Israeli beauty

December 21, 2009 - 9:42 PM by Jessica

I hadn’t given too much real thought to the Israeli cosmetics industry until I was asked to do a kind of global piece about it for Women’s Wear Daily, one of my assigning newspapers. Yeah, sure, I’ve rubbed my share of Ahava cream into my hands and feet, and I tend to prefer Super-Pharm drugstores to any other Israeli drugstore chain. But perfumes? Which shampoos and conditioners are the most popular? What types of makeup are used most? Hadn’t thought about it, although I still do tend to ‘import’ my own mascaras and blush, ordering online from drugstore.com and Sephora.

A good bit of research, many phonecalls and a few days later, I had some answers. Seems that Israelis care a lot about skincare, primarily because of the hot sun glaring down on us for many months of the year. Makeup is more of a “mood purchase”, with older rather than younger women looking for different products and brands. At the same time, Israeli women, like their global sisters, are seeking high quality beauty products in their quest to look younger. And the newer, the better.

With the constant, strong sun exposure, many Israeli cosmetics companies emphasize skin care. Whether it’s issues of age, the strong light or the different ethnicities possessing a range of skin tones, the focus has been on creating creams that offset those concerns. Israelis are willing to spend on skin care. Careline has found that Israelis will replenish their skin care products about every three months. Makeup is more of a mood purchase here, and one that older women tend to invest in more than younger.

“There’s a major influence in Israel of the young on the older generations,” says Iris Sade Friedman, manager of cosmetics marketing for Careline. “Israelis want to look younger and you have to work hard here for that, because of the sun, the quality of the air and the desert sands that can blow for days on end. You don’t have that kind of weather to contend with in Europe. It wreaks havoc with your skin. At the same time, Israeli women have joined their global sisters in the kinds of beauty care products they seek, says Vidovsky. While Israelis may have more dry skin or age spots than European or American women their age, they want to look younger and are willing to spend money on the products that will help them look better. What is specifically Israeli about their approach is that Israelis love new products and are constantly seeking out what is new and different, which has resulted in an unintended—and beneficial— consequence for beauty companies.

“Israel is an incredible market for brands to test new ideas and concepts,” says Ido Leffler, chief executive officer of Yes To Carrots. “It’s a very multicultural society for such a small market, and as such, you get a wide, dynamic viewpoint of how people are going to feel about your product.”

One more point of interest: What Israel sells in the cosmetics arena for export is anything to do with the Dead Sea, currently $165 million worth of products, manufactured by Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories and others, including L’Oreal Israel.

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Tags: Ahava, Careline, Super-Pharm, WWD, Yes To Carrots • Category: Business, Environment, General, Israeliness

Comments

2 Comments on Israeli beauty

Batya on Tue, Dec 29th 2009 10:11 PM

I was surprised to discover that I could get the best deal on sun screen, the more cosmetic face one, in my Kupat cholim (Le’umit Sick Fund) pharmacy. It’s discounted there.

Jessica on Thu, Dec 31st 2009 9:15 AM