Innovation drives the beauty industry, providing consumers with better-performing products and concepts they may previously not have considered using. A key theme at the Marketing Trends presentations, innovation across the beauty industry was discussed with analysis of the current trends, including clean beauty, athleisure, K-beauty and at-home devices.

Clean beauty

The millennial generation who pursue clean eating and active lifestyles are now turning their interest to the products they put on their hair and skin. According to GlobalData’s 2016 Q3 data, 89% of consumers believe that eating more healthily can be effective in making them look younger. These findings are encouraging beauty companies to take known health food ingredients and use them in product formulations. “Ingredients, such as green tea, turmeric and kale are regarded as healthy and effective in beauty/grooming products,” commented Jamie Mills, consumer insight analyst, GlobalData. US vegan beauty brand Pacifica has a micellar make-up remover line which comes in kale, cactus water and coconut water variants, all on-trend ingredients for clean eating enthusiasts. Mills discussed the innovation implications for beauty products that make everyday foods into beauty solutions, such as SkinFood Freshmade Masks, which use cranberry, coconut, apple and pineapple as their lead ingredients.

Some beauty brands are already aligning with the clean eating mantra by incorporating natural, unprocessed food ingredients, which tend to be integral to the claim. Examples include Bobbi Brown Power Greens Ferment Serum, containing fresh kale, spinach and Brussel sprouts, and Clinique Fresh Pressed Daily Booster, a two step system allowing users to freshly mix their daily dose of vitamin C for their skin. Raw is Everything uses natural cold-pressed oils to maintain their bioactive compounds which are also unrefined to maintain antioxidant levels.

Ingestible beauty products have moved beyond pill-popping to include easy-to-swallow liquids, such as Votary Super Seed Nutritional Supplement that is part of a wider topical skincare range. Containing a blend of ten seed oils to support skin, hair and nail health, the supplement can be added to yogurt, smoothies and salads.

Targeting fitness lifestyles

According to Mills, increasingly active lifestyles are a key part of the wellness revolution as 81% of consumers believe exercising or improving physical fitness to be important in creating a feeling of wellbeing or wellness. “There are enhanced opportunities for innovation that targets the fitness occasion,” she maintained. For example, Arrow Cosmetics focus on make-up that is designed to keep up with active lifestyles through long-lasting products, such as Color Enhancing Lip Balm and Tinted Brow Gel, that help keep exercisers to look polished after “sweaty work out occasions”.

In his presentation, Nicolas Micallef, senior analyst, Beauty and Personal Care, Euromonitor International, referred to the athleisure trend which is expanding beauty innovation possibilities. Examples include Deciem’s Ab Crew men’s products that combine grooming and fitness, such as the Ab Carving Gel said to target stubborn fat deposits so that the user’s 6-pack (abs) are more visible. Mio products also tap into the fitness trend with sweat-proof muscle-enhancing and recover formulations, such as The Activist Firming Active Body Oil and Workout Wonder Invigorating Muscle Motivating Gel.

K-Beauty: new textures and ingredients

According to Jane Jang, global beauty and personal care analyst, Mintel, sales of facial skincare account for half the $11.5bn Korean beauty market and are the source of much innovation, especially in textures and new ingredients.

Mintel highlighted the following new texture sensations:

• Missha The Original Tension Pact features a “tension net”, not a cushion. The thinly-woven mesh net distributes the product more evenly onto the puff.
• Label Young Shocking Ban Ban Cushion features a duo-cushion splitting into foundation and moisturiser.
• Tony Moly 2X First Essence has micro bubbles that produce double the moisturising effect.
• Belif Rose Gemma Concentrate Oil is a watery oil containing rose petals that is said to absorb quickly into the skin with a non-sticky finish to prevent moisture loss and make skin look vibrant.
• Skinfood Vita Colour Fruits Roll Stick is a two-toned lip colour designed to create a gradient colour in a single application.
• Wakemake Tint Bomb Powder is a tinted lip powder which has a transforming texture that becomes watery and moist when applied to the lips.
• Mediheal S: the 3 Step Mask promises exfoliation, a sheet mask and tone-up cream in a single pouch.
• Dr Jart+ Dermaclear Micro Milk Peel is an at-home version of dermatological milk peel procedures.
• Aqutop Facial Topping Ball consists of a freeze-dried concentrated essence ball that can be dissolved into liquid cosmetics.
• MakeP:rem Wonderful Me is an in-shower moisturising facial gel mask with outstanding adherence.

At -home devices: from multi-functional to multi-technology

Mirroring the trend for multifunctional products in beauty, the latest at-home devices now combine more than one technology. Ewa Grigar, project lead, Kline highlighted 2016 innovations in this area:

• Strialite targets stretch marks with a device that combines LED and heat which is claimed to reduce their appearance.
• Beauty Bioscience’s Glo Pro is the first company to use micro-needle technology combined with Red LED technology to exfoliate and brighten the skin.
• Illuminage Beauty’s Me Clear Anti-Blemish Device comprises tri-action technology of blue light, sonic vibrations and heat.
• Sonulase Age-Defying Light Brush uses anti-ageing Red light with powered cleansing and UV light to kill bacteria.

Kline has noted a trend towards mini devices which claim to be as powerful and effective as the full-size versions. For example, Clarisonic Mia Fit is a mini version of the legendary Mia cleansing brush, and Forea’s Luna Play is a small sonic face cleanser that claims to last for up to 100 full cleansing routines and is positioned as an affordable introduction to the T-Sonic™. There are also anti-ageing minis, such as Patchology Energising Eye Patches with micro-current technology, that come with an activating gel, and the Me Eye Illuminating Device that combines Red LED light with radio frequency.

Many of the above innovations showcased at the Marketing Trends presentations have the potential to change beauty routines around the world. Only time will tell which of them will succeed.

For more information, go to www.in-cosmetics.com

COSSMA, June 2017