Raymond Cloosterman

🔥🧠FLAME DIGEST : GEN Z TEENS ARE REDEFINING BEAUTY (BCG REPORT) with FRAGRANCES OVERCAPTURING BOYS 🧠🔥 A new BCG study reveals a silent revolution: Gen Z teens are becoming the #1 growth engine of the beauty industry. 💄✨ Key insights you can’t ignore: • 💸 +45% growth in beauty spend vs. past generations – today’s teen girls spend $430/year on prestige beauty. • 👶 Record early entry: as young as 11.5 years old, teens start using skincare and fragrance. • 🌍 Teens already account for ~10% of the US beauty market = $1.7B fragrance, $1.7B skincare, $1.5B makeup. • 🌸 Fragrance is the new status symbol: • 75% of teens use fragrance regularly by age 13 • 60% of boys choose prestige fragrance (vs. 25% of girls) • Top teen fragrance brands: Sol de Janeiro, Dior, Juicy Couture, Bath & Body Works • Boys lean more prestige (Dior, Versace, Chanel) vs. girls who favor a mix of mass & prestige • 📲 70% consume beauty content daily on TikTok & Instagram – fragrance is now discovered on socials, not magazines. • 🛍️ Omnichannel shoppers: 95% shop beauty as a social activity with parents & friends, yet 40% distrust in-store sales associates. • 🤝 Trust rules: Teens trust parents 4.4x more and friends 2x more than influencers. 75% don’t fully trust influencers, citing paid promotion as the #1 reason. 💡 Key takeaway: Fragrance is no longer a finishing touch – for teens, it’s identity, self-expression, and social currency. The category is booming and driving premiumization across genders.

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Have you ever wondered why your natural skincare product has a little symbol on the label showing an expiration period after opening, like 3M or 6M? After all, if something is natural, it should automatically be safe… right? Well, that’s the theory. In practice, it’s that very 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 that often carries the biggest risk. A product that doesn’t contain well-selected preservatives can become a breeding ground for bacteria faster than its synthetic counterpart. And no, a lovely lavender scent or gold-flecked turmeric won’t help if there’s something growing inside that you definitely don’t want to put on your skin. Research by the German Institute for Cosmetic Studies found that 70% of tested natural products without preservatives showed microbial growth within just 4 weeks of opening. What’s more, according to the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), a product is only considered safe if bacterial count stays below 1,000 CFU (colony-forming units) per gram. In DIY creams, this number is often exceeded by 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴. Let’s look at our own market: over 60% of consumers actively seek out “synthetic-free” skincare. But only 1 in 10 brands truly understands how to create a natural product that’s safe 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 compromise. Instead of chasing trends with shortcuts, it’s time to prioritize knowledge, thoughtful formulation, and informed decisions. Natural doesn’t mean unscientific. In fact it demands 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 science, not less. ✅ Natural preservatives? Yes, but carefully selected. Ferments, essential oils, and plant extracts are powerful tools backed by real research and testing. ✅ Formulation? Critical. Not every base can survive without synthetic support. That’s why we help brands design formulas that stand the test of time. ✅ Packaging? The silent hero. Airless pumps, dark glass, and oxygen-barrier dispensers provide real protection against contamination. ✅ Education? Non-negotiable. Consumers need to know that “natural” doesn’t mean “eternal”, it’s a living product that needs mindful handling. Nature gives us everything we need. But only when paired with responsibility and technology does it avoid becoming… a petri dish for bacteria. 🧪🌱

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REPORTING LIVE FROM BEANSTALK: BANSK GROUP TO BUY MAJORITY STAKE IN BYOMA FROM YELLOWWOOD PARTNERS Byoma, a brand founded on products that boost the skin's barrier with simple and effective formulations, is being acquired by Bansk Group, after being controlled by Yellow Wood Partners since 2020 Both of these PE groups are operating out of similar sized funds; with Yellow Wood’s most recent fund coming in at $750m in 2022, and Bansk at $800m in 2023. Bansk also owns beauty brands Amika, Ethique, and Eva NYC. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Byoma is reported to do around $300m in global retail sales and was asking 13-15x EBITDA. Unsurprisingly, Raymond James advised on the transaction. Beauty M&A was quiet for a period after Aesop ($2.5B, L’Oreal) and K18 (undisclosed, Unilever) Hero ($630m, Church & Dwight) and others traded in 2022 but has been back with a vengeance in 2025: - Medik8 (L’Oreal): $1B (8x sales) - Dr. Squatch (Unilever): $1.5B (rumored) - Rhode (E.L.F.) $1B (4.7x sales) - Touchland (Church & Dwight): $880m - Wild (Unilever): $286m (4.9x sales) Other beauty brands on M&A watch include: Prose, Bubble Skincare

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What if agentic AI was opening a new era in retail? We see agents AI as a game-changer. By uniting creativity, intelligence, and agility, it empowers brands to craft consumer journeys that are intuitive, seamless, and deeply resonant. Post-Covid, shopping has already evolved from traditional in-store trials to virtual try-ons. This changed consumer expectations on how to discover and purchase beauty products. But as Fast Company highlights, agentic systems learn, reason, and anticipate consumer needs to deliver hyper-personalized shopping experiences. This might drastically change the way we shop.   https://lnkd.in/epsk6Jca   Coty #Coty #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AgenticAI #DigitalTransformation #FastCompany

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Skinification of Bodycare: Serums Go Below the Neck in 2025 ✨ For years, serums were a “face-only” obsession. Now, in 2025, that ritual is moving below the neck — and reshaping what consumers expect from bodycare. Here’s what’s accelerating the shift (and why founders can’t ignore it): 👇 1. Ingredient Spillover Consumers fluent in actives — niacinamide, retinol, peptides — now reject “basic” lotions. They want clinical-grade results for pigmentation, texture, and radiance across the whole body. 2. Problem-Solution Mindset Hydration is no longer enough. The new ask is targeted fixes: KP (chicken skin), razor bumps, body acne, dark elbows, sagging. 3. Premiumization of Routine Face serums taught consumers to pay more for results. Body serums are now pushing the category from the ₹199 lotion shelf to the ₹799+ premium basket. 👉 India’s premium bodycare market is projected to grow at 12–15% CAGR (2024–2028), faster than mass bodycare. 4. Global Proof, Local Surge Nécessaire, Topicals, and Paula’s Choice have made body serums a staple abroad. Indian brands are catching up fast — not just extensions, but fresh launches. 5. The Gen Z & Alpha Playbook Digital natives have a stepwise “skin ritual” for every body part. Layering isn’t niche anymore — it’s the new baseline. 💡 Founder’s insight: Skinification isn’t a trend. It’s the default. Bodycare is the next innovation land grab for Indian brands looking to lead, not follow. 💭 Founders — if you launched a body serum today, what would you bet on: A hero ingredient (niacinamide, retinol, peptides)? Or a burning concern (KP, pigmentation, ingrown hair)?

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The middle ground is disappearing in beauty. For decades, beauty thrived on the middle market: brands like Clinique , The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and L'Oréal that offered quality products at accessible luxury prices through department stores and SEPHORA. That model is quickly dying, though. Just look at this week’s news: • LVMH sales dropped 9%, proving that even luxury giants are struggling • Phlur got acquired for $150M after building a viral fragrance community from scratch • 67% of beauty products online are counterfeit The industry is polarizing into three extremes: 1️⃣ Ultra-premium experiences Boots is opening a 400-scent fragrance boutique with personal consultations. Think $300 custom blends and luxury concierge service. 2️⃣ Viral community brands Phlur and Bubble built entire businesses on TikTok authenticity and direct-to-consumer relationships. 3️⃣ Counterfeit chaos Two-thirds of online beauty is fake, creating a Wild West where consumers can't trust what they're buying. The middle, which is where most consumers actually shop, is becoming a wasteland. Traditional retailers like Ulta Beauty and department store beauty counters are caught between viral brands that don't need them and luxury brands that demand too much investment. This creates a massive opportunity for brands that can bridge the gap. At Fazit , we're building specifically for this abandoned middle: First of its kind category redefining products at honest prices, with the transparency that both luxury and viral brands often skip. The brands that will win in the next five years will be the ones that build sustainable economics behind their viral success rather than simply riding the trends or coasting on heritage prestige. The question every beauty founder should ask: Are you building for the extremes, or are you solving for the 80% of consumers stuck in between?

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