Hair care is a general term for personal hygiene and grooming involving the hair that grows on the head, and in some cases to a less extent, facial and pubic hair. Hair care practices vary according to the cultural and physical characteristics of a person’s hair, as well as age and gender. In addition, there are hair care treatments used to enhance the look of hair and to prevent hair loss and hair breakage. The hair care industry is a multi-billion dollar business with hair products being offered by various manufacturers and distributors both online and offline.
Various types of hair care products are sold in the hair care industry such as hair oil, shampoos, conditioners, gels, mousses, hair sprays, hair dryers and curling irons. According to a study conducted by the National Hair Association (NFHA), the hair care industry is estimated to be a $2 billion industry in the US. The forecast for the hair care market size in the US is estimated at over three hundred billion dollars in 2008. A major portion of the sales comes from women who are looking for natural, chemical free hair care options, as well as men who are looking for professional styling solutions and those who want to restore their hair to a younger and healthier state. These products are also marketed online via websites, blogs and social networking sites like Facebook.
The business of hair care industry is primarily associated with Unilever, a US based company that produces and markets a variety of personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, hair treatment oil, shaving cream, deodorant and hair styling products. The Unilever corporation holds more than 23% percent of the global hair care industry share. Unilever’s products are designed to help people lead healthy, active lifestyles through the use of its range of natural and organic skin and hair care products. The corporation has recently entered into a marketing agreement with Kao Corporation, a Chinese manufacturer that is recognized for its innovative and lifestyle-changing product innovations. The partnership will focus on developing new and improved Unilever products to sell in China and Asia.