmetics and skincare is evolving into holistic shopping addressing a broad range of consumer demands.
The shift is reflected in recent initiatives from the nation’s largest beauty retailers. In May last year, Ulta Beauty debuted a robust wellness selection in 350 stores as well as online, and introduced its shoppers butt masks, detoxifying bath soaks and pubic hair grooming aids. A few months later, in August, the beauty giant announced its Sparked initiative to foster emerging brands without wide retail distribution. While much of the Sparked merchandise fits the traditional Ulta Beauty product mix, two brands, Love Wellness and Ora Organic, just make ingestible items. Additionally, Sephora last week announced a CBD Standard along with the expansion of its CBD assortment to include several Prima skincare products, signs that the omnichannel retailer believes the ingredient isn’t a passing trend. Creating the perfect cat eye might always be stressful, but at least skin can chill out.
“We see this as a win not just for Foria, but for women across all life stages.”
Foria Wellness was one of the brands survey respondents cited most. The sexual wellness specialist sits at the intersection of popular product segments with an array of cannabis products designed to meet the intimate needs of humans with vaginas. “We are honored and grateful for this recognition,” enthuses Foria chief growth officer Jenny Gorenstein. “We see this as a win not just for Foria, but for women across all life stages. Culturally, we’re on the cusp of a pleasure and sexual wellness revolution.”
Though the expo marked Foria’s first time exhibiting at IBE, the brand has been around since 2014, well before the 2018 passing of the federal Farm Bill ignited the CBD beauty and wellness boom. “We saw IBE as the perfect vehicle for bringing these important topics to the forefront. We were thrilled with the buyer response. There was a shared energy and passion to support their core customer base in new and profound ways across intimacy, pain relief and wellbeing.” says Gorenstein. She highlights that Foria’s arousal oil, lube and vaginal suppositories were winners with buyers at IBE embracing the sexual health and wellness category. The brand also produces a basics line of CBD wellness items that will be extended in the spring. Foria was joined by self-love promoter Dame Products, and CBD brands BLNCD Naturals, Moon Mother Hemp Co., Winged, Rituel and Dazey CBD in garnering buyer attention, according to the post-IBE LA survey.
Wellness was the belle of the ball, but skincare was shown some love, too. Legacy spa brand Yon-Ka Paris scored several survey mentions, proving that targeted skin solutions will always have a place of honor on beauty retail shelves. Unlike the majority of brands at IBE LA, Yon-Ka Paris is no neophyte. The family-owned company has been in the beauty game for almost 70 years, and its immense collection of face and body care products is available at 5,000-plus spas around the world.
“We connected with major buyers from Ipsy, Planet Beauty and Neiman Marcus, and with a good amount of industry experts, enthusiasts and media under one beautiful roof,” says Amal Amgaad, communications manager for the United States at Yon-Ka Paris, about the brand’s IBE LA experience. “We also were able to meet and engage with so many of our customers and influencers, which have made Yon-Ka part of their beauty routine.” At IBE LA, Amgaad noticed the Yon-Ka Paris products buyers gravitated to were the regenerating concentrate Elixir Vital, which was chosen by Planet Beauty buyer Mel Sweet as one of her favorite products from the show, invigorating facial mist Lotion Yon-Ka PS and Hydra No. 1 Masque, an anti-aging hydrating and repairing mask.
Hess Klangkonzepte rounded out the 15 brands identified by buyers in the post-IBE LA survey. The German maker of singing bowls and accessories for use during body work, mediation and sound baths has been having a banner year thus far despite being an atypical beauty trade show exhibitor. In addition to being picked as an IBE LA buyer favorite, the brand won an IBE 2019 Best in Show Award, nabbing the prize for best device/tool/accessory. Hess Klangkonzepte will return to IBE later this month on its own turf when it exhibits at the second IBE Berlin from March 25 to 26.
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