When EOS launched its spherical, multicolored lip balms in 2009 — long before the words “lip treatment” entered the mainstream beauty lexicon — it brought a then-nascent sense of play to the category, propelling the brand’s popularity among younger tween and teen consumers.
Even as the brand expanded into shave products in the years that followed, lip care continued to reign as its biggest sales driver (and, in the eyes of many, emblematic of the early 2010s).
Fast forward to the tail end of 2020 when, in the midst of pandemic lockdowns, EOS forayed into body lotion with its 24H Moisture range, it found itself once again positioned on the precipice of a category boom — and has managed to secure its status as the fastest-growing body lotion brand in the mass market each year since.
“The idea was to take the things people loved about EOS — the moisturizing and skin-soothing benefits, that visually pleasing design available in mass-market distribution — and bring it to body care,” said Soyoung Kang, chief marketing officer of the brand.
Coming in scents ranging from Vanilla Cashmere to Coconut Waters and retailing for $10.99, the body creams instantly went viral, aligning not only with the gourmand fragrance trend that ensued shortly after, but also the boom in multistep body and shower routines which saw a rise on TikTok (in this case, dubbed “ShowerTok”) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We now have new generations of beauty fans who are first getting introduced to the brand via body lotion, which is an interesting evolution and pivot for us as a brand,” said Kang.
Today, body care comprises more than 50 percent of the brand’s total business — and EOS is looking to expand its body care empire further with the launch of its Shea Butter Cashmere Body Washes.
EOS Shea Butter Cashmere Body Wash in Fresh & Cozy, $9.99.
Courtesy
Retailing for $9.99 at Target, Walmart, Amazon and direct-to-consumer, the pH-balanced, gel-cream cleansers come in four scents and are estimated by industry sources to do $30 million in sales during their first year on the market.
“The goal is to go into categories that maybe have players that are about performance and efficacy, and separate players that are about fragrance and flavor, and be able to offer a product that does both with excellence,” said Kang, who claims that EOS has contributed 80 percent of the mass market’s total body lotion sales growth over the past year.
“In mass aisles, the body lotion top-slot holders have always been more therapeutic brands which aren’t scented,” she continued. “This whole revolution of bringing [sensorial yet efficacious] body lotion from the prestige market to mass market aisles is something we’re proud to have played a part in ushering — we aim to replicate that in body wash.”
Added EOS chief executive officer Jonathan Teller: “Body wash is the biggest category within the [body care] segment, making our entry a significant step forward.”
While he said the brand continues to grow its shave and lip care businesses, “body care represents the most strategic opportunity for long-term growth.”
