*Cosmetics Vision Special*

Big cosmetics players are 'scaredy cats' when it comes to innovation, says expert

Related tags Cosmetics

Jeanine Reckkio, the world's only beauty futurologist says it’s the industry’s big guys who need to stop complaining and better anticipate and plan for the future. With ‘all due respect’ of course.

With all due respect, wecan’t keep complaining about all the layers we have to go through in Corporate America and even all the legalities​,” she tells CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com.  

We know it’s out there. So, anticipate the future and plan further ahead so that you can move bigger, faster, stronger​,” she advises beauty giants on matters of innovation.

Jeanine Reckkio

The words of advise came after Recckio kicked off the inaugural Cosmetics Vision conference programme on March 6th​ with a keynote presentation, titled ‘And now… What next? Get ready for a future that’s closer than you think’​.

Of all the areas addressed, innovation was one of the most prominent.

The futurologist says if we look back at the likes of Estee Lauder and Elizabeth Arden, which both went a lot more on that Charles Revson gut, (pioneering cosmetics industry executive who created and managed Revlon over five decades) the emphasis wasn't on spending half a million dollars on focus groups to come out with an award winning product.

"Don’t be so scared, have that gut to gamble, to fail, to really come out with a product that you feel passionate about and make it happen," ​advises Reckkio.

"And I think our industry is lacking that, I think we have gotten too corporate/scardey cat,"​ she adds.

What's next and how to stay ahead of the game...

At Cosmetics Vision, the beauty expert lifted the lid on what science and technology has in store for the cosmetics industry in the not too distant future. 

In her talk, Jeanine revealed there are numerous new concepts and innovations on the horizon, and a lot of them are so futuristic-sounding you would not expect to see them on the market for many years. But that many of them are much closer to being launched than you might think.

"Some brands are already in 2018/2019,"​ she says.

Other topics included cryogenic cosmetics cosmetotextiles, permanent make-up, the much talked-about cure for gray hair, capsule cosmetics, a new twist on the fusion of beauty with foods, osmotics, oral care beauty, even DNA skin care.

We are talking about a pair of Levi-branded jeans that target cellulite while you are wearing them, capsule make-up that can be activated to give the desired affect at the touch of a wand, bedding developed to reduce wrinkles and your t-bone steak customised with beauty-giving properties. And that's just for starters​.”

The beauty industry will act as the gateway into our own body

Jeanine says that cosmetic products of the future will act as a gateway for ingredients or supplements to make their way into the body on a whole new level.

"It's really all about how we're going to be living our life in the future, say from the year 2025 and beyond​," she tells this publication.

One of the biggest trends the futurologist says is about reinvention, the morphing of ourselves.

"Whether its bionic, injectable or going under the knife. We need to look at where are we going with all this plastic surgery, and how much will become virtual versus reality," ​says Jeanine.

She adds that the industry will need to keep an eye on where medical advances will go.

"We will start to see bionic chips that sit under the forehead so that you won't need botox, it will just be a fact of calculating on the computer where you want your forehead raised to. There will also be the likes of growing mucus lip membranes instead of plumping serums​," she forecasts.

Related topics Market Trends

Related news

Show more