Neurocosmetics, psychodermatology, or stress-relief beauty. Whatever you want to call it, there is an uprising of new brands and ingredients that are aiming to help people battle the stress epidemic via their beauty and personal care routines.
Personal care major Unilever has developed a low-cost topical formula that delivers a fresh, young and lively look to the skin via a blend of vitamin C and olivine extract.
It is time for beauty to ditch the ‘anti-ageing’ discourse and instead opt for positive and holistic messaging and innovation that takes a preventative and celebratory approach to ageing, say executives from L’Oréal, Unilever and Beautystreams.
Special Edition: Inside-Out Beauty – Science And Product Innovation
Supplements containing colourless carotenoids offer promise as a dietary intervention for photoprotection and wider skin health at a time when consumers are increasingly turning to inside-out strategies, finds a review.
Research on alternative actives for deodorants and antiperspirants is building, but efficacy testing is limiting advances and most successes in the category remain based on ingredients introduced more than 50 years ago, say researchers.
Special Edition: Inside-Out Beauty – Science And Product Innovation
Curcuma supplements in combination with a curcuma-based topical show most promise in targeting ageing signs like wrinkles versus just using a cream, say researchers.
International personal care major Colgate-Palmolive has developed an active stannous, fluoride and potassium translucent charcoal toothpaste that offers protection from caries, erosion and hypersensitivity.
Scientific knowledge on the bioactivity of organic biomass extracts and agri-food waste has fast advanced in recent years, highlighting potential for the development of topicals targeting skin photoageing, say researchers.
UK Indie brand Faace has developed a daily moisturiser designed to alleviate stress with its scent profile and nourish stressed out skin with a range of actives.
As blue light protection innovation continues to surge, further research must be focused on understanding the mechanisms by which exposure leads to skin damage, suggest researchers.
Water extracts from wild and cultivar olive and Greek juniper offer promise topically to assist wound healing and promote hair growth, according to preliminary studies.
International beauty major Coty has developed an active antiperspirant formula that offers a long-lasting fragrance after application using a blend of lotus flower extracts.
Lignin extracted from sugarcane byproduct offers multifunctional promise as an active ingredient with UV protection and antioxidant properties for topical cosmetics, a study finds.
International beauty major L’Oréal has reported a net profit surge for the full year of 2022, with active cosmetics leading growth with strong business in Latin America.
Oil extracted from Korean red ginseng byproduct offers promise in the development of active topicals targeting skin and hair health, alongside wider ingestible formulas, say researchers.
Special Edition: Active Beauty - Vitamins, Minerals and Plant Power
Three years ago, the makeup category fell out of focus as consumers prioritised skin care during the COVID-19 pandemic – a shift that has largely stuck, offering clear opportunities for skincare-infused colour cosmetic innovation, says a trend expert.
Special Edition: ACTIVE BEAUTY – VITAMINS, MINERALS AND PLANT POWER
Topical cosmetic application of vitamin C is more effective than oral supplementation when targeting skin health, but challenges remain around stability and absorption, finds a review.
Special Edition: ACTIVE BEAUTY – VITAMINS, MINERALS AND PLANT POWER
As mushrooms continue to garner interest in the wider wellness category, certain compounds could offer future promise in the edible and topical beauty space, say researchers.
Whey waste from cheese production holds significant promise as an active ingredient for cosmetic formulations, particularly those targeting skin health and dermal ageing, finds an EU research consortium.
A century-old method using live virus bacteriophages has the potential to make its revival in skin care via formulations designed to target blemish-prone skin, says US supplier Biocogent.
French-headquartered venture capital firm Seventure Partners plans to unlock a third wave of microbiome innovation funds next year, aiming to invest €300 million in more than 20 cutting-edge companies, its CEO says.
Japanese personal care major Kao Corporation has blended carbonated water into a shampoo formula for curly hair to improve the penetration and effectiveness of its curl-loosening ingredient, offering better style control at the washing stage.
Human skin microbiology specialist Labskin has developed a pigmented skin model in partnership with Bradford University that it says represents a breakthrough for cosmetics and health research and could even lead to new discoveries.
Consumers have wide and varied perceptions around skin glow that differ according to country, spurring promise for industry to consider market positioning and claims more carefully, according to Swedish cosmetics firm Oriflame.
Beauty-from-within remains the number-one reason women and men take collagen supplements, according to a fresh five nation survey, and so science-backed claims substantiation will be key moving forward, says an expert.
Cosmetic formulators must start thinking more holistically about the wider potential of multifunctional ingredients that can offer product protection and more, says Symrise.
British direct-to-consumer skin care brand Facetheory has launched into the new wellness section of French department store Galeries Lafayette, its first move into brick and mortar and part of a wider shift in expansion strategy, its founder says.
The potential of naturally derived plant-based cosmetics and nutricosmetics has not yet been fully harnessed when targeting oxidative stress and inflammation-related skin ageing, say researchers.
Active beauty for the eye area, including care for lashes and brows, remains a largely untapped area with plenty of promise for growth, says Swedish brand Xlash Cosmetics.
Active hair care and skin care startup Wild Science Lab is expanding its retail footprint into the Middle East, opting for a shop in shop model that enables consumer consultation on its preventative and targeted products.
The skinimalism trend continues to gain traction in beauty with fresh opportunities to develop all-in-one hybrid colour cosmetic and hair care products targeting this space, says WGSN.
Australian medical cannabis expert Cann Global has forayed into skin care with a natural CBD and hemp skin care brand Fuss Pot, launching in France this month.
Many active components of natural plant extracts can be used to develop topical cosmetics suitable for consumers with sensitive skin, ultimately targeting the anti-allergic space, say researchers.
Biotechnology continues to fast-evolve, presenting great opportunities for the beauty industry to advance in new molecules, improved processes and evidence-based actives, says Givaudan Active Beauty.
Upcycled banana beauty brand Kadalys is expanding its business deeper into research, development and bioactives production – a move its founder says will create jobs, counter the climate crisis and inspire wider change amongst industry.
International skin care major Beiersdorf wants to reinvent its flagship Nivea brand over the next financial year, carving out a more global, digital and sustainable offering, its CEO says.
Bee venom and other bee-derived ingredients may hold promise as skin care actives to target smoothness, nourishment and brightness, though commercialisation would require careful attention given allergenicity concerns, say researchers.
Active lip care brand Esho is continuing its rise in beauty with a flurry of new launches and retail partnerships on the horizon as its founder aims to bring lips to the forefront of personalised routines.
International beauty major L’Oréal has reported a significant rise in full-year 2021 sales and net profit globally, with Latin America and North Asia performing particularly well and business in its Luxe and Active Cosmetics divisions leading the surge.
Plant extracts offer plenty of active cosmetics promise, but the colourful flowers of some plants also offer up natural dye potential in addition to providing a bioactive punch, say researchers.
Personal care major Unilever has developed a scalp care formulation using the disaccharide trehalose as a prebiotic to reduce levels of fungi associated with dandruff.
Sunday II Sunday is a Black-owned athleisure haircare brand which has capitalized on the needs of a consumer with a specific lifestyle to find a whitespace. Christina Williams, associate brand manager spoke with CosmeticsDesign about what their model...
A plethora of scientific reviews were published in 2021, spanning a range of important beauty topics from blue light protection and the history of sunscreen through to active ingredient delivery and circular ingredient promise. Here, CosmeticsDesign-Europe...
A raft of patents were filed in 2021 from industry heavyweights, including L’Oréal, Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive and Estée Lauder. Here, CosmeticsDesign-Europe rounds up our coverage of the year’s patent-worthy innovations.
The COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on beauty, but skin care came out stronger than ever with some key sub-categories offering plenty of innovation and growth promise in the years ahead, says WGSN.
Special Edition: INSIDE-OUT BEAUTY – THE RISE OF EDIBLES AND FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS
A round-up of our scientific study coverage on inside-out beauty ingredients spotlights tomatoes, pine bark and red ginseng, amongst others, as promising ingredients for industry to consider closely.
Active beauty brand Solyph is aiming to tap into what it believes are greater opportunities for the brand following the increase in personal health and wellness concerns that have accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Special Edition: INSIDE-OUT BEAUTY – THE RISE OF EDIBLES AND FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS
Consumers worldwide now believe a healthy appearance, hygiene and cleanliness and feeling comfortable in yourself is what defines beauty, opening plenty of opportunities for functional, efficacious and authentic innovations, according to Euromonitor International.
Upcycled coffee startup Kaffe Bueno has been awarded a European Innovation Council (EIC) grant that it plans to use to build a coffee biorefinery and scale-up its active ingredient offering.