Skin care textures oil and clay are experiencing rapid growth within the US prestige beauty industry, according to a report by US market research firm The NPD Group.

Dollar sales of skincare oils have more than tripled over the past five years, while clay/mud has more than quadrupled, the report found.

Sales of prestige skincare oils reached $US58.5m and grew by 22 percent in the 12 months ending April 2015 while clay/mud grew 53 percent, to US$27.9m.

Oil is most prominent as a facial skincare moisturizer, though recently it has experienced the greatest lift within facial cleansers. Clay/mud is most common among facial skincare masks and continues to register double-digit growth.

The report found that some of the more traditional skincare forms have been experiencing declines; serum sales have been declining for the past two years, as have lotion/milk formats.

Karen Grant, Global Industry Analyst at The NPD Group commented, “The growth in oils and clay/mud comes on the heels of the shift to more primary facial care products we first began watching about five years ago. While corrective anti-aging treatments are still an important part of the facial skincare market, the consumer is increasingly recognizing that there are other vehicles that provide great looking skin.

“With innovative new applications of age-old beauty secrets, consumers are discovering the noteworthy benefits of products that soothe and nurture the skin as well as address environmental aggressors, a primary source of aging.”

Although the prestige beauty markets in New York and Los Angeles are the regional growth drivers for the oil and mud market, the report identifies that smaller markets such Florida and Texas are also performing well.