Beauty and Personal Care

Retail developments have played a fundamental role in the growth of skin care. The proliferation of pharmacies across the country has spearheaded growth of skin care led by Fybeca, which has increased the number of retail outlets with an emphasis on…

There has been strong growth in the availability of dermocosmetics in Costa Rica over the past two years, supported by the presence of Derma Care centres in pharmacies. Farmacias Fischel has been spearheading the growth, offering an increased variety…

Premium fragrances witnessed a significant improvement in 2022 as consumption continued to recover post-pandemic. However, current value sales still remain below pre-pandemic levels. The return of international travel in 2022 has led to an increase…

Costa Rican consumers are increasingly opting for dermocosmetic skin care brands. Local dermatologists usually recommend dermocosmetic brands such as La Roche Posay over premium brands such as Lancôme, L’Occitane, and Clinique as they directly…

During the review period, a number of small brands of locally produced mouthwashes witnessed solid growth, including the domestic alcohol brand Weir that has extended its portfolio to include mouthwashes. Local brands have sought to take advantage of…

Oral care products are considered essential products in Costa Rica and are therefore seeing further growth in 2022, although downtrading is evident as price-sensitive consumers are looking to economise. In the largest category, toothpaste, consumers…

In recent years there has been a significant increase in men’s cosmetic shampoos aimed at strengthening hair and preventing hair loss. Rising levels of generalized stress in Ecuadorian society has impacted men and women in recent years, with hair…

There was a rise in the popularity of barbershops in Costa Rica before the pandemic, with men increasingly visiting them for the latest cuts and styles. While some of these barbershops went out of business during the pandemic, several have reopened,…

A large proportion of mass fragrances and colour cosmetics sales are made through the direct selling channel in Ecuador. Direct selling was hard hit during the pandemic, with many of the sellers in this channel becoming inactive as orders reduced for…

With rising inflation and living costs, consumers in Costa Rica have become increasingly price-sensitive and are looking to make savings where they can. Companies in mass beauty and personal care are therefore offering new volume sizes for certain…

Stress-related problems have been on the rise among the Ecuadorian population since the pandemic, with economic problems only adding to the list of growing concerns. The general feeling of stress within the country has led to higher numbers of people…

With rising prices, hair products have become very expensive in Costa Rica in 2022, even for higher income consumers. Larger volume presentations became very popular during 2020; however, in 2022, consumers’ purchasing decisions are based on price,…

In 2022, the fragrance category witnessed a strong rebound in sales after a sizeable decline following the pandemic. The first few months of the year were affected by the omicron variant, but after these restrictions were abolished and social…

With consumers no longer wearing masks in 2022, returning to their old social habits, kissing each other on the cheek when greeting, they want to present themselves well and smell good. This is driving healthy current value and volume growth in…

The lack of social gatherings and events during the pandemic led to lower use of depilatory products in Ecuador. However, with the impact of COVID-19 dissipating in 2022, social gatherings have once again become more widespread triggering the start…

With consumers being more price sensitive, pre-shave products such as the shaving foams offered by Gillette, Nivea, and Barbasol continue to see declining volume sales in 2022 as they are perceived to be non-essential and easily substitutable items.…

Deodorants achieved another solid year of growth in 2022 as the category recovered from the pandemic. Many people had spent time at home and used far less deodorant during the long periods spent at home. As consumers resumed normal lifestyles in…

Considered an essential product, deodorants record further growth in 2022; however, brand loyalty is waning as consumers look to economise due to the difficult economic climate and high inflation in Costa Rica. To encourage consumption, some…

During the pandemic, demand patterns changed substantially due to the use of face masks in most public places. Consumers chose to limit the use of lip products as they stain the face mask as did other types of facial make-up. Consequently, these two…

There has been a clear increase in the range and variety of nail polish products available in retailers in Costa Rica in 2022. The OPI brand entered modern retailers with an aggressive strategy and wide variety of colours and options, including…