I was delighted to visit Cosmoprof in Bologna and witnessed how busy it was. Cosmoprof represents a dive into the consumers perspective on the cosmetic world, with all its facets, from professional haircare to the experience of spas, skincare, perfume and even packaging. It is a celebration of the glamour of cosmetics and of the feel-good factor that is so important to the cosmetic industry.
In this article I share the trends outlined in the Cosmoprof talks and other interesting content I stumbled onto.
Longevity and comfort skincare
Skincare is going beyond topical benefits and becoming an everyday feel-good tool; emotion, skin and wellbeing are becoming more and more intertwined. An example of this is the “outwards approach” of colour cosmetics, versus the “inward approach” of reducing the cortisol content in the skin. This ties well with the macro trend of “Psyched” cosmetics, based on the skin brain connection, which is expected to surpass 2.69 USD billion in turnover by 2030 according to SkyQuest research, and which has an annual rate of growth of 8.4%.
According to Beautystreams this trend is manifesting with topicals, and even ingestibles, to alleviate emotional stress and even prevent the physical damage caused by stress.
If you search on the UL Prospector under “cortisol” you can find a few actives with accompanying cortisol reduction data.
Quickly identify ingredients by claims such as “organic”, “natural”, “free of” with Prospector Premium, learn more here!
Cosmetics to feel young.
We are discovering new ways to feel young, and the perception of one’s aging is changing and shifting all the time, as many people look younger than our ancestors did at the same age. So, what does feeling young mean today, when you are at the ages of 20, 40, 50 or 60?
For a 20-year-old, it could mean being bright and colourful, but for 50 or 60-year-olds, it could mean feeling revitalized and reconnecting to the time when they were 20. This means using images and a language related to that time, but at present most of the images and language of marketing is appealing to the younger generations, not the older generation, such as Generation X which has currently a buying power of 15 trillion USD.
This is also an opportunity to address the skin needs of an older generation, such as menopausal and post-menopausal skin, at a time when the skin needs a lot of extra nourishment and support to compensate for the big changes that are going on.
As every generation has a different approach to beauty, this brings the challenge of intergenerational beauty products and how to appeal to different generations at once. Will the Kardashians lead the way to intergenerational beauty?
If you search for “menopause” in the UL Prospector, you can find quite a selection of actives dedicated to this skin type.
Cosmetics for instant gratification
Clean beauty both generated and has driven the fragrance-free trend, as it has been fragrances that are the most likely culprit behind skin reactions and sensitivities. However, we live in times of instant gratification, which is something a nice fragrance is very good at delivering. Science is showing us how brain activity is affected by fragrance compounds as they are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and interact with the nervous system receptors.
Forward thinking fragrance houses have been developing fragrances using neuroscience to fine tune their compounds for mood benefits such as relaxation, energy and happiness.
At Cosmoprof I learned of a very interesting product application giving instant gratification, in the form of a shower tablet. The user simply puts the tablet in the shower tray and lets the warm water release the precious fragrance, making the shower experience comparable to a bath or spa or even more. This shows how solid formats keep on finding new innovative applications in the cosmetic industry.
Green & organic award, authentic regenerative beauty wins
The winner of the 2024 Green and Organic Award does deserve a mention, the Microbiota vitality cream by N&B srl, as it meets an impressive number of sustainability criteria: 89% of the ingredients are sourced local to the manufacturing facilities and are farmed following a regenerative protocol in the Italian Salento region; PCR airless packaging; cold process manufacturing; supporting local communities; B Corp and Natrue certified. This shows an ideal comprehensive sustainability approach in regard to regenerative beauty as it is aligned with the rest of the formulation ingredients. Consistency and coherence, rather than cherry picking is the way to go and N&B has proved it is possible and rewarding.
Conclusions
Cosmoprof is truly a showcase of global cosmetic trends and sectors. The cosmetic industry is not only growing at a fast pace, with a global average growth rate of 4.6% and an expected 7.9% in the next 5 years (source KPMG), but it is also evolving thanks to new technologies and more sophisticated uses and savvy consumer expectations. From personalization to instant gratification, and an ever developing sustainability framework, the industry is going to reach new levels which will require formulators to keep up to date with the latest trends and master an impressive amount of data.
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