Twincraft Innovation: Color Changing Mask

By: Twincraft | Jan 22 2019

skincare

Now, more than ever before, consumers look to Instagram and YouTube for product reviews and information. They make purchasing decisions based on what catches their eyes on these social sharing platforms, and it’s difficult for brands to stand out on these platforms as they become increasingly more crowded.

At Twincraft Skincare, it’s our duty as a contract manufacturer to create innovative, effective, natural skincare products that push the boundaries of customer expectations. However, in this crowded space, a good formula alone isn’t enough to guarantee sales. Often, “Instagrammability” and shareability play an increasingly important role in making a product that will keep consumers coming back for more, and capturing nostalgia is another proven technique to win over potential buyers.

Targeted Trends

‘Instagrammability’

Making a product that will get shared and liked, potentially going viral, isn’t an exact science, but there are key trends and ideas to consider when developing a skincare product specifically for an Instagram-focused audience, such as Millennials and Gen Z.

#TextureTuesday is a popular Instagram tag that focuses on product appearance in a sensorial way.⁴ It is an evolution of the ‘shelfie,’ and as consumers move away from excessive product packaging towards more simple and sustainable options, it’s a good way to get a product to stand out on the crowded platform. A product highlighted under this tag is removed from its packaging and photographed with a close-up look at its texture, which can range from watery serums, to gooey gels, fluffy clay masks, and dense body butters.

Instagram marketers are increasingly using video to drive more engagement on the platform, and social media strategists suggest incorporating a mix of both video and images in to a successful social strategy. Videos don’t get as many likes as a photo would, but they promote longer engagement times and more comments, which is ideal for the skincare community.³ Transformational products are the perfect subjects for video sharing, as they are able to quickly communicate a unique texture and ‘wow’ factor.

Capture Nostalgia

Another major way to grab consumers’ attention is to focus on nostalgia as an appeal to their more emotional side. Vogue declared nostalgia the biggest fashion trend of 2018, and the runway and fast fashion stores are both filled with a spectrum of throwback styling choices, ranging from grunge-inspired plaid to streetwear straight out of the early aughts.¹ Google’s search data corroborates this claim, and the rise of high shine lip gloss indicates that makeup and skincare trends are prepared to follow suit.²

Consumer research often finds shoppers yearning for the past in times of societal stress and turmoil. 2019 is shaping up to be as stressful a year as 2018 was, and we can expect to see consumers continue to relax and find comfort in small everyday experiences and products, which feeds into this need for nostalgia.

Color Changing Mask

Our Color Changing Mask targets each of these trends with a natural, unique formula. Most current color changing skincare technology is massage-based, so we went a more innovative route to accomplish what looks like a magical color shift, featuring encapsulated bead technology.

This mask uses our Hydrogel Moisturizer as its base with blue clay added to it as a natural blue colorant. Small beads with encapsulated red powder are suspended in the mask, and when the mask is applied to the skin, the beads burst, releasing the red colorant throughout the base. The result in appearance is a shift from light blue to purple as the blue clay and red powder mix.

The idea is very similar to our Charcoal Burst Cleanser, and there are many different marketing stories that can be told by the type of bead used, as well as with the encapsulated ingredients. The color of the base and the color of the beads can be altered as well, but we advise using strong primary colors to showcase the transformation in the best possible way.

To use, apply a thick layer of the mask to clean, dry skin. Massage mask into the skin, focusing on bursting the beads. Watch as the mask transitions from blue to purple. Leave on for 15-20 minutes, and wipe off. Skin will be left hydrated and soft.

This mask is sure to be noticed on Instagram with its color changing ability and unique, silicone-free opaque hydrogel texture. The transformation happens quickly, taking just a few seconds, which is fast enough for the internet’s short attention span.

It will also capture the eye of Millennials looking for that nod to nostalgia. Children of the 1990s embraced the fun of color changing technology, featured in Hypercolor t-shirts, mood rings, and plastic cereal spoons. These products all relied on thermochromics to achieve their color changing ability, which reacts to temperature changes. This mask’s technology is a much more natural and mature way to experience that fun factor.