Look into any serious golfer's bag, and you'll notice there is often more to his or her equipment than golf clubs, golf balls and tees. Many players carry a skincare arsenal of sun block, lip balm, insect repellent and muscle cream, too.[1]

According to the National Golf Association [2], about 26.2 million Americans ages 18 and older play one or more rounds of golf each year- so formulators increasingly have opportunities to reach this group of affluent, motivated clients. Even more specialized are those who can offer targeted products for the 45% of golfers who are in the 11-39 age group; the 22% who are women; and the 33% of all golfers who are age 50-plus and who are likely to have additional age-related problems, such as arthritis.

Golfers do tend to have multiple skincare woes. Hours spent in the sun and wind negatively affects the skin. Dark spots, fine lines and early signs of aging along with skin cancer are some of the biggest skin care concerns amongst golfers today. [3] Golfers are constantly on the lookout for protection from the sun and wind, foot and body odor, insect bites, dry or cracked hands and skin irritations such as chafing and rashes.

As a formulator it is important to understand the regulations involved with products making claims so that you can successfully formulate for this market. Sunscreen or sunblock, antifungal products, antiperspirant products, pain-relief balms and poison ivy relief products are regulated as Over the Counter Drugs (OTC) and must follow the monographs set forth by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). [4]

Some popular cosmetic products that are highly marketable to golfers include antioxidant facial and body creams, hand creams, foot creams, deodorizing foot scrubs and powders, deodorant, massage oils or creams, lip moisturizers and after-sun lotions.

Spas are already capitalizing on this industry segment by offering golf-themed treatment packages such as The Spa at The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club peppermint leg and foot treatments or The Spa at Pebble Beach herbal compress of arnica, eucalyptus and rosemary. [5, 6] Most spas include standard offerings such as mineral soaks and deep tissue massage treatments which are popular with male and female golfers alike.

On the retail level, professional golfers such as Nick Faldo and Maiya Tanaka have entered the industry by endorsing targeted skincare products. Faldo has lent his name to and helped develop a line of personal care products developed with Kyoku, an international cosmetic and skincare company based in Chicago. Tanaka will be featured as a brand ambassador for Katherine Cosmetics K-Sport Beauty product line. [7, 8]

While golfers are a niche market for skincare formulators, the increase in female and tween golfers indicates that the sport is diversifying. With that diversifi cation, we can expect to see greater demand for cosmetics that target the specific needs of these players. With few companies already capitalizing on this niche, the course is wide-open for growth.