Beauty and Personal Care

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the consumer goods market in Sub-Saharan Africa, with recovery expected to take place over time. Consumers expenditure has been negatively affected, as value seeking consumers shift to essential products. The…

Inflationary pressures and placing downwards pressure on baby and child-specific products. This is majorly owing to lower consumer spending powder, whereby consumers are seeking multifunctional products which can be used for babies and children as…

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) announced that it has seized and banned 435 cosmetics from the market. The products include skin brightening lotions, creams, gels and soaps that contain hydroquinone, mercury, and its compounds. Exposure to high…

Beauty and personal care saw an overall positive performance in Kenya in 2022, despite the challenges of inflationary pressures. Indeed, beauty and personal care is a growing industry in Kenya, propelled by the country's expanding young,…

Lip products are starting to see a revival, following the end of the era of pandemic-related face masks which covered the mouth and nose. During this time, many consumers neglected lip care cosmetics completely, while others opted for smudge-proof…

The performance in deodorants in Kenya is driven by growth in the urban population and rising incomes among Kenya’s burgeoning middle-class population, as these consumers audiences are those who tend to pay the greatest attention to their personal…

Many people embraced at-home beauty and personal care routines during the era of the pandemic, as salons were closed. Within this “home spa” trend, consumers also embraced at-home, do-it-yourself (DIY) hair removal. Now, post-pandemic, with salons…

The growing interest in grooming, which has resulted in more spending on beauty and personal care products, is what fuels sales of fragrances in Kenya. This is true for the majority of Kenyans, as the fragrance industry flourishes in the nation,…

With increasing hair care awareness among consumers, there is a growing trend towards natural hair and natural hair styles, and away from chemically straightened hair, which has led to many women cutting their relaxed hair.

Mass brands saw popularity in 2022, thanks to their lower prices being favoured by price-sensitive consumers facing inflationary pressures. Indeed, consumers are prioritising essentials over luxury items, which is also a continuation of trends seen…

Whilst we are seeing positive developments in men’s grooming, potential volume sales are somewhat suppressed by inflationary pressures. Overall, however, men’s grooming is becoming more popular in Kenya, coupled with the rising awareness of the…

We are seeing a slew of partnerships in beauty and personal care in Kenya, with such moves being a key strategy for players to stay a step ahead of the competition. Indeed, brands are going an extra mile to partner with organisations in a bid to…

Whilst premium beauty and personal care remains more niche than its mass counterparts, due to inflationary pressures leading to lower consumer spending power, the premium segment still holds great potential. For example, there is an increased…

Skin care in Kenya is a fast-growing industry, which has attracted many multinationals to launch their products in the territory. For example, as seen with the global giant MAC Cosmetics, which is well-known for its colour cosmetics overall, along…

One might expect that sun care sales in Kenya would be stronger, considering the country’s hot climate. However, this category is one which is seeing dampened sales due to inflationary pressures. Indeed, some consumers do not perceive sun care as…