Our most-read stories in Europe: September

5 beauty brands with a mental health focus​​

In a fast-paced and increasingly individualistic world, mental health has become an ever-pressing issue for society.

For young people in particular, the use of unrealistic images of beauty in both mainstream media and on social media have exacerbated the pressures. According to UK charity the Mental Health Foundation, 22% of adults and 40% of teens believed that social media was a cause of negative body image.

With Mental Health Day on the horizon in October, we’ve rounded up five beauty and wellness brands that have cleverly incorporated mental health awareness and support into their marketing strategies.

Ancient beauty ingredients that are seeing a comeback​ ​

With more consumer focus on the revival of ancient beauty rituals, we share some of the latest offerings from ingredients companies based around these age-old beauty favourites. From marula oil to dragon fruit to black seed cumin.

News updates:  Beiersdorf, L'Oréal, Puig and Weleda​

In our 60-second news update we cover Puig’s rumoured plans to go public in 2024 with an estimated valuation of €8bn, Beiersdorf’s sustainability strategy at its newly opened plant, L'Oréal’s new €15m fund to help populations that are vulnerable to climate disasters, and Weleda’s presence at London Fashion Week.

3 new sensory discoveries in cosmetic science​

The IFSCC show in Barcelona was full of brilliant breakthroughs in cosmetic science and here we've covered three new findings related to sensory experiences in beauty products.

Aline Robert-Hazotte from Shiseido Group’s European Innovation Centre shared the latest study on transmitting positive emotions through body odour; Hugo Alexandre Ferreira from the University of Lisbon set out to discover whether The Stroop Effect happens with scent and shared how his findings can apply to marketing fragrance; and Celine Carrasco Douroux Applied Research Director for Symrise investigated the impact of a new scented product to enhance sleep quality.

5 beauty brand concepts that tapped into ancient rituals​

In recent years, more consumers have become intrigued by the ancient beauty rituals used in Africa, Asia, Native America and beyond. Here are five companies that created brands around these concepts – from the hammam ritual to Traditional Chinese Medicine.