Hygienic beauty inspires fresh innovations
Hygiene & Microbiome Focus
20 Apr 2021 --- As the pandemic continues to highlight the growing need for hygienic beauty solutions, finished products are seeing innovation crop up in core segments to overlap with other leading trends, including digital, DIY and wellness beauty.
Senior beauty and personal care journalist, Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe, caught up with Belinda Carli, director and cosmetic chemist at the Institute of Personal Care Science (IPCS), to look at the leading beauty segments spurring hygienic innovations.
Finished product finesse
As hygienic product launches continue to evolve and seek their place in the long-term BPC space, the leading trend is set to shape consumer demands for finished beauty products. Belinda Carli takes us through three of the leading areas we can expect to grow and flourish as hygienic beauty develops.
“In this uncertain time, one thing is certain: people want this period over,” Carli shares. As such, consumers are turning to BPC products to support their overall wellbeing and enable BPC experimentation. “People can’t travel or go on holiday, so they are more experimental with their appearance —a change is as good as a holiday as they say,” highlights Carli.
Click to Enlarge1. Our makeup preferences
As mask-wearing becomes the norm, and the pandemic continues to prompt changes to our makeup routines, Carli asks what many of us are thinking: “Why bother with full face or lip makeup if our face is covered?”
Instead, certain makeup categories are seeing a rise in popularity. Beauty wearers want to show off their playfulness and self-expression via their makeup choices. Perhaps unsurprisingly, therefore, in 2020 we saw nail polish become the top subcategory for new product development (NPD) across all regions, Innova Market Insights data reveals. Experimentation with novel shades, art and DIY at-home trends sparked innovations for nail polish-seeking shoppers.
Multifunctional and multiuse beauty sets also became popular, with palettes and beauty sets gaining appeal. Eye shadow palettes are a sought-after option, Carli points out: “We are seeing a change to eye makeup – the type and colors used, to suit day wear with a mask.”
Social media is bringing the worlds of beauty, experience and engagement together. Brands are showcasing bright and bold colors that appeal to the playful and joyful experience of applying makeup. Advancing technology such as augmented reality also enables consumers to engage in playful and virtual makeup via gaming applications.
2. Hair product growth
“Hair products are where we will see the biggest innovations,” enthuses Carli.
A key reason for this is that, for many consumers, hair is the easiest thing to change and make a bold statement with, yet it can always grow back. Add to this the very real reality that many of us have experienced less-than-ideal home hair cuts due to hairdressers being closed — and many of us are seeking hair care options.
“We will see the return of the perm as well as natural curls, and also lots of play with color,” notes Carli. However, with “perms and color does come hair damage,” Carli adds, which provides innovation opportunities for hair treatment products that address this concern. Styling product innovations are also set to arrive to give consumers the salon look they are after, at home.
Click to EnlargeVirtual try-on tools are gathering pace. Consumers want to get creative with their hair color, but equally want to see its impact before reaching for the dye bottle. Digital hair color try-on tools also represent fun, playful and experimental beauty — a leading trend dominating beauty in 2021.
In 2020, 16% of global consumers said that virtual try-on tools that enable them to see what they would like before buying a product are important when shopping online for BPC items, the Innova Beauty and Personal Care Survey 2020 found. Uptake and popularity of these digital aids varied worldwide, with almost a third of Brazilian consumers (31%) ranking virtual try-on tools as important, compared with 10% of shoppers in Japan. Consumers surveyed in other regions, including North America, Europe, Asia and Australasia, all sat somewhere in the middle, demonstrating the widespread global prevalence of virtual try-on tools.
3. At-home spa products
“While people are loving being able to see their beauty therapist when they can, the reality with lockdowns is that you can’t always get there when you want to,” highlights Carli. “There is also something so sublime about being able to give yourself a treat at home — from spa-like masks or products — if you cannot go out,” she adds.
In 2020 and continuing throughout 2021, consumers are turning to DIY experimentation with their hair, nails and skin care designs and routines. However, going to the salon or spa is not solely about the finished look — it is about the experience. Consumers want to engage in luxurious, feel-good pampering sessions that are as much about enjoying the overall treatment as they are with the end result.
We will continue to see more at-home spa options and experiences to address this consumer demand. Self-care and wellness in beauty is also a growing trend. And the release of novel and innovative at-home products appeals to this interest, Carli shares: “It also helps people feel better to take care of themselves, so this fits the wellbeing theme consumers are trending toward.”
By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe, BPC Insights Senior Journalist