Mintel’s study of Global Beauty and Personal Care Trends to 2025 has highlighted the trend of ‘gastronomia’ which it says is driving consumer interest in natural ingredients as people are becoming more involved in creating their own beauty products.
Brands are reacting to consumer interest in pure and natural ingredients, says Mintel’s Charlotte Libby in a blog, and are appealing to those wanting to be more involved with the creation of products.
The analyst also found that product launches are increasingly blurring the boundaries between beauty and food: “When it comes to natural ingredients, the in the past few years beauty markets have seen the use of botanical oils, such as coconut oil, in beauty routines blossom, at the same time as their popularity in cooking and baking has increased. The gluten-free claim also began to gain traction in the skincare market in 2013.
“There has been a continued blurring of skincare and food boundaries, particularly with regard to ingredients and storage. As these trends become cemented in the food market, similar claims are emerging in beauty markets as two thirds of UK women agree diet is a significant factor in determining the appearance of skin.
“Just like ‘raw’ and ‘cold-pressed’ have become buzzwords in the health food markets, the clean eating food trend is influencing the beauty and personal care markets, and there is increasing interest in products containing fresh ingredients and limited preservatives, which therefore have a shorter shelf life.”
Another key trend is bathing products with detox and antioxidant properties, which have driven growth in the sector despite declines in the number of baths people take.
And while vitamin and mineral-fortified bodycare launches have increased over the past couple of years, claims such as vegan, gluten-free and no additives are now seeing particular growth, says Libby.
Green food ingredients like spirulina are moving into the beauty market and fermented foods are now a popular beauty ingredient in Asia. Mintel expects the latter to be a growing trend in the UK.
Libby concludes: “Whilst food-inspired fragrances and ingredients have long been reflected in beauty and personal care launches, in 2016 an increased focus on diet has seen beauty begin to take influence from vegan and gluten-free diets. Further innovation is also expected in algae and fermented product launches, particularly in skincare. Free-from innovations, as well as appealing to health conscious consumers, also hold opportunity to appeal to other beauty consumers, such as those seeking halal-friendly products.”
