021 - What I'm Reading Week of December 3rd
👋 Hello everyone.
🔗 Every link in this newsletter routes back to my blog where I provide a summary, my opinion, and access to the original content.
⭐️ = What excites me most this week.
💭 This week there are so many exciting reports on the future trends for 2022, lots of deep dives into Gen Z, a number of exciting research review papers on vaginal microbiome, atopic dermatitis, and questionable diets for antiaging…three is even a new extension that can help you spot those Amazon brands you didn’t know were Amazon.
🗞 NEWS & PRODUCTS
⭐️ Forester is reporting TikTok’s weekly usage has surpassed Instagram’s for Gen Z consumers.
🤯 Amazon is on its way to becoming the largest delivery service in the U.S., surpassing both UPS & FedEx.
⭐️ The Markup launches ‘Amazon Brand Detector’, an extension that highlights Amazon owned brands and Amazon only products, taking the guesswork out of shopping.
Thingtesting dives into the world of CPG DTC lookalikes, discussing who is doing them, why they are doing it, and how to spot them.
⭐️💩 A look into the efforts and challenges behind preserving the human microbiome. **This is a really interesting piece looking at the efforts behind banking fecal samples to preserve human diversity and the ethical debate for whom those samples would serve.***
L’Oreal signed a partnership with BreezoMeter to create a beauty exposome platform, linking the impact of environmental factors on skin.
🧴 Skin:
Low Beauty, a single use dissolvable face mask for less waste.
Myro, best known for its refillable deodorant, has expanded into body care, with a refillable system.
🇨🇳 P&G launches aio, a new ‘Japan’ skincare brand, in China co-created with the Chinese retailer A.S. Watson, to appeal to Gen Z & Millennials. This is the first time P&G has co-created a brand from scratch with a retailer.
🇨🇳 The C-Beauty brands which stood out during singles day.
🇨🇳💄 Daxue Consulting dives into China’s rapidly growing lipstick market.
👩🦱 Hair:
Kao has developed a waterless shampoo & laundry detergent to be tested in space. The 3D shampoo is made of a nonwoven fabric impregnated material with bumps in order to better remove dirt & oil from the scalp.
💊 Supplements:
⭐️ Even Health is offering a line of supplements to help fill nutritional deficits caused by common medications such as hormonal birth control, statins, & anti-depressants. *This is an exciting space to watch.*
🇨🇳 Beauty Choice, a functional beauty beverage startup from China, raised 1.5M in funding from Meitua Ventures to grow its offering and online presence.
No.8 is a low sugar gummy nootropic that is focused on tested ingredients. A quick scan of other popular gummies raises the question about how they are qualifying ‘low sugar’.
PZAZ Caffeine Mist - a micro-dosed caffeine & electrolyte spray targeted at Gen Z.
Lullaby Health Co., a new sleep wellness startup launched soft-gel supplement with melatonin, CBN, and hemp seed. Many newer age sleep startups are moving away from melatonin and offering alternative supplement ingredients along with services to help create better sleep hygiene.
👩🔬 Femtech:
Helaina, developing the future of infant milk, from yeast, one protein at a time.
🛍 Retail (e-Comm, Social Commerce, B2B Marketplaces):
Cloudpick partnered with the French multinational Auchan to launch its first full autonomous retail experience.
♻️ Sustainability:
AirSpa, a full body dryer, eliminating the need for towels post bath/shower.
Noissue’s approach to making customizable sustainable packaging more accessible for the creator economy.
💸 M&A:Edgewell acquired Gen Z/Millennial razor brand Billie for $310 M, nearly one year after P&G abandoned the acquisition.
Swiss based Galderma announced its plans to acquire Alastin, a physician dispensed clinical skincare brand.
🔬RESEARCH
🍓Researchers discover a fungus produced by food waste that smells like wild strawberries.
A review of the skin microbiome of atopic dermatitis, a look at the current understanding and potential therapies.
⭐️ Reviewing vaginal microbiome collection & analyses techniques - a great resource for anyone in this space.
Scientists identified a microbial species in the Antarctic Sea Squirt as a promising treatment for melanoma.
⭐️ A review published in Science by the NIH debunks many commonly held myths are antiaging diets and their ability to extend lifespan. I included this because influencers on social media push so many of these diets (intermittent fasting, keto, calorie restriction, and paleo) yet when you dive into the data many of the claims are still unproven.
🧐 REPORTS
👩🍼 Breastpump brand Aeroflow conducted a survey on pre and postpartum women to understand how the pandemic impacted them. Not surprisingly the results are not positive.
⭐️ Sequoia Capital - The Rising Consumer Demand for Data Privacy & Autonomy
Ask Gen Z, a hub for all things Gen Z created by Day One Agency.
Results of Lerer Hippeau’s Gen Z survey.
⭐️ GWI - Connecting the Dots - the future consumer trends for 2022. Featuring a look at beauty, media consumption, self care, and crypto.
⭐️ Business of Fashion X McKinsey - State of Fashion 2022 - a focus on recovery. There is also a section on the State of Beauty.
💡Enjoy,
-Anne