Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna confirms itself as the leading global hub for beauty trends. Thanks to the contribution of the Global Beauty Industry Reference BEAUTYSTREAMS, the 2023 edition presented special projects and initiatives to describe the evolution of the industry: from the social, economic and environmental movements of the future of COSMOVISION, which will have the greatest impact on the development of the sector, to the vision of current trends and their interpretation by the companies exhibiting at Cosmoprof with the COSMOTRENDS Report.

Significant changes in technology, society and the approach to sustainability will continue to reshape our world, including the cosmetics sector. COSMOVISION is a strategic roadmap of the most current topics for the industry, which can offer new opportunities for companies and operators.

This year, BEAUTYSTREAMS has highlighted CELEBRATING OTHERNESS – Beauty in the unique as its guiding theme: inclusivity becomes a fundamental value in purchasing habits, and the “one fits all” approach to products will gradually disappear, leaving room for hyper-personalisation. Every aspect of the individual, from personality to personal needs and preferences, from cultural affinities to sexuality, up to the definition of gender and age, will play a central role in the very personal definition of a single human being. By accepting their uniqueness, consumers will be attracted by those brands, products and services that will be able to satisfy their needs and communicate their own values.

Focusing on the main topic CELEBRATING OTHERNESS, during Cosmoprof BEAUTYSTREAMS highlighted 5 movements, presenting a dedicated installation, and a talk as part of the CosmoTalks calendar, with Lan Vu, Founder & CEO at BEAUTYSTREAMS, Emma Wingate, Pitch Global Innovation Director, Beauty & Wellbeing at UNILEVER, and Michele Vershoore, Scientific Director at L’Oréal Research & Innovation. The moderator of the roundtable was Michael Nolte, SVP and Creative Director at BEAUTYSTREAMS.

NOT ABOUT AGE – The market is opening up to new types of product, not only for the younger generations, but also for more adult consumers and other age groups. The average age of the population is increasing more and more, and as highlighted during the talk it is necessary to accompany the consumer through the different stages of life, helping to accept their effects and transformations. A central role in this approach is played by communication, which should promote self-acceptance by not demonizing the signs of aging, as highlighted by Emma Wingate of UNILEVER referring, for example, to the growing percentage of consumers who no longer intervene to cover white hair. Brands must change their approach by promoting prevention for better health and well-being of the body, as opposed to the anxiety and fear of the passage of time denounced during the talk by Lan Vu of BEAUTYSTREAMS.

JUST FOR ME – Following the development of hyper-personalization, there are many technologies that can help the consumer become the main player in the purchasing process. As pointed out by Michele Vershoore of L'Oréal, the new digital applications allow the consumer to carry out an autonomous diagnosis of his/her needs, thus making him/her to be the first architect in the decision to purchase a product. Technological development is therefore universally recognized as an opportunity for brands to offer more knowledge tools to the consumer and guarantee an increasingly personalized experience, but it is also necessary to evaluate the management of the amount of information and data collected through these devices. This topic is still to be analysed today in many markets, as noted by Michael Nolte of BEAUTYSTREAMS during the CosmoVision talk.

OPEN TYPE – Putting an end to gender stereotypes: this is the must-have for beauty brands. To do this, Wingate underlined that a change of language is necessary: new ways are needed to describe the effects of a product, in line not only with the difference between men and women, but with the characteristics of one's skin or hair. Personalization is once again the key word, but this element should be managed by brands with authenticity and empathy, not as a marketing and sales tool.

MULTI-ROOTS - With an increasingly ethnically evolving population, brands will need to think about the unique needs of individuals rather than oversimplified ethnic stereotypes. With a range of unique skin and hair tones entering our society every day, tomorrow's increasingly diverse consumers will seek out brands that adopt formulations that take into consideration the individual's unique physiology and specific needs. During the talk, Vershoore highlighted how the scientific analysis of the variety of skin tone or hair type is the basis of a brand's approach today, also combined with the enhancement of individual cultural choices and traditions.

LOCAL LOVE – We are increasingly seeing an increase in attention and pride towards our culture and a demand for respect for one's origins. It is an ethical and sustainable choice aimed at supporting a circular and local economy, but this approach makes consumers getting closer to smaller brands, or the so-called Indie Brands, which offer more targeted and exclusive proposals in line with the consumer’s values and traditions. Once again, the key themes are the consumer's need to find customized solutions, as well as the duty for brands to communicate in an authentic way.

The COSMOTRENDS report, exclusively curated by BEAUTYSTREAMS for Cosmoprof network events, presents today's main trends in the beauty industry. Starting from the future movements highlighted by CosmoVision, the BEAUTYSTREAMS team tried to decipher the current trends that are already highlighting a transformation of the market, then analysing the interpretation of these influences by the exhibitors of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2023.

The trends and products were selected before the event, starting from the applications of the exhibiting companies through the website www.cosmoprof.com. BEAUTYSTREAMS analysed hundreds of online submissions and identified the most striking trends. The first selection was presented during the fair with an installation and a talk within the CosmoTalks schedule. These are the trends that emerged from the first release of the 2023 report:

CLINICAL KUDOS - Proof-points confer trust and reassurance: The topic of safety exploded during the pandemic but continues to drive purchases of beauty products. The consumer seeks scientific proof of the efficacy of the product and the safety of its ingredients on their skin. This current trend anticipates many of the values of "JUST FOR ME", one of the insights analysed with CosmoVision, because it highlights how the use of new technologies can help finding customized and safe solutions.

MENO-BLISS - Menopause is having more than a moment: Female well-being is a key issue for the market today. Greater attention to women is also linked to more respect for her body and for all phases of women’s life. In the world of beauty, therefore, there are more and more companies developing products and solutions that follow the life cycle of women. The theme is closely related to "NOT ABOUT AGE", because it addresses the importance of a transformation in approaching the signs of aging.

NOT SO TRASHY - Discovering the value of waste: No more waste of product or packaging, but a strong trend towards the reuse of waste from other industries as well. This has been a must for many years, and the growing attention to issues concerning the use of the planet's resources and sustainability drives consumers towards innovative recycling and waste reduction solutions. The trend is linked to the values of "LOCAL LOVE", because it is a first step towards the use of local ingredients and resources as part of circular economy.

NEAR & DEAR - Thinking local means consuming mindfully: During the pandemic, the difficulties in supplying and transporting products on large markets facilitated the development of more local realities, which have therefore gradually gained the attention of the consumer. Today, 0-km purchases also have a social and environmental value: smaller companies which are often more closely linked to the territory are growing, and at the same time the environmental impact associated with the transport of goods and raw materials is reduced. The link to the "LOCAL LOVE" theme is very evident.

SOLAR NOVA - Next-generation sun care protects and repairs: Attention to the defence of the skin from the damage of the sun's rays and pollution continues to remain very high. Today, the scientific research of cosmetic companies makes it possible to find increasingly functional products on the market, true defensive barriers that protect the skin from external aggression factors. These products are focusing on the skin types of the individual and on the effects of external conditions. For this reason, this topic reflects the attention to personalization to individual skin types and environment conditions announced by "MULTI-ROOTS".

During Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2023, the BEAUTYSTREAMS editorial team collected new data, in order to elaborate a more complete report. These are the trends which have been discovered during the exhibition:

AT HOME PRO - Pushing the boundaries of DIY beauty: The new devices are transforming the at-home beauty routine, with R&D departments that are exploiting new technologies and collaborations with research institutes to offer treatments and formulations of professional level. Micro-needles, injectors, transdermal patches, micro-current devices, LED therapies and biological molecules that help mitigate the signs of aging are just some of the available proposals, often linked to smart apps, self-diagnosis tools and AI technologies. There is a strict connection to the movement “JUST FOR ME”, with a push to democratization of technologies for beauty routines.

CULTURAL APPRECIATION - Optimizing age-old ingredients with technology: A celebration of traditional and ancient ingredients and rituals, passed down from generation to generation, which take on new meaning when combined with cutting-edge technologies. The new generation products feature formulations enhancing values such as purity, effectiveness and sustainability. The innate wisdom of our ancestors and the high technological performance of the present are meeting to enhance beauty results. The trend is strictly connected to “MULTI-ROOTS” and “JUST FOR ME”: new combinations between technological tools and traditional treatments and ingredients help consumers receive a truly personalized beauty proposal.

JUST ZAP IT - Acne-prone skin finally finds relief: Acne continues to be under the spotlights of large sections of the population. Fortunately, the treatment for acne-prone skin has registered a considerable growth, with new ingredients and formats, such as microneedle patches that fight acne at its source and also help reduce inflammation. Attention to acne is linked to the attention consumers are paying to their skin throughout all stages of their life, as highlighted also by “NOT ABOUT AGE”.

TRESS SOS - Potent solutions for stressed manes: Hair loss, an alarming phenomenon that reached its peak during the pandemic, continues to be a problem for many consumers, with painful consequences. Today, there are many products that address hair loss and thinning hair, enhanced with ingredients that are typically used for skin care. The proposals for complete treatments are multiplying, with lotions, serums, masks and therapeutic devices aimed at stimulating the hair follicle. Hair care is more and more focusing on scalp care, with more tools at consumers’ disposal for at-home treatments. Hair diseases are considered as a specific stage of life to take care of. For these reasons, the trend is linked to “JUST FOR ME” and “NOT ABOUT AGE” movements highlighted by CosmoVision.

TECH NECK - Rejuvenating treatments target the neck & décolleté: Companies are finally focusing on the neck and décolleté. New proposals aim to prevent the signs of aging and protect the skin, and neck and décolleté have a thinner and more delicate skin. The selected ingredients are highly nutritious; they protect the skin against the effects of gravity, pollution, non-optimal diets and environmental factors. As underlined by “NOT ABOUT AGE”, beauty brands can take advantage of a big market opportunity by developing products which offer prevention to neck and décolleté skin against the damages of ageing.

To download CosmoVision 2023 and the complete Cosmotrends Report 2023, https://we.tl/t-58CvgyUb4H

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