Hero ingredients, skincare, and cosmetic brands’ highlights are technically more than marketing tools, claims, and buzzwords. They form the core of formulations, responsible for delivering the desired effects that these brands promise.
A thoughtful selection of its hero ingredients shapes a brand’s formulation package and identity. They comprise the most crucial elements the brand’s story rests on and elicits market differentiation.
How do brands then ensure proper claim substantiation for truth and transparency?
That’s where we come in. Freelance Formulations' dedication to supporting entrepreneurs in the beauty industry remains unwavering. We always strive to empower you with a deeper understanding of the industry and set you up for brand success.
That’s why we are providing a detailed answer to the above question. Allow us to provide you with thorough edification of the topic of hero ingredients!
What Accurately Describes Hero Ingredients?
Hero ingredients are the key active components or substances in skincare and cosmetic formulations, primarily responsible for delivering a product's promised benefits and desired effects.
These ingredients offer multiple benefits backed by scientific studies, can be used across categories and applications, and are easily obtainable. One of their significant advantages is their consistent availability, making them reliable choices for formulation.
Hero ingredients are carefully selected for their specific properties and proven efficacy, making them the cornerstone of a brand's formulations.
Often possessing unique characteristics, they differ from other components in the formulation. Hero ingredients may be natural extracts, botanicals, vitamins, peptides, or cutting-edge scientific compounds, each chosen for their ability to address particular skin concerns or cosmetic needs.
How Can Brands Select Their Hero Ingredients?
Brand owners can undertake a combination of efforts to identify their hero ingredients:
1. Current Market Trends: One approach is to take advantage of prevailing market trends. For instance, hero ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and peptides are popular for anti-aging skincare products. Entrepreneurs may approach formulation experts to replicate existing market-leading products that feature these ingredients. Another way is to create new and innovative product concepts utilizing these well-known hero ingredients. Opting for established components typically require less consumer education, as people are already familiar with their proven benefits.
2. Personal Remedies: Some brand owners may come forward with unique solutions inspired by personal experiences. They might have discovered an all-natural at-home remedy for a specific skincare issue or medical condition. Seeking to commercialize their successful remedy, they enlist the expertise of formulation specialists to transform it into a market-ready product.
3. Market Gap Analysis: Others adopt a meticulous approach by conducting in-depth market analysis. By doing so, they identify gaps in the beauty industry where demand for specific products is yet to be met. Armed with this insight, these entrepreneurs collaborate with experts in the field, like Freelance Formulations, to bring their visionary products to life and meet the unaddressed needs of consumers.
4. Consulting with Cosmetic Chemists: Formulation experts can conduct extensive research and select appropriate hero ingredients with a comprehensive understanding of the problem the brand aims to solve. Choosing this route requires the brand to clearly communicate its products’ desired effects and user experience to the experts. To that end, formulators can tailor their formulations to meet specific needs and deliver products that truly resonate with consumers.
How Can Brands Validate Their Hero Ingredients’ Impact?
There are two important technical steps to grasp: the raw material form of hero ingredients and the finished products made with them.
Formulators play a vital role in selecting hero ingredients. However, they are not mandated to test and validate the effectiveness of these ingredients in their raw material form. This responsibility lies with the suppliers or manufacturers through rigorous testing before introducing them to the industry.
The favorable results, including clinical trials, in-vivo, and in-vitro testing studies, are accessible to the formulator and other interested parties.
However, when it comes to testing and validating the impact of hero ingredients in the finished product, it is essential to work with specialized companies that offer clinical testing services.
Clinical testing conducted by specialized agencies offers objective and reliable data, assuring the brand and its consumers that the product's claims are not mere marketing hype but based on verifiable scientific findings.
With scientifically-backed evidence that their products work as intended and are safe for use, brands can foster credibility and consumer confidence.
Conclusion
As the backbone of a brand's product offerings, hero ingredients contribute to the overall effectiveness and credibility of their products in the competitive beauty market.
By utilizing different strategies and seeking formulation professionals' assistance, brands can confidently select their hero ingredients.
To ensure the impact of their hero ingredients, brands should prioritize using clear and credible claims firmly backed by scientific evidence. It is essential to avoid exaggerating or making misleading claims about these ingredients.
With our 30+ years of combined experience, the Freelance Formulations team has the expertise and industry partners to support your brand.
Contact us today to help you make formulas with innovative, clinically proven hero ingredients.
We can’t wait to meet you!