Trend Spotting: in-cosmetics and the US marketplace

13-Apr-2016 - Last updated on 14-Apr-2016 at 13:32 GMT

As this week’s in-cosmetics personal care ingredient trade show in Paris comes to a close, Cosmetics Design shares our own key insights from the show floor as well as observations from market researchers on the scene.

Cosmetics and personal care industry suppliers of every ilk are on hand at the event, launching new ingredients, presenting new research, demonstrating new formulation solutions, and much more. A US Market Focus section was part of the Paris event and is something of a promotional platform for the upcoming in-cosmetics North America show happening this September in New York City.

In conversation with US companies exhibiting at the Paris event this week, Cosmetics Design found skin care trends influencing hair care and lip care ingredient development, sustainable alternatives to both microbeads and palm oil, and nuanced color cosmetics solutions that let anti-aging and Millennial trends overlap.

First skin care, then elsewhere

We know trends travel. And, at in-cosmetics what’s working well in the skin care space is finding its way into other beauty categories too.

Skin care ingredients have been developed and finessed recently to ensure that the body’s natural microbiome isn’t compromised. This strategy has been taken up for hair care by companies like IFF Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, which launched Defenscalp at in-cosmetics. It’s an active meant to be formulated into anti-dandruff products as well as scalp soothing treatments and hair care products that regulate sebum production.

Lucas Meyer isn’t the only player in this space, but Cosmetics Design heard from more than one buyer this week that Defenscalp is “leading the way in this competitive hair care niche.”

Lip care is also borrowing what works in skin care. In fact, the international market research firm Euromonitor noted that prestige lip care (when looked at as a distinct niche within the skin care category) grew nearly 16% last year in the US, to account for $22m in sales.

Sustainable alternatives

Cosmetics Design heard time-and-time again from ingredient supply companies at in-cosmetics that it was demand from US manufactures, brands, and consumers (as well as of course a sense of social responsibility) that led to the development of more environmentally friendly versions of popular materials.

Several companies at in-cosmetics are showing ingredients meant to replace palm oil derivatives, while others boast massive improvements in supply chain accountability. As alternative ingredients, like those from Inolex, solidify brand and consumer expectations for palm-free personal care and beauty product formulations, more ingredient makers will adjust their business practices to remain competitive.

Just as palm seems to be going out of vogue for environmental reasons, so are microbeads (which will soon be prohibited in the States). Accordingly, new bead-like ingredients are launching and being tested for performance in contrast to plastic microbeads.

Companies like Lipoid Kosmetik, which is showingTagua Nut as an alternate exfoliating ingredient, are helping manufactures keep pace in this space.

Anti-aging youth culture

The anti-aging category has matured and isn’t seeing the growth it once did, according to Euromonitor’s press briefing at in-cosmetics.

Curiously, it’s effect pigments from companies like Sun Chemical and Presperse that are the next ready solution for consumers. With ingredients that produce unique optical effects, color product can be made to visibly blur lines and winkles. The resulting formulations are the instant anti-aging products Millennials reach for. And, when incorporated into multifunction color products, deliver the look of quick results while actives take on long-term concerns.