Why Maternity Stores Should Carry Skin Care Products

Expectant moms always have questions and concerns about changes in their body. Those concerns include avoiding stretch marks, varicose veins, brown patches on face (“pregnancy mask”), itching belly, back and leg pain, skin dryness and other skin problems.

Maternity retailers who offer a shelf or shelves of “Skin and Body Care” products directed to these mothers-to-be can gain easy extra profits.

A NEW Major Opportunity

Today’s moms-to-be have a stronger focus on their health and beauty than did their predecessors. They are more aware of the unwanted, common side effects of pregnancy to their facial and body skin, and they are ready to purchase safe and effective products to meet those needs.

Mass-Market Skin/Body Products May Not Be Suitable For Expectant Moms

In mass-market stretch mark lotions and standard skin/body products there can be some ingredients not suitable for a pregnant woman—and possibly harmful to their growing baby. Phthalates (used to control viscosity) are common in ingredient lists of standard skin and body care products. Phthalates can cause reproductive birth defects as well as increased breast cancer risk.

Paraben preservatives are even more common and should be avoided in maternity products. In addition, artificial dyes, many heavy fragrances, retinoids and salicylic acid are recommended no-no’s. Yet, phthalates and parabens, in particular, are common in skin/body care products found in drug, food and department stores.

What to Look for in the Skin/Body Care Products You Stock

Naturally, you would want to examine the ingredient list of any skin/body product you stock or plan to stock, to make sure there are none of ingredients previously mentioned, but ingredient listings alone are no assurance of product effectiveness. Beyond ingredients, one major factor in product effectiveness is the skin-care experience of the manufacturer. It pays to do some research and check out the manufacturer’s skin-care background as well as their educational literature. The more you and your clientele learn about the products and the varied maternity skin problems, the better you can help. Manufacturer literature for both you and your customers is very important and, according to childbirth educators, expectant moms definitely want moreinformation about skin and body care problems.

A Retailing Plus…Unique Products

Stocking stretch mark lotions and belly balms are a given, but offering specialty products that answer specific problems and are not in the major maternity skin-care lines could attract plus sales and give you an edge over competition. Examples of such specialties are products to prevent brown spots (“pregnancy mask”), back and leg pain, varicose veins, facial skin problems like acne, dryness, free radical damage, etc.
Marketing Your Skin/Body Care Department

Expectant moms and childbirth educators, as well as related medical practitioners, are interested in skin/body care information. If you have manufacturer’s educational printed material, a cover letter about your skin-care department plus and/or product brochure or flyer you could make it part of your marketing program. If you have a website or mailing list, offering product news or educational literature and possibly product specials could bring you new traffic.

Most product manufacturers offer periodic specials to help boost sales. Utilizing one or more specials in your mailings that cater to the needs of expectant moms, can give birth to extra awareness and profits for your skin/body care department.

Remember too, an expectant mom who purchases and likes a skin/body product early in pregnancy will likely return to re-purchase when her jar or bottle gets low. Repeat sales and profits are more than likely.

Motherhood Maternity and Pea in the Pod Do It, Now So Can You!

Chains like Motherhood Maternity and Pea in the Pod as well as many independent retailers carry an array of maternity skin-care products. An industry analyst estimates that such skin product sales in those two major chains alone are in the multi-million dollars yearly. It would appear that today’s women recognize that a “specialty shop” like yours would have safer, more effective products than mass market stores.

Now is the Time

If you do not have a skin/body care department or are giving scant attention to the products you carry, wouldn’t you agree that it’s time to broaden your selection and provide new marketing effort to this department? It’s a major Profitunity!

This editorial has been produced as educational business information by Steve Strassler, president of Reviva Labs producers of the NEW “Expectant Mama” skin care line. Reviva is one of America’s leading skin care product manufacturers. Free literature and free copy of the pamphlet, “Beauty Care/Body Care for the Expectant Mother,” which is supplied free, with retailers imprinted name to suppliers, is available by contacting Charles Ricefield, “Expectant Mama”, Reviva Labs, 705 Hopkins Rd., Haddonfield, NJ 08033; Tel.: 1-800-257-7774 ext. 21; E-Mail: Charles.Ricefiel@revivalabs.com; Web: www.RevivaLabs.com.