Top 5 most-read stories December 2020: Trendspotting, animal testing and microbiota innovation

A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from December 2020 shows interest in trend predictions and reflections, industry noise on EU animal testing regulations and microbiota-targeted innovation from Unilever.

Beauty trends – predictions and reflections​

The global CosmeticsDesign trends video garnered plenty of interest at the end of last year, predicting 15 top beauty trends to watch for 2021. For the EMEA region, trends highlighted were: Beauty 4.0, Beauty for all, Self-care society, Oral care spotlight and Green beauty.

Our interview with Guive Balooch, head of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator also stirred interest, as he outlined three key pillars to the future of personalised beauty that mattered most.

Similarly, a reflection on how the ongoing COVID-19 crisis had impacted consumer trends in beauty also generated interest as CosmeticsDesign-Europe rounded up the nine ways usage and purchase patterns had shifted, and ongoing movements had been accelerated.

EU animal testing – industry raises concerns​

Towards the end of last year, there was plenty of noise around the EU animal testing ban and concerns about animal data being required under REACH legislation in some cases.

Among several industry-led actions, an open letter was sent to the European Commission, Parliament and Council – signed by 400 beauty companies including Avon, Dermalogica and The Body Shop – calling for new animal testing to be stopped, in adherence to the existing EU animal testing ban on cosmetic products and ingredients.

Back in November, a raft of beauty majors had signed an open statement claiming the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) was undermining the EU animal testing ban because of animal data demands under REACH – a claim the agency refuted.

Microbiota in the spotlight – Unilever patents topical composition​

Unilever’s international patent filings for a topical composition made using thyme and pine to balance microbiota diversity also garnered interest. The personal care major said the active ingredients worked particularly well on skin with conditions like atopic dermatitis and acne, with the formulation suitable for a range of products, including skin creams, deodorants and shampoos.

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