These past few years, products with a medicinal look and feel are capturing our attention. You’ve probably seen it, too: crimped tubes and minimalist labels, or a brand’s clinical and inviting vibe on your Instagram feed. And they might be part of your skincare shelf — Summer Friday, The Ordinary, and Topicals, to name a few.
In a fascinating recent Reel, brand consultant Katie Stone talks about the "ointment-ification" of skincare. She says, "Consumers care more about efficacy than ever...In order to convey that to a consumer, brands are making their products look more pharmaceutical."
As someone has tried many prescription and over-the-counter ointments for eczema and acne, I couldn’t get this out of my mind. This “ointment-ification” could indicate a broader shift in what consumers want from skincare — functionality and healing. And there are layers to this, especially when you consider the aspirational component of skincare and a cultural lens.
Not Your Grandma's Muscle Balm
At Ghlee, we’ve just ventured into our first bodycare product: our Ghee Muscle Balm. “This is not your grandma’s muscle balm. It’s a beautifully designed product,” co-founder Arati Sharma says. “We wanted it to look good on your skincare shelf or bedside table.”
Our new brand packaging, unveiled for our lipcare in 2023, is designed with attention-to-detail in mind. Our Muscle Balm is an elevated experience, too. It comes in a delightful yellow tin with an embossed, black letter “G” on top. We also wanted to ensure that it’s easy to reach-for when you’re experiencing the pain of a muscle pull. The lid is snug so that the formula stays preserved, but not to the point that it’s difficult to open.
On the topic of intentional formulation, co-founder Varun Sharma says, “We aim to highlight different properties of ghee and create a product with ghee in there for a reason. So, we’re focused on pairing ghee with other potent ingredients that speak to the ointment we’re trying to create.” Instead of creating five different kinds of lotions, Ghlee is formulating effectively and intentionally with ghee.
The Aspirational Quality of Skincare
Good branding in the CPG industry plays an interesting role, especially when it comes to beauty and bodycare. We sometimes feel FOMO when we see a certain product attracting attention on TikTok or is “sold out at Sephora for the third time.” Good branding also hinges on being aspirational. Whether it’s about being part of an “in-crowd” or aspiring to a certain lifestyle, these “ointment-ified” skincare products are giving just that.
Brands are leaning into the five senses to attract new audiences. We’re noticing a shift from maximalist “shelfies”, to flat lays and sensory visuals that evoke connection and calm. There's more food imagery in skincare marketing than ever — pats of butter and flaky croissants included. We’re also seeing an era of fun cross-industry brand collabs; take Lisa Says Gah! X Fishwife’s clothing collaboration, as an example.
What Do Skincare Enthusiasts Want?
According to TikTok, we might still be in an era of “underconsumption” and “mindfulness.” People think longer before making a purchase, especially with e-commerce brands they haven’t sampled, and scour Reddit reviews to find out if they’re effective.
At the same time, the "lipstick effect" is alive and well: when spending is cut back, people still crave affordable luxuries, like a good, buttery Lip Mask. Gen Z, especially, is thinking about the values behind a brand, driving them to make a purchase when they see an alignment on factors like equity, vegan & cruelty-free formulation, and sustainability.
South Asian Brands & Cultural Roots
For South Asian businesses, these shifts bring questions around branding and identity. Should they adopt a chic and modern CPG look to appeal to a wider audience, or stay close to cultural roots? Many South Asian brands are making these decisions thoughtfully, balancing their unique identities with broader appeal.
Arati is a savant when it comes to the South Asian fashion, skincare, and CPG space (you should read her interview on Into The Gloss!). Here’s her take on this: “South Asian culture is rich and always evolving. The diaspora may look to their parents coming over from the homeland as a base for their brands. This sometimes perpetuate cultural stereotypes that trickle into branding and design. At the same time, there are so many homegrown brands, especially in streetwear, that build on this mix of culture, innovation, and modernity that we find in the context of today’s South Asia. We’re in a great era for brand design.”
Check out these notable South Asian brands: Gully Labs, Kartik Research, and D.S. & Durga.
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Thank you to Katie Stone for inspiring us to explore these themes on Made With Ghee!
