In the cosmetics and perfumery sector there is an increasing demand for new products. Natural ingredients, new developments based on the skin's microbiome, multifunctional cosmetics, personalisation, cosmetics 5.0 and sustainability are just some of the trends and innovations dominating the cosmetics sector.
Innovation must come from the consumer who demands and values many of the new trends emerging in this sector. The industry must increasingly implement a product design process that integrates consumer expectations including the sensory characteristics of cosmetics in a holistic approach. The user experience is an action that encompasses aspects beyond the product itself; consumers base many of their decisions on the globality of the stimuli they receive from the product. Therefore, the consumption experience is a key point in consumers' purchasing decisions, in which the emotional component is increasingly more important.
The sensoriality of cosmetic products is an essential factor in product innovation, and measuring the emotions they provoke in the consumer is an essential value for product development and marketing. It is well known that the application of a cosmetic product on the skin generates emotions, it has an emotional impact on the consumer regardless of the effectiveness of the product, and this impact is the first step in the acceptance or rejection of the product.
Sensory analysis studies consumers' preferences based on their sensory, emotional and cognitive responses to products. There are self-reported and subjective emotion measurement questionnaires and methodologies traditionally used to assess sensory acceptability and perceived efficacy, but these methodological approaches alone do not seem sufficient to fully understand the consumer experience in the application and use of cosmetic products. Emotion assessment has traditionally relied on subjective response methodologies (questionnaires) and these measures are only reflections/opinions, not direct real-time evidence of the emotions felt by the individual. Objective methods to measure these emotions, using neuroscience technologies, provide additional information that can help overcome the limitations of consumers' subjective and behavioural responses, biased by cognitive processes, favouring greater success in cosmetics development.
How do the senses play a role in the consumer's user experience?
Touch is made up of cutaneous receptors that allow us to differentiate texture, pressure, temperature and pain. When stimulated, the receptors trigger nerve impulses that travel to the somatosensory cortex and are transformed into sensations. Sensitivity to touch varies greatly between different parts of the body, with the fingers and lips being very sensitive areas. In particular, the hands are the main source of contact and information for the tactile perceptual system, as they are the first point of contact with the cosmetic product for its application. The emotional value of cosmetic products is influenced by texture, i.e. by the tactile experiences that accompany the application of the product.
More than 80% of the information we receive every day comes through sight and smell, making sight the most used sense during the consumer experience. Stimulation of smell can completely change a consumer's experience, which can make them feel comfortable, confident or bring them pleasure, or the opposite. Fragrance is a crucial attribute in cosmetics and directly affects affective states during use, generating emotions that are capable of influencing autonomic responses.
Well-being is a physical and mental state that a person feels and it is a positive state that results not only from the absence of negative emotions, but also from the presence of positive emotions. It is well known that the positive emotions provoked by cosmetic products and perfumes induce a feeling of well-being and generate an attachment to the product because of this positive perception. The main reason why consumers use cosmetics is to feel good, as it is a source of positive emotions.
Thus, it is essential to conceive products that cause welfare in the consumer, and thus the neuroscience and the new technologies are predominant in the process of development and in the evaluation of the emotional impact of the products.
Neuroscience and emotions in cosmetics and perfumery
The study of human emotions in cosmetics is a non-invasive and multidimensional approach. Thus, through the recording of physiological and emotional response and together with the evaluation of subjective appreciation of the product through self-reported questionnaires, it is possible to know the emotional impact of a cosmetic product and its perfume, which is a promising but still underdeveloped field in the cosmetic sector.
Considering that emotions are physical, instinctive, and provoke bodily reactions in response to stimuli, they can also be objectively measured by physiological criteria such as heart rate, pupil dilation, skin behaviour and brain activity, among others. Moreover, since the face is one of the most powerful channels of verbal and unconscious communication, and facial expressions are intimately linked to emotions, facial expression analysis based on algorithms and artificial intelligence is able to measure and analyse the emotions felt by the consumer during the product experience.
The technologies of neuroscience more notable are:
- Electroencephalography is one of the most widely used techniques for measuring human brain activity. It measures the electrical activity of the brain using electrodes attached to the scalp. This tool is becoming increasingly practical to use and more powerful in capturing the brain signal and amplifying it, as the signal is very weak. From the data it collects, by applying different algorithms, we can obtain different indicators of brain activity. One of the most commonly used indicators or metrics is Frontal Asymmetry, which, if positive, indicates greater activity on the left side of the brain than on the right, and this is associated with greater motivation, commitment and approach to the stimulus. Specifically in the field of consumer neuroscience, it has been studied that greater frontal asymmetry is associated with greater preference and willingness to pay.
- Facial Reading, by recording and registering the involuntary micro-expressions of the face and processing the images using artificial vision, an automatic analysis of facial expression is carried out, which predicts the probability of the presence of different emotions, identifying the valences of the emotions (positive or negative).
- Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) is one of the most sensitive methods for emotional arousal, the phenomenon by which the skin temporarily becomes the best conductor of electricity. This small piece of equipment generates a very weak electrical current, which can measure variations in skin conductivity caused by sweating. So what the GSR measures is an estimate of the intensity of emotions, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, pleasant or unpleasant. This intensity of emotion is called arousal.
- Eye-tracking measures where, how and in what order the gaze is directed during the viewing of a stimulus, this link is called eye-mind. It is influenced by cognitive processes beyond attention, such as perception, memory, language and decision-making. Eye-Tracking gives us information about what visual attention looks like while viewing a visual stimulus and enables the development of more effective communication in packaging design.
Why the COSMEFEEL project?
In recent years, new sensory methodologies complementary to traditional ones have emerged to increase the potential for interpretation of results and help companies to better understand consumer behaviour. The integration of methods from other scientific disciplines into the toolbox of sensory and consumer research is a clear direction of progress.
Neuroscience acts as a complementary tool to traditional methods to gain a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour. Knowing the emotional response of consumers during the application and use of a cosmetic product is a key factor for the success of products. In the field of consumer research and marketing, the main research using neuroscience methodologies is mainly based on the evaluation of static visual stimuli, video advertisements, ... However, methodologies related to the evaluation of textures and fragrances of cosmetic products are less widespread, despite the fact that sensory attributes of the product are one of the main influencing factors in the purchasing process.
The COSMEFEEL project, which is being carried out by AINIA and has been co-financed by FEDER funds and the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE), develops methodologies for researching the physiological and emotional response during the application and use of cosmetic products, providing a differential value to traditional research. The project proposes an integrated approach with neuroscience technologies to link the experiences of product use with formulation, packaging, communication and branding through the evaluation of sensory attributes and emotions.
The COSMEFEEL project represents an opportunity to make progress in:
- The study and development of neuroscience tools for sensory evaluation in the cosmetics sector.
- In the identification of key requirements, criteria and functionalities for methodological development.
- In the development of more holistic and effective methodologies for the evaluation of cosmetic products, which provide information of greater value and closer to the reality of consumer behaviour, based on the application of practical cases.
With the development of this project, AINIA aims to increase the degree of innovation in the development of cosmetic products, thanks to the increase in the knowledge of techniques and methodologies that allow better explanation and prediction of consumer behaviour. These techniques will allow a better design of cosmetic products taking into account the needs, preferences and above all the most irrational side of consumer behaviour, emotions.