Turkey's cosmetics and personal care products market is growing by an average of 10% annually. The industry, which manufactures products in line with quality standards, is improving its ability to comply with overseas markets through product safety and good manufacturing practices.
Global demand for sun-care products has also risen rapidly in recent years. Consumers are using sunscreens throughout the year rather than only in the summer months, while the Turkish and global sun-care markets continue to grow.
New trends in sun-care products
Fuat Arslan, chairman of the board of the Association of Cosmetics Manufacturers and Researchers, said awareness of sun-care products had increased significantly.
Arslan said that, alongside sunscreens with high sun protection factors, products designed for sensitive skin, suitable for daily use and combining skin care with sun protection were gaining prominence. He said Turkish manufacturers were meeting these expectations through their strong infrastructure and product development capabilities.
Arslan said the Turkish cosmetics industry had a strong position in global markets thanks to its quality standards, adding that domestic manufacturers were meeting the needs of the domestic market while exporting value-added products to many countries.
There is also significant production capacity for after-sun care products and daily skin-care products containing sun protection factors, in addition to sunscreens. Middle Eastern, Gulf and North African countries, along with the Balkans and the Turkic republics, are among the leading export markets.
Turkey's potential as a regional hub
Arslan said quality-focused production, regulatory compliance and export-oriented efforts were being supported to increase the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers in international markets. He said Turkey had significant potential to become a regional production and R&D hub for sun-care products.
Arslan said Turkey's young and qualified workforce, geographical location and innovation ecosystem provided the country with an advantage, emphasizing the need to further strengthen cooperation among the public sector, universities and private industry.
Arslan noted that supporting R&D investments, expanding measures to promote exports and maintaining policies that would increase international competitiveness were important for the industry.
Plant-based resources and sustainable production
Arslan said science-based innovation, sustainable production and next-generation product technologies would shape the industry over the next five years, adding that consumers were placing greater importance not only on sun protection factors but also on reliability, ingredients and environmental impacts.
Arslan said companies that increased their R&D investments, adopted sustainable production and developed value-added products would gain a competitive advantage both in the domestic market and in exports.
Arslan said global demand for products with natural ingredients that are reliable and offer high added value was increasing. He noted that Turkey could meet this demand through its rich plant diversity, local botanical resources, strong production infrastructure and product development capabilities. He said transforming Anatolia's botanical wealth into value-added sun-care products through scientific research could give Turkish brands a competitive advantage in international markets.
