Introduction
The beauty industry is experiencing rapid growth, with the Beauty & Personal Care market projected to increase by 3.33% annually. As the market expands, so does the range of products and ingredients available. While some of these are fleeting trends, others have stood the test of time and become essential staples in the industry. However, simply being aware of these products is not sufficient. It is crucial to stay informed about the latest beauty trends and industry developments in order to make informed decisions for your business.
Beauty Trends From 2024 to 2026
In 2024, the beauty retail trends have been leaning toward sustainability, diversity, and anti-aging. Though this has been a thing since 2023, it’s gaining even more traction now.
1. Sustainability and Biotechnology Coming Together
Since sustainable materials started booming, cosmetic industry trends started leaning more toward sustainable ingredients and methods, and this usually came in the form of natural ingredients and renewable sources.
However, nature isn’t always the answer. Before, how natural ingredients were acquired involved large farmlands, industrial farming, and natural oil extraction which produces pollutants as byproducts. Though seemingly good, the process of acquiring these is actually not doing the environment a favor.
This is where biotechnology has taken a foothold. Biotechnology uses both biology and chemistry to formulate skincare ingredients that are grown—not manufactured—in a lab which lessens the resources needed to cultivate that same ingredient while also creating an equally effective ingredient.
One of the front runners of biotechnology is botanical squalane, typically from a shark’s liver but this time, they derived it from sugarcane. With the population of sharks going down, the use of sugarcane, which only needs 1 sq. km of land, has helped the ocean regain its balance.
2. Clean Beauty – Going All Natural
More and more consumers are starting to look at the ingredients in beauty products. As they start being more conscious of their purchases, the need for going the more eco route is also becoming more urgent.
Because of this, the global organic beauty market is projected to reach a value of more than US$ 15 billion by next year, 2025. The rising demand is also expected to increase even further as more consumers are becoming more aware. This is what the beauty industry refers to as “clean” and this word has been used for skincare, makeup, cosmetics, hair care, and even body care. In Tiktok alone, Clean Beauty gained its own category and the top videos have reached more than 4 million views.
3. From PPE to PPC – Protective Personal Care
As the global heat levels start to rise the concern for sun exposure is also starting to rise. In response to that, the demand for sun protection products are starting to pop up. UV protection has long been part of skincare routines but even more so now, consumers are becoming more conscious of the sun damage on their skin. On the other hands, pollution is also a continuing problem which consumers are becoming more aware of for their skin. As this progressively gets worse with climate change, it’s projected to increase demand for protective health and personal care products to prevent sun and pollution damage.
4. Men’s Beauty Products – A Rising Demand
One of the hottest beauty trends in the market right now is men’s beauty and personal care products. Seeing a steady rise in terms of market size in increments of around US$ 5 billion, the market is projected to increase even more in the coming years.
With the advent of a new era of skincare and makeup, men are also starting to expand their horizons from simply beard care to skincare and cosmetics as well. The main driver for this? Male celebrities getting into skincare and some even starting their own line.
Brad Pitt launched his own skincare line, Le Domaine Skincare, who uses grapes (note: natural ingredients) and their antioxidant characteristics as the unique selling point of his line. For the younger generation, there’s also Pleasing by Harry Styles but this time, it’s nail lacquers. Endorsing it himself, he emphasizes that his products are ones that he himself would use. With these new launches and many more, men have started to also become more open to adopting skincare routines and purchasing other cosmetic products.
5. Inclusivity and Diversity
With the calls for diversity and inclusivity coming out, a lot of beauty brands get called out for not having inclusive products. This is especially prevalent for the darker skinned community as they struggle to find products that suit their skin well.
With Generation Alpha growing up with internet and becoming more and more active on online platforms, they have also been leaving an impact on beauty brands as they’re slowly expanding their products to the new generation. Being younger and having a different culture, the call for inclusivity is even stronger.
Not just the products, but also the advertisements also play a factor in how the consumers feel about the brands. Different ages, skin types, body types, and consideration for special conditions need representation and most of the time, this is where beauty brands come up short.
Black brands actually only make up 2.5% of the industry and still, 11.1% of beauty consumers are black. Due to the growing demand for more inclusive products, Black brands get a relatively higher median revenue, about 89 times higher, than other beauty brands.
6. Anti-aging Cosmetics
Despite Gen-Alpha entering the market, there’s still a lot of demand in the industry for anti-aging cosmetics. With retinol, hyaluronic acid, peptides, Vitamin C, and exfoliation gaining traction last year and even more so this year, anti-aging products are still selling like hotcakes.
The thing about this is, it’s not just the aged population who are buying them. Young adults, mostly in their mid-20s to 30s are also purchasing these products as it also helps with acne and prevents aging to achieve that smooth clear skin.
What to Note About Beauty Trends?
There are so many factors affecting what starts trending but also, some just seem to appear out of nowhere. As unpredictable as trends are, there are still ways to somehow predict what’s in store for the future of the cosmetics industry.
The key to keeping up with the times is to know where and how they take form. In today’s society, majority of it comes from social media or other popular online platforms. It’s worth checking out the previously mentioned social media platforms like Tiktok and Instagram.
It’s also good to look into what demographics are more likely to be interested in beauty products. These things all contribute to the emergence of new trends.
The Growth of the Beauty Industry
Trends come and go and its these trends that greatly influence the flow of the market. While some are fleeting and only last a few months, some that have proven their effectiveness and sustainability in the industry have solidified their place in the market.
As a beauty brand, knowing these changes will not only help you know what sells but also what to expect in the future. Now that cosmetic tech is starting to emerge with more and more innovations, AI and AR technology has also started entering the industry.
Among all of these, the most common themes that have stayed strong are personalization, sustainability, innovation, and surprisingly online platforms. Despite having to go online involuntarily for a period of time due to the pandemic, the adjustments have also made most people more inclined to use online platforms.
Overall, health and beauty industry trends are always changing but tech in beauty is still in its early stages—with lots of room for innovation and improvement. All looking towards creating a more personalized experience for the consumers.
References:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/
