What you need to know

The growth of the market to £557 million in 2018 has been driven by bodycare as consumers do not understand the need for hand and foot products. Innovation trends see many brands focusing on all-purpose products and messages to meet a consumer need for convenience, increasing the struggle to differentiate from competitors.

Therefore, it is important for brands to develop personality and align themselves with consumer views, while also future-proofing their hand and footcare businesses. Links to wellness could work for footcare specifically, thanks to reflexology’s links with inner health, and products can think about feeding the organs with spiritual energy or friendly bacteria. Handcare may have a more difficult journey as consumers are strapped for time, but fortifying ingredients that improve the look of skin and nails are becoming a must.

Products covered in this Report

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel’s definition of body, hand, and footcare includes, as follows:

  • Handcare

  • Footcare

  • Bodycare, including:

  • Body lotions/creams, including those that match or are line extensions to men’s or women’s fragrances

  • Body moisturisers in formats other than lotion and cream, including sprays

  • Body butters

  • Emollients such as E45 cream

  • General-purpose products

  • Exfoliant products for body use, eg polishing grains and scrubs

  • Anti-cellulite products

  • Bust-firming gels, creams, and lotions

  • Fragrance treatment sprays

  • Tanning moisturisers – skincare with added tanning agent to build a gradual tan with frequent use

  • Men’s bodycare products

Excluded:

  • Therapeutic creams for skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema

  • Hardware products such as loofahs and massagers

  • Salon treatments which are applied by beauty therapists

  • Aromatherapy oils – although body lotions or creams formulated with essential oils are included

  • Depilatories or other hair removal products

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