With the new year celebrations now a distant memory it’s the perfect time to discuss the trends, old and new, predicted to take the beauty industry by storm in 2019.
TREND: Sustainability
A topic now regularly making headlines, environmental sustainability is at the forefront of consumer minds worldwide. Recently, the beauty and personal care industry has faced particular scrutiny for its substantial use of plastic, with the material often found inside products (until the recent microbead ban) and their packaging. This increasing pressure on the industry to more strongly consider its impact on the environment comes as consumers find themselves with access to more knowledge than ever before. Whilst some brands have made strong headway in rethinking their use of plastic, replacing it with sustainable alternatives where possible, those who don’t do so risk losing their place in the market as consumers are increasingly seen to make purchase decisions based upon a brand’s sustainability credentials.
In addition to consumer concern regarding use of plastic, excessive water usage could be the next environmental issue to come under the spotlight in the beauty industry. Water is currently used in vast quantities across all stages of the beauty product life cycle: often found as a key ingredient and used extensively by consumers during product application (e.g. when rinsing shampoo). Given the likelihood that consumers will increasingly demand water sustainability considerations from beauty brands, some brands have already begun to align their product development accordingly. Lush is a good example here, launching a range of solid, water-less products that, conveniently, come packaging-free.
TREND: Packaging Adds Value
Cosmetic packaging is set to see substantial change over the coming years as a result of the sustainability trend, with higher values of recycled content and far less plastic on the shelves. However, a second key source of influence in beauty product packaging has recently arisen: innovation. Product packaging innovation is proving key to making a mark in such a highly saturated beauty market, adding value to and increasing desirability of products, and is, therefore, predicted to become a major trend in 2019.
TREND: Microbiome
Mintel has recently announced ‘Total Wellbeing’ as a key consumer trend worldwide due to increasing interest in the microbiome and holistic wellbeing. However, with the microbiome being a major topic of interest at last year’s in-cosmetics and a handful of new products already entering the market with associated claims, the trend is certainly not news within the beauty industry. The link between skin health and the microbiome had, until recent years, been scarcely researched but is now supported by findings that are likely only to increase the trend’s traction. To fulfill increasing demand we recently launched aurafirm, a fermented prebiotic which accelerates microbiome recovery and enhances microbial conditions on the skin, thus promoting skin health.
TREND: Customisation
Major technological developments of previous years have given rise to a new world of customised beauty, set to shake up the current one-size fits all approach to personal care. L’Oreal, for example, recently announced the development of a wearable sensor to measure skin PH levels. Although still in the early stages of development, when this kind of technology arrives on the market it will enable consumers to select products that will optimise their skin health as per their unique needs.
Sustainability, packaging innovation, the microbiome, and customisation are just four of many key trends that are likely to have great influence over the beauty industry in 2019. If you’re interested in finding out more about how our ingredients can be used in products to meet current trends, take a look at our formulations page.
