Mineral make-up continued growth on a knife-edge?

The research from the independent business analyst reveals that this concern could impact on the continuing success of mineral make-up.

As with any natural make-up, mineral make-up doesn't need certification to make mineral or natural claims. Spurred on by this there's been high growth in the market with make-up containing very low mineral content launching. In the US alone the number of new launches of mineral make-up has increased every year since 2005 with nearly 160 in 2009 alone.

Vicky McCrorie, consumer analyst at Datamonitor said: "In a market where brands have worked hard to convince consumers of the credibility of mineral make-up, the sheer number of new launches containing differing levels of minerals may make consumer trust difficult to keep."

Building a strong level of trust

The strength of the market in the US has come from the popularity of Bare Escentuals. The company has ensured that consumers see mineral make-up as credible by building a strong level of trust with consumers through the CEO demonstrating the product herself on TV and creating loyalty through word of mouth campaigns.

Strong global growth has been predicted for the mineral make-up market as a whole in the light the success of Bare Escentuals.

McCrorie added: "While we expect Bare Escentuals to continue their US success in Europe and Japan, particularly after being bought by the Japanese company Shiseido earlier this year, the brand will need to be careful to continue to set itself apart and keep the high levels of consumer trust to ensure they stand out in a market which may be in danger of saturation.

"With no official validation for mineral make-up, consumers will start to become sceptical as more and more brands launch make-up with mineral claims. Therefore only the brands which have built the strongest trust with consumers like Bare Escentuals will continue their success."