The document discusses ethnic cosmetics and personal care products. It notes that the market for these products is growing as ethnic populations increase spending power. Different ethnic groups have different product preferences - for example, African American women prefer hair and skin moisturizers while Asian women favor skin lighteners. Manufacturers are developing more ethnically tailored products to meet these needs. The document outlines key hair, skin, and color cosmetic needs and products for various ethnic groups.

1. ETHNIC
COSMETICS
Dr Panner Selvam R
Associate Professor
T John College of
Pharmacy

2.  THE INCREASED purchasing power
of ethnic groups, and a forecasted
growth surge in emerging markets is
grabbing the attention of global
cosmetics and personal care
manufacturers.

3.  African-American women are said to be
less likely to use either makeup or skin
care products, as well as shaving
products, but are more likely than any
other ethnic group to use fragrances or
bath products.
 "It is apparent that once involved with
makeup and skin care products, African-
American women have the tendency to be
heavy product users and more brand loyal
compared with other ethnic groups."

4.  "The ethnic cosmetic and toiletries [C&T]
market in the US is flourishing.
 However, according to Packaged Facts,
ethnic groups such as Hispanics, African-
Americans and Asians spend much more -
about three times more - on general market
beauty products,“
 These individuals seek out products that
meet their beauty care needs.
 As a result, C&T manufacturers are looking
to match their products to the specific
requirements of their consumers,"

5.  Hispanic women, on the other hand, are
reportedly more likely to use makeup and
skin care products than their Caucasian
and African-American counterparts.
 Asian women are likely to use skin care
products more than any other ethnic
group, but are the least likely to use
fragrance or scented body care products.

6.  The ethnic hair care category consists mostly
of products that are formulated and
positioned for African-Americans, but the
sector of products designed for use by
Hispanics and Asians is growing.
 "In the hair care sector, more ethnic-specific
products are focused on hair texture as
opposed,“
 to just normal, dry or oily hair types
 "Ethnic hair care has a lot of damage control
needs to meet and this has generated focus
on new and functional products,"

7.  Silicones are said to have played a major role
in tailoring solutions for various ethnic hair
care.
 African-American hair as more fragile,
especially compounded by the use of
combing, relaxing and coloring treatments.
 "African-American hair is curlier and drier, so
moisturizing and straightening conditioning
benefits are often sought.
 Amino functional and high-molecular-weight
silicones can really help here as they help
hold in the moisture, especially when heat
styling,"

8.  While predominantly found in the African-
American group, tightly curly hair can also
be found in other ethnic groups.
 As a segment, this market sector has
many specific hair needs.
 It requires products which add moisture,
help to strengthen, protect, repair and
condition the hair, as well as to add
lubrication and shine,"

9.  Key ingredients mostly used in ethnic skin
care products include: alpha-hydroxy acids to
reduce ashiness of the skin, natural oils and
butter for moisturization and skin lighteners
for even pigmentation.
 Daily wear sun protection and skin whiteners,
meanwhile, are mostly popular in Asian skin
care products.
 "Skin-whitening is a widespread
phenomenon in Asia,"

10.  "Japan is the largest market, with an
estimated 15-17% of skin care sales
attributed to whitening.
 India has the highest penetration, with over
60% of skin care sales because of whitening
products.“
 "Demand for skin lightening formulas with
ingredients that control dark spots - a
common problem in the Asian population - is
expected to rise in tandem with disposable
income

11.  The field of cosmetics is an important one
for the dermatologist to understand.
 Patients apply several cosmetic products
to the hair, face, and body each day.
 Occasionally, patients have dermatologic
reactions to their cosmetics, and the
physician must be able to diagnose and
treat these conditions, and body each day.

12.  The misuse of cosmetic products can cause
hair and skin problems, so the dermatologist
must be aware not only of the specific products,
but also their appropriate use.
 Within the field of cosmetics there is the ethnic
product market.
 This market is traditionally known for products
developed specifically for the tightly curled hair
that is characteristic of most African Americans.

13.  Although hair care is still the cornerstone of the
ethnic market, specialized skin care and color
cosmetics are also available.
 According to the US Bureau of the Census,
30% of this country’s population is nonwhite,
and 80% of the world’s population is from
Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
 It is reasonable to expect to see a broadening
of the concept of ‘‘ethnic’’ products to reflect the
increasing diversity of the population in the
United States and the predominance of people
of color around the world

14. Hair care
Unique characteristics of ethnic hair
 The need for ethnic-specific products is based
largely on some of the unique properties of ethnic
hair.
 Asian hair tends to grow very straight, African hair
is tightly curled, and the hair of whites may fall
anywhere on the spectrum but is usually in
between these two extremes.
 Asian hair is generally round in cross section,
whereas African hair has the shape of a flattened
ellipse, with the hair of whites in between the two.

15.  African hair routinely has several small twists
along the length of the hair shaft, and neither
the fiber diameter nor the cuticle diameter is
consistent along its length.
 This means that there are several fragile
points along the length of African hair, and
hair breakage is a particular concern in this
population, even in chemically untreated hair.
 In addition, research has demonstrated that
African hair is less dense and tends to grow
more slowly than the hair of whites

16.  With the significant fragility of virgin
hair, the chemical processes
discussed later, and with slower
regrowth, alopecia is a major concern
for many African American women in
particular.

17. Hair relaxers
 Chemical hair straightening dates back to the
1940s.
 African American men gave rise to a process
called the congalene, or ‘‘conk.’’
 A homemade mixture of potatoes, eggs, and
lye was combed though the hair until the
burning sensation could no longer be
tolerated and was then rinsed out

18.  In 1954, the chemist George Johnson
revolutionized chemical straightening by
put-ting the lye in a petrolatum base.
 The lye-based relaxer dominated the
industry until 1978 when Mario De La
Guardia invented the first no-lye relaxer.
 Both lye and no-lye relaxers are still in use
today

19.  Thioglycolates for permanent waves, curls, and
thermal reconditioning
 Salts of thioglycolic acids, such as ammonium
thioglycolate and calcium thioglycolate, have
historically been used permanently to curl the straight
hair of whites, Asians, and Latinos.
 In the 1980s, these same permanents became popular
for African Americans as an alternative look to relaxer
hair, a style known as the ‘‘curl.’’
 These products are currently making a resurgence for
African Americans.

20.  Thioglycolates reduce disulfide bonds, converting cystine
to cysteine.
 Once this has been done, the hair is set on rods and
treated with a neutralizer, which oxidizes the cysteine and
reforms cystine, locking the hair in the new curl formation.
 Because of the resulting dryness of the hair, African
Americans use high-content glycerin products to keep the
hair moisturized.
 These same thioglycolates are used in the newly popular
‘‘thermal reconditioning’’ process, also known as
‘‘Japanese hair straightening.’’ In this process, the thiol
product is applied to reduce cystine.

21. Shampoos, conditioners, and
styling products
 Shampoos are used to remove sebum, other soil,
and product build-up from the hair.
 They are generally comprised of surfactants, foam
boosters, thickening agents, preservatives, and
other ingredients to impart desired fragrance,
color, and conditioning.
 Most deep cleansing shampoos use high-level
anionic surfactants, whereas milder and baby
formulations generally use a lower-level anionic
surfactant in combination with the milder
amphoteric surfactants

22.  Selection of a shampoo is largely a matter
of personal preference.
 African American women, however, must
achieve a delicate balance.
 The already dry, fragile, and sometimes
chemically treated hair is even more prone
to breakage when it is wet and during the
initial styling that is undertaken
immediately after it is washed.

23.  As a result, most African American women wash
their hair once a week, with some washing more
frequently but many washing only every other
week to prevent excess dryness and breakage.
 There may be a significant amount of product
build-up during the time interval between
shampoos, however, so the milder shampoos
may require more than one application.
 Conditioning shampoos are useful but for added
softness and detangling, the use of a conditioner
is usually desired.

24.  Hair styling aids are found in many forms
including sprays, gels, mousses, lotions,
creams, and pomades.
 They serve many purposes, including
providing hold, shine, or moisturization.
 There are a few points regarding styling
products that are salient for African
Americans in particular.
 Oils sheen sprays, holding sprays, and gels
are often used, sometimes on a daily basis.

25.  Because the hair is generally not
shampooed daily, however, the products
may build up.
 Some patients with already dry, fragile hair
find that these products exacerbate their
problem.
 These patients should be instructed to
look for products that do not contain
alcohol and hence are less drying.

26.  Pomade is used more frequently by African
Americans than by people of other ethnicities.
 The waxy substance has many uses, including
coating and protecting the hair; relieving dry
scalp; and conducting heat for thermal
appliance styling, such as hot combing or
curling ironing.

 As such, pomade acne is a condition that is
commonly seen in this population.
 For many patients with this condition, simply
ceasing pomade use may be difficult given their
hair dryness and styling needs.

27. Depilatories
 Chemical depilatories are commonly used by African
American men to remove unwanted facial hair.
 The use of these products is prevalent because of the
high percentage of African American men who suffer
from pseudofolliculitis barbae.
 Studies estimate the incidence of this condition in this
population to be between 43% and 83%.
 Although shaving leaves the end of the hair shaft with a
sharp edge, which is able to pierce the skin and
exacerbate pseudofolliculitis barbae, depilatories leave
the end of the shaft with a dull edge and helps to
prevent pseudofolliculitis barbae

28.  Depilatories remove hair by swelling and degrading the hair
shaft followed by the mechanical removal of the degraded
hair.
 In mainstream depilatory products, calcium thioglycolate or
sodium thiogylcolate are the commonly used active
ingredients.
 African American men often require products that are
stronger than the mainstream products, however, because
of the relative coarseness of their beard hair.
 Sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, strontium sulfide,
and barium sulfide have all been used with much greater
prevalence in ethnic products.
 Although these agents are much more effective at bond

29. Skin care
 In general, products address one of four skin
types: (1) normal, (2) dry, (3) oily, or (4)
combination.
 Although there is no difference in the
distribution of skin types between white
people and people of color.
 Dryness and oiliness are both particular
concerns for people of color.

30.  There are products for acne-prone skin,
aging skin, and sensitive skin.
 Because hyperpigmentation is a particular
concern for ethnic populations, two
categories of cosmetics significant to
people of color are discussed : skin
bleaches and brighteners that fade the
affected area, and the sunscreens that
can sometimes prevent the condition.

31.  Skin lightening and brightening products
 Dermatologists are accustomed to diagnosing and
managing the pigmentary disorders that are
prevalent in ethnic populations, including
postinflammatory hyperpigmentation and melasma.
 Dermatologists have a number of effective
modalities available to treat hyperpigmentation in
people of color safely, including hydroquinone
alone or compounded with tretinoin or topical
steroids, a-hydroxy acid and b-hydroxy acid
chemical peels, and laser use.
 Many people, however, first attempt to treat
themselves with over-the-counter preparations.

32.  The use of hydroquinone is a well-known cause of
exogenous ochronosis . Other adverse effects include
irritant and allergic contact dermatitis and colloid milia.
 Because of these risks, the cosmetic industry has
actively pursued the development of other agents to
lighten the skin.
 Because these ingredients are not listed in the FDA
monograph, they cannot be sold as ‘‘skin bleaches’’ or
‘‘skin lighteners’’ and must be sold as ‘‘skin
brighteners’’ or ‘‘skin toners.’
 African countries, hydroquinone, topical steroids, and
mercury are readily available to consumers without a
prescription.

33. Sunscreens
 The role of sunscreens for fair-skinned patients in the
prevention of skin cancer and photoaging is well recognized
and heavily promoted by dermatologists to patients.
 People of color do have a lower incidence of skin cancer than
fair-skinned patients, and less photoaging.
 The role of sunscreens for skin cancer prevention in these
populations has not been well studied, but their role in the
prevention and treatment of pigmentary disorders, such as
melasma, is well known.
 Mexoryl SX, an effective UVA filter that is currently available in
Canada and Europe, but not in the United States at the time of
publication.

34. Color cosmetics
 There are many types of color cosmetics and they are broadly defined by
function.
 Concealers, foundation, and pressed and loose face powders are used to
even the complexion.
 Blush is used to color and contour the face.
 Eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, and eyebrow pencil are used to define the
eyes.
 Lip pencil, lipstick, and lip gloss add color to the lips.
 Products may be liquids, creams, or powders.
 Factors influencing the consumer’s selection of cosmetics include color;

35.  Women of color tend to be particularly concerned
about the color of the cosmetics.
 Frequent complaints include make-up lines that do
not include colors that are vast enough or intense
enough to complement darker skin.
 In addition to wanting a greater range of shades,
women find it difficult to tell how a shade will look
on them once they get it home.
 The actual color of a product on the skin varies
based on the skin color background on which it is
placed.

36. Ethnic Skin Care
 Ethnic skin care companies tap into a
growing market with new products and
advanced ingredients.
 With more money in their pockets, it’s clear
that the ethnic population is ready to shop;
but are marketers ready for them?
 Once considered to be a niche market,
personal care companies now recognize the
growth that the ethnic segment is
experiencing and creating new products to
capitalize on this increasing opportunity.

37.  “Ethnic specific products were a pretty
tiny segment of the skin care category,”
 “It wasn’t getting attention from retailers
or marketers.
 However during the past 10 years that
has started to change partly because of
the fact that marketers have been
becoming more brave about positioning
themselves as ethnic specific.”

38. References
 Victoria L. Holloway, MD, MPH. Ethnic cosmetic
products. Dermatol Clin 21 (2003) 743–749
 www.ethnicitycosmetics.com
 https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2007/
07/16/9044787/a-surge-in-ethnic-cosmetics/