Many beauty products that were formerly neglected sell well today, including lip glosses, eye pencils and eyeshadows, whose sales have grown remarkably in the past four years. The Brazilians' traditional tendency to use the same moisturizer for the body and the face is being reversed, as more and more consumers buy specific products for facial care. This trend is no doubt encouraged by the greater number of products available. Children's products are big in Brazil. The hottest target today is teenagers, who are finding more and more attractive products at affordable prices, especially EdTs and makeup endorsed by television stars.
Ethnic products are another major trend, especially in haircare and make-up.
Elida Gibbs has launched a body moisturizer specifically for black skin in its Vasenol line. In terms of regulations and legislation, nothing is simple in Brazil. It is no easy matter to register a formula with the Ministry of Health in order to obtain marketing authorization, and taxes and tariffs are higher than in many other countries. In the past, registering a product took about two years, but the process was streamlined in March 2000. It now takes less than one month for Category I products and about two months for Category II, which includes skincare products with active ingredients whose effectiveness must be proven.