When considering a new personal and skincare product formulation or revamp, the purity of ingredients has to be of utmost important to the formulator. Why? Ingredient purity, quality and strength are now top consumer concerns, according to new research by experts in skin and personal care.

Today’s consumers are incredibly savvy about seeking out the purest ingredients for their next hair, skin, nails, facial, and personal care purchase.  This rise of highly educated consumers – practically acting as “ingredient detectives” – can be traced back to trends in traditional and social media.

As more and more influential publications, bloggers, vloggers, and Snapchatters encourage purchasers to turn a keen eye onto their next personal care buy, manufacturers are being put on the spot: they’ve got to deliver formulations that offer better results than ever before.

A simple solution to this growing consumer demand for more bang for the buck? Innovative manufacturers can – and should – incorporate the highest-purity ingredients into their next personal care product formulations and re-formulations.

Consumer safety, a growing demand for “natural, clean, and pure” products, and the current craze for clinical strength products delivered over-the-counter make the inclusion of high-purity ingredients into personal care products an imperative for innovative manufacturers everywhere.

Innovative manufacturers should incorporate the highest-purity ingredients into their formulations

The importance of ingredient purity for consumer safety

For example? Glycolic acid is a tried-and-true ingredient to add into skincare and personal care formulations, thanks to its stellar acne-fighting properties, anti-aging capabilities, and incredible exfoliative efficiency.

However, not all glycolic acid formulations are created equal. Glycolic acid, the smallest of all Alpha Hydroxy Acids, can be found naturally in products like sugarcane and beets. Additionally, glycolic acid can be produced synthetically. However, when produced synthetically, glycolic acid formulations can create include a dangerous byproduct – formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has been recognized by both the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control as a probable human carcinogen, a chemical that could cause cancer.

Thus, when using ever-popular glycolic acid in a personal care product, it’s necessary for manufacturers to use a high-purity formula. Like GlyAcid, since it’s produced using a proprietary acid saponification and purification process that does not use formaldehyde.

The high-purity ingredient inclusion in a product formulation isn’t only about creating the best product – it’s about consumer safety.

The growing natural claims market also demands high-purity products

Another reason to include high-purity ingredients in formulations? It’s the continued demand for “clean” personal care products. Today, consumers are seeking out “clean” and “natural” claims on their personal care products more than ever before – and this trend does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

The global organic beauty market is expected to reach $22 billion USD by 2024, according to new market research. And, in the past ten years, the natural claims beauty and personal-care item market experienced a $7 billion USD growth. Another component of the growing “natural” and “clean” claims demanded by consumers? Products that are deemed “vegan” and “cruelty free.” Experts predict a 6% growth in vegan and cruelty-free personal care products in the next few years, according to recent research.

As manufacturers, it’s important to note that while claims like “natural,” “clean,” and “vegan,” will drive trends, consumer’s number one concern when purchasing a new or favored product has always been – and will always continue to be – efficacy.

What does this highly effective and “clean” product craze mean for formulators?

Multifunctional and ultra-effective ingredients like high-purity glycolic acid will continue to be a popular additive and important addition to new and improved formulations for vegan, natural, or clean skincare products. Ingredients like GlyAcid can not only deliver on a variety of “clean” claims – but also create the visible results the purchaser needs. Higher-purity ingredients will always result in higher results for a user, which make adding these extra-strength formulations into products a top concern for manufacturers in the new year.

Consumers want clinical-strength, high-purity products – delivered over-the-counter

Glycolic acid has been widely touted by dermatologists, celebrities, and consumers as the wunder-ingredient to cure a majority of major skin care distresses. But in today’s increasingly competitive market, consumers are no longer satisfied with the mere addition of an ingredient to a product’s label. Instead, they search out the highest and purest concentration of an ingredient, as evidenced by the growing popularity of boutique, luxury brands promising epic results and revamped, professional-strength formulations by consumer favorites.

Luckily, ingredients like GlyAcid 70 HP, the first commercially available high purity glycolic acid in 70% solution, and GlyAcid 90 HP, the first commercially available high purity glycolic acid in 99% crystalline form, make it easy for innovative formulators to add the high-purity ingredients consumers crave into new and improved products.

The average consumer now wants the highest purity of ingredient in their skin care and personal care products. And innovators have a stunning opportunity to satisfy this ballooning desire.

A balancing act for formulators

Personal care and beauty product manufacturers know that creating a new formulation or shaking up an old favorite requires a delicate balance. Including high-purity products into these formulas can be expensive, but these are the ingredients being demanded more than ever by today’s consumers.

What’s a formulator’s best move in this tricky environment? If we haven’t made it obvious, already…

It’s to include powerhouse, multi-purpose ingredients like glycolic acid, in their highest purity, into both new and fan-favorite product formulations. In today’s increasingly competitive personal care market, now is not the time to skimp on the quality of what goes into these products. Instead, a focus on highly-effective, high-purity ingredients, like GlyAcid, will produce the kind of results both consumers and manufacturers can feel good – really good – about.