Growing popularity of the beauty ingredient “retinol”! What is the difference with people who are interested in “cica”?

Growing popularity of the beauty ingredient “retinol”! What is the difference with people who are interested in “cica”?

Recently, “retinol” is promoted in ads for its wrinkle-reducing effects. Once considered difficult to incorporate into cosmetics, many Japanese and Korean cosmetics now have retinol products. What made people interested? We compared it with data for the ingredient cica, which has exploded in popularity in recent years.


First of all, what is retinol and cica? We asked an expert

First of all, what kind of ingredients are retinol and cica? We asked beauty analyst Takae Kochigami.

Takae Kochigami:
"Retinol is an ingredient that stimulates skin renewal. It makes the skin feel smooth and is effective in treating fine lines. However, as effective as it is, it can also be irritating to the skin. Since applying retinol alone can cause strong irritation, all cosmetic manufacturers include ingredients that are compatible with retinol to help reduce the stress on the skin.

In fact, retinol has been attracting attention as an active ingredient for a long time, but due to insufficient guaranteed safety and evidence, it has been difficult to qualify it as a quasi-drug. Shiseido was the first company in Japan to launch a product containing retinol with their product ELIXIR.

Cica, on the other hand, is an ingredient that has been used for many years. The main ingredient is Centella extract, which has an anti-inflammatory property. It is also used as a medicine to suppress inflammation post-medical beauty treatments.

If retinol is 'offensive cosmetics' that is both effective and stimulating, cica can be considered 'defensive cosmetics' that suppresses inflammation."

Innisfree & Kiehl's helped boost retinol’s popularity. Was it also influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Next, let's take a look at the trends in people searching "retinol." This research was conducted using VALUES' online behavioral data analytics tool "Dockpit,” which allows you to analyze competitors’ websites and research trends using behavioral data that is updated monthly, all within your browser.

Below are the changes in the number of people searching for "retinol" over the past two years. The number of people searching fluctuated around 40,000 from January 2021 to July 2021 and has been gradually increasing since August 2021. Since the beginning of 2022, there has been a significant rise in February to March and May, and an upward trend has also been observed in September and November.

Figure: Changes in the number of people searching for “retinol”
Period: January 2021 - December 2022
Devices: PC & smartphone

In February 2022, when the number of people searching increased, the Korean cosmetics brand Innisfree launched its Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule, a serum containing both retinol and cica. This product has become so popular that it won second place for the Best Cosmetics Award for the first half of 2022 on the Japanese cosmetics and beauty website @cosme.

Similarly, Kiehl's Retinol Serum has remained popular since its release in September 2021. These products appear to have helped boost the popularity of retinol.

Additionally, online cosmetics and beauty shops have sales several times a year. In particular, Qoo10, which sells many Korean cosmetics, has a sale called “Megawari,” meaning “mega discount,” four times a year, around March, June, September, and November. This seems to be associated to the increase in the number of people searching for retinol.

Takae Kochigami shared the following perspective.
Takae Kochigami:
I think the COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to the popularity of retinol. During the pandemic, the need for cosmetic dermatology increased due to the inability to meet people. Similarly, there were many people who wanted to improve their skin and appearance using retinol to become prettier while they were unable to meet people in person.”

Differences in the needs of people searching for retinol and cica

What is the difference between people searching for retinol and cica? Let's look at gender, age groups, and keywords.

People in their 20s for retinol and people in their 40s for cica

The chart below shows the trends in the number of people searching for retinol and cica over the two-year period from January 2021 to December 2022. You can see that the number of people searching for retinol is increasing while the number of searches for cica remains around 30,000.

Figure: Changes in the number of people searching “retinol” and “cica”
Period: January 2021 – December 2022
Devices: PC & smartphone

Next, we will look at data for the period from January to December 2022. Regarding the gender ratio of people searching for "retinol" and "cica," over 80% of people searching were female. Women are more interested in beauty products as a whole, but men are slightly more interested in cica than retinol. Men may be more concerned about improving rough skin than reducing wrinkles, as men can have rough skin from habits such as grooming their facial hair.

Figure: People searching “retinol” and “cica” by gender
Period: January 2022 – December 2022
Devices: PC & smartphone

Looking at the search data by age group, we can see that most people searching “retinol” are in their 20s. Among people in their 40s, more people search for "cica" than "retinol." It is likely that young people in their 20s are the first to respond to new beauty findings like “retinol.”

What’s interesting is that younger age group of people in their 20s are reacting to “retinol,” which promotes its anti-aging claims. In addition to wanting to try something new, people may be considering retinol if they want to quickly treat areas where they notice early signs of aging, such as smile lines or wrinkles between the eyebrows or at the corners of the eyes.

Figure: People searching “retinol” and “cica” by age group
Period: January 2022 – December 2022
Devices: PC & smartphone

Interest towards retinol as an ingredient, cica for its beauty products

Next, let’s take a look at other search keywords that are of high interest to people. Looking at the keyword combinations for "retinol," some skincare brands include Kiehl's, ZO SKIN HEALTH, and Innisfree. Names of other ingredients also ranked, such as niacinamide and vitamin C derivative. Takae Kochigami provided her analysis regarding the reason behind the interest in the many different ingredients.

Takae Kochigami:
"Retinol can be too irritating when used alone, so you need to mix it with other ingredients to balance it out. Even products that use the same retinol can have different effects and efficacy depending on how much of the other ingredients are incorporated. This is why people are exhibiting high levels of interest in other ingredients."

Figure: Interest words for people searching “retinol”
Period: January 2022 – December 2022
Devices: PC & smartphone

On the other hand, in addition to skincare brand names, specific beauty items such as “serum” and “sheet mask” also ranked for cica. It can be said that people searching for retinol are particular about beauty ingredients, and people searching for cica are looking for beauty products and cosmetics to use.

Figure: Interest words for people searching “cica”
Period: January 2022 – December 2022
Devices: PC & smartphone

There is also interest in using retinol in combination with other ingredients

When looking at the keyword combinations, names of other ingredient are frequently searched together with “retinol.” It is also notable that words such as “combined use” and “usage” are also mentioned. Since retinol is a highly irritating ingredient, people are likely looking for ways to soothe skin irritation caused by using retinol and the precautions.

Figure: Keyword combinations with “retinol”
Period: January 2022 – December 2022
Devices: PC & smartphone

If you look at the inflow webpages for the keyword combination for “combined use" and “retinol,” you will see web pages addressing the compatibility of the ingredients and how to use them. In particular, it is characteristic that the pages are lined up with negative titles such as “It's not compatible,” “You shouldn't do it,” and “Effectiveness is reduced by half.” People searching probably are worried that their skin will react negatively and irritate their skin and it will be difficult to heal.

Figure: Inflow web pages of keyword combination of “retinol” with “combined use”
Period: January 2022 – December 2022
Devices: PC & smartphone

Now, for the keyword combinations for cica, it is often searched in combination with “retinol” and “usage,” with overlapping interest with retinol. People searching may be comparing methods for mixing retinol with other ingredients and comparing to secure benefits of both "defensive ingredients" and "offensive ingredients."

Figure: Keyword combinations with "cica"
Period: January 2022 – December 2022
Devices: PC & smartphone

VT (VT Cosmetics) also appeared in the keyword combinations ranking, and web pages about VT products were also listed on the inflow web page for the keyword combination with "mask" and “cica.” It is thought that VT's cica masks attracted attention.
VT is a Korean cosmetics company. Considering the popularity of products from Korean cosmetics brand Innisfree, Korean cosmetics are likely to remain popular for some time.

Summary|Retinol focuses on other ingredients and combination use

Searches for “retinol” can be summarized as follows.
・Retinol is currently highly recognized among people in their 20s.
・Retinol is expected to be effective in treating fine wrinkles, but it is also highly irritating, so people are interested in the ingredients it can be mixed with and using it in combination with other ingredients.
・Sometimes it is used in combination with cica, which is a "defensive ingredient."
・Korean cosmetics, including skincare products, are expected to remain popular.

When creating content related to retinol, it is a good idea to cover information about ingredients and how to use them together, assuming that you understand the product and have the supervision of an expert. It would be a good idea to aim for the release date to coincide with a sale on a shopping website that handles cosmetics.

Some people may have been preparing their skin for the day when COVID-19 subsides and they take off their masks. Will there be products like Innisfree and Kiehl's that greatly influence search trends in the future?

[Research overview]
・Analysis based on online behavioral data and user attribute information with the cooperation of consumer panel members nationwide
・Behavioral data analysis target period: January 2021 - December 2022 and January 2022 - December 2022
*Volume is estimated based on the frequency of the consumer panel participants owned by VALUES and according to the Internet population in Japan.
*Target devices: PC and smartphone

About Dockpit

▼Data from Dockpit was used in this case study. Dockpit is an online behavior analytics tool provided by VALUES, Inc., and it allows you to access online behavioral data (updated monthly) via your browser so you can research competitor websites and investigate trends. There is a FREE version of Dockpit, so if you are interested in using it, please register below.

dockpit Get free version

※日本語での記事はこちらをご確認ください

人気の美容成分「レチノール」の検索者が急増中!「シカ」に関心がある人との違いは?

https://manamina.valuesccg.com/articles/2202

「しわ改善に」などのフレーズで、「レチノール」という成分の名前を広告やTVCMで見かけるようになりました。レチノールはかつて化粧品への配合が難しい成分とされていましたが、ここ数年で、日本の大手化粧品メーカーや韓国コスメでも使われるようになっています。レチノールにいち早く反応している人は、どのような気になりごとを持っているのでしょう。ここ数年で人気が爆発した成分「シカ」と比較して、調査しました。

この記事のライター

Born and raised in the Bay Area, U.S.A, I was fascinated by the different social and purchasing behaviors between Japanese and American consumers. I studied communication for undergrad and international marketing for my graduate studies. My professional background is in bilingual recruitment and Japanese-English translation.

関連するキーワード


「化粧品」市場調査

関連する投稿


【調査リリース】Z世代メンズの美容意識を調査 ミレニアル世代より10%以上高く70%以上が美容に関心

【調査リリース】Z世代メンズの美容意識を調査 ミレニアル世代より10%以上高く70%以上が美容に関心

SNS上のバズやトレンドへの感度が高く、流行を生み出す世代として注目のZ世代。企業のライフタイムバリュー(顧客生涯価値)を高めるためには、顧客ライフサイクルが長いと思われる若い世代の獲得は避けて通れません。そこで今回は、「メンズメイク」「メンズコスメ」への関心が高まっているという背景から、Z世代男性の美容に関する意識や購買行動を、ミレニアル世代と比較しながら調査。美容潜在層を顕在層にするために、どのような環境やきっかけが必要なのか、現役Z世代アナリストが分析しました。


「美容成分オタク」のオンライン行動を分析!スキンケアの情報収集実態に見る、コミュニケーションのヒント|セミナーレポート

「美容成分オタク」のオンライン行動を分析!スキンケアの情報収集実態に見る、コミュニケーションのヒント|セミナーレポート

近年、美容インフルエンサーの発信により特定のスキンケア成分がフォーカスされ、「成分関心層」が増加しています。今回は、@cosmeを運営するアイスタイル社が保有する、日本最大級の美容に関する生活者データと、ヴァリューズが保有するオンライン行動データを活用。成分に関する情報感度の高いアーリーアダプター層に注目し、その裏にあるユーザーインサイトから、成分関心層と取るべきコミュニケーションを探ります。※本セミナーのレポートは無料でダウンロードできます。


Increasing popularity among men? Investigating the needs for “sunscreen”! Latest Edition [2024]

Increasing popularity among men? Investigating the needs for “sunscreen”! Latest Edition [2024]

As men's cosmetics receive increasing attention, what are the consumer needs for sunscreen? Also, does the quality of sunscreen differ depending on the season, with summer and winter? We will analyze changes in needs and consumer psychology for sunscreen based on the behaviors during the consideration stages.


メンズの注目高まる?「日焼け止め」ニーズを調査!2024年最新版

メンズの注目高まる?「日焼け止め」ニーズを調査!2024年最新版

メンズコスメへの注目が高まる中、生活者の日焼け止めへのニーズはどのようになっているのでしょうか。また、夏と冬、シーズンによって日焼け止めに求められるものは異なるのでしょうか。本記事では、日焼け止めの検討行動から、ニーズの移り変わりと消費者心理を紐解いていきます。


 Which is the favorite for 2023? Investigating the popular Holiday Cosmetics Discovery Set the "Christmas coffret"!

Which is the favorite for 2023? Investigating the popular Holiday Cosmetics Discovery Set the "Christmas coffret"!

Cosmetics are the most popular during the holiday season, and various brands release their Christmas coffrets. A “coffret” is very festive, and because they are limited edition and very rare, popular brands require a reservation to get your hands on them. Today, we will investigate and analyze these popular “coffrets.”


最新の投稿


現役大学生のうち約4割がマスメディアよりSNSを信用!情報は正確性よりも"早さ"で選ぶのが主流【RECCOO調査】

現役大学生のうち約4割がマスメディアよりSNSを信用!情報は正確性よりも"早さ"で選ぶのが主流【RECCOO調査】

株式会社RECCOOは、同社が運営するZ世代に特化したクイックリサーチサービス『サークルアップ』にて、最新のZ世代調査として「情報リテラシー」をテーマにした調査を実施し、結果を公開しました。


コスモヘルス、シニア世代の保険加入に関する実態調査結果を公開

コスモヘルス、シニア世代の保険加入に関する実態調査結果を公開

コスモヘルス株式会社は、同社が運営するシニア専門の調査プラットホーム「コスモラボ」にて、保険に関する市場調査・アンケートリサーチを実施し、結果を公開しました。


カスタマージャーニーマップ(体験設計のアウトプット)|現場のユーザーリサーチ全集

カスタマージャーニーマップ(体験設計のアウトプット)|現場のユーザーリサーチ全集

リサーチャーの菅原大介さんが、ユーザーリサーチの運営で成果を上げるアウトプットについて解説する「現場のユーザーリサーチ全集」。今回はカスタマージャーニーマップ(体験設計のアウトプット)について寄稿いただきました。※本記事は菅原さんの書籍『ユーザーリサーチのすべて』(マイナビ出版)と連動した内容を掲載しています。


コンタクトレンズを使用したい子どもは6割以上!対して9割超の親が子どものコンタクトデビューに不安あり【メニコン調査】

コンタクトレンズを使用したい子どもは6割以上!対して9割超の親が子どものコンタクトデビューに不安あり【メニコン調査】

株式会社メニコンは、小学4年生以上中学3年生以下の子どもを持つ親を対象に「子どものコンタクトレンズ選びに関する調査」を実施し、結果を公開しました。


Z世代が最も利用しているSNSは「YouTube」で利用率8割超!前年から利用率が最も伸びたのは「BeReal.」に【サーバーエージェント調査】

Z世代が最も利用しているSNSは「YouTube」で利用率8割超!前年から利用率が最も伸びたのは「BeReal.」に【サーバーエージェント調査】

株式会社サイバーエージェントは、インターネット広告事業の「サイバーエージェント次世代生活研究所」において、「2024年 Z世代SNS利用率調査」を実施し、Z世代が利用しているSNSおよび各世代のSNS利用率・認知率を発表しました。


競合も、業界も、トレンドもわかる、マーケターのためのリサーチエンジン Dockpit 無料登録はこちら

アクセスランキング


>>総合人気ランキング

ページトップへ