We’re heading into our next era, combining the inspirational, celebratory freedom of the Roaring Twenties with the themes of acceptance, activism and change of the 1960s. This renaissance will be unlike any other, and it’s an opportunity for the beauty & personal care brands and formulators to embrace the power of bold like never before.
A time to evolve
Clean beauty has opened the door to a new level of ingredient transparency for performance, benefits, sustainability and more. As brands and formulators, consumers’ heightened interest in transparency and ingredient literacy gives us the opportunity to learn more about what end consumers want from their products.
Now is the time to be bold in your formulations, to try new approaches and test new materials—aiming for another level of creation with next-generation hybrid products offering new claims and enhanced benefits. Consumers are open and eager to try new things—and history shows us, they’ll also be willing to pay for them. Casually coined “the lipstick effect,” consumers affected by a recession or economic hardships will often treat themselves to smaller luxury items—such as a trending lipstick in a daring shade—that help them feel better, without taking them far off their budgetary track.
Engaging the senses
After over a year in ‘lockdown,’ unable to explore the world as they’re used to, consumers are seeking experiences that offer a sensory escape from their everyday norm. They are going to emerge looking to LIVE loudly, embracing every opportunity to feel, experience and explore. Within the beauty & personal care space, this is an opportunity to respond to consumers by engaging as many of the five senses as possible through new innovations.
In their 2021 Beauty Influencers report , Beauty Influencers - US - April 2021: Market Factors, Mintel highlights that the way consumers discover and purchase products have shifted permanently. They recommend brands look to engage all of the senses, offering new layers of digital experiences to guide consumers as they shop.
Deeply satisfying videos that incorporate sound in addition to color and texture to create an auto sensory meridian response (ASMR) experience. The rise of the texture shot as the new beauty shot, and growth of ASMR videos to engage the senses is in response to the inability of consumers to properly experience their products prior to purchase, and their overall sensory deprivation in isolation. These ASMR videos enhance our interpretation of how the products will look and feel through the lens of an influencer demonstrating how they are applied.
When we take all five senses into account as formulators and brands, we can begin to create truly unique sensorial experiences for our consumers that help to distinguish our products, whether it’s in a social media video, in a sample format or after purchase.
In addition to elevating your products, engaging as many of the senses as possible also plays a significant role in self-care, which is one of the emerging trends in our industry.
As you explore how to engage the five senses, consider how each can help improve the mental wellbeing of the consumer, or give them a deeper, more enjoyable experience. For example, rather than just a moisturized skin feel, take things up a notch with a texture that transforms, paired with a fun bold color and add a lively scent to round out a truly next-level sensorial experience.
Embracing the skin we’re in
As bold themes of acceptance and freedom grow, the monumental consumer focus on skin care is expected to grow as well. Throughout the pandemic, we saw usage of color cosmetics decrease, while usage and purchases of skin care products held steady or grew—quite a feat in such difficult times. Even prior to the pandemic, skin care predictions were strong and steady in terms of growth over the next five years. Statista lists the skin care segment as having the highest growth potential between 2019 and 2025 (Statista, Beauty & Personal Care Report 2020), an expected 24.3% growth.
The reasons for expected growth are broad and include the consumer focus on wellness and self-care—both of which prioritize skin care and health.
Placing the skin at the center of our efforts actually offers us more opportunities for innovation and exploration, as brands and formulators in hair care, sun care and color cosmetics. Hybrid products will allow us to explore additional formats, textures and benefits that will stand out for consumers.
For color cosmetic brands, who have faced challenges due to decreased makeup usage, Mintel recommends exploring hybrid color cosmetic products that offer comparable care levels as traditional skin care products (Mintel, 2021).
A renaissance is coming
As life across the world transforms and finds a new semblance of normalcy, consumers are palpably excited for the next phase. That whisper in the air will soon grow to a roar and before we know it, we’ll be in a new and historic era of revival. Experience the newest concept from Univar Solutions Revival - the power of bold under www.univarsolutions/RevivalEurope.com.
