All news

Biotechnology is increasingly used to create ingredients for cosmetics formulations in response to sustainability issues (Image: Getty)

5 biotech cosmetics ingredients companies to watch…

By Kirsty Doolan

As biotechnology becomes more prominent in sourcing ingredients for cosmetics formulations, we reveal some of the pioneering businesses that are disrupting the cosmetics ingredients sector…

The new in vitro Double Plate Testing Method is likely to become an industry standard in 2025 (Image: Getty)

How sunscreen testing is about to be transformed…

By Kirsty Doolan

The methods used to test SPF in suncare products have long faced multiple criticisms, and for the past three decades experts have been working on an alternative. This is now in the final stages of ISO approval and is set to overhaul the way we test sun...

Beauty stays afloat for LVMH as luxury fashion sales slow

Beauty stays afloat for LVMH as luxury fashion sales slow

By Kirsty Doolan

The French firm saw declines across categories such as fashion and wines & spirits, while its cosmetics & perfumes division and selective retailer Sephora continued to drive sales in the first half of 2024.

As packaging designers move towards using more easily recyclable materials, pack designs are taking a less-is-more approach to aesthetic design, focusing on clean, simple labelling and muted colours.  (Image: Getty)

Cosmetics packaging trends to watch

By Kirsty Doolan

Ahead of the upcoming London Packaging Week, we discover what’s happening now and what’s coming next in beauty and personal care packaging...

Debut BiotechXBeautyLabs © MF3d Getty Images

BiotechXBeautyLabs: A new approach to beauty innovation

By Cassandra Stern

Following the recent news of biotechnology company Debut's sustainable ingredient development partnership with L’Oréal, Debut has announced the launch of its formulation development and contract manufacturing business BiotechXBeautyLabs in an effort...

( Image: Getty)

What's coming next for femtech?

By Sarah Cohen

The market for female-focused, tech-driven health products, AKA ‘femtech’, is predicted to grow beyond its current focus on reproductive health, according to industry analysts. We explore what’s around the corner for this burgeoning sector of personal...

(Image: Getty)

Fragrance with feelings: The science behind emotion-inducing scents

By Sarah Cohen

Many scent marketers will claim that smells trigger 75% of our daily emotions, as the olfactory nerve is directly linked to the amygdala, the area of the brain that processes emotion. We spoke to experts to explore what’s happening in the realm of functional...

(Image: Getty)

6 beauty brands marketing responsibly to Gen Alpha

By Keysha Davis

Gen Alpha, AKA the ‘Sephora Kids’, has taken a keen interest in beauty, which has sparked much debate throughout 2024. We look at some of the brands that have since made it their mission to responsibly market their products to younger customers.

Historically, it was believed that melanin-rich skin did not require sun protection due to the natural protection it offers against the sun's rays (Image: Getty)

5 sun care trends for darker skin tones

By Keysha Davis

Sun protection is increasingly becoming an integral part of the skincare routines of those with melanin-rich skin. What’s happening in this innovative sector?

Barnes said that Christmas popup events are getting earlier each year due to the popularity of Black Friday sales

4 things every beauty brand should know about experiential popups

By Kirsty Doolan

In-real-life popup experiences continue to be a strong bet for beauty and personal care businesses that want to raise their brand profile, launch a new product and generally attract new loyal customers. But what do brands need to know before they invest...

What does the Labour party win mean for the UK beauty industry?

What does the Labour party win mean for the UK beauty industry?

By Kirsty Doolan

In the UK, left-wing political party Labour has just gained power with a landslide majority in the general election. As politics continues to shift across the Europe region, what could this mean for the future of the beauty industry in Britain…

The findings could provide more insight into how to prevent and treat frontal fibrosing alopecia (Image: Getty/ Seb_ra)

Study links oral contraceptive use to female hair loss

By Kirsty Doolan

Recent research funded by the British Skin Foundation found that some women are genetically predisposed to develop the hair loss condition frontal fibrosing alopecia when they take oral contraceptives.

b.kolor's value chain covers the entire creation process from the customer’s brief until the end product

Givaudan acquires b.kolor to expand makeup & skin care offer

By Kirsty Doolan

Swiss beauty and fragrance ingredients company Givaudan has acquired b.kolormakeup & skincare (b.kolor) – an Italian beauty manufacturer that specialises in developing and producing finished colour cosmetics and skin care products.

Using the new technology, hairdressers will be able to give highly personalised feedback on the state of the hair health and scalp to provide the best solutions (Image: Getty)

Tech startup set to disrupt Germany's hair industry

By Kirsty Doolan

Berlin-based startup Iqonic.AI has today launched live AI hair analysis in partnership with the German professional hair colour and care brand Shyne. We spoke to the company’s founder about what this could mean for the future of hair care…

The EC's antitrust investigation into the fragrance industry is still ongoing (Image: Getty)

IFF fined €15.9m by the EC for “obstructing” antitrust raid

By Kirsty Doolan

The European Commission (EC) has issued a €15.9m fine to the ingredients company IFF for “obstructing” an inspection from regulators in 2023. The penalty had been lowered from the initial amount due to the company’s full cooperation on the matter.

La Roche-Posay noted that younger consumers appeared to be more misinformed than older ones (Image: Getty)

22% of UK consumers think sunscreen is “harmful” to their skin

By Kirsty Doolan

New research from La Roche-Posay shows many UK consumers are highly misinformed on how to protect their skin from the sun. This presents sun care brands with a huge opportunity to educate and assist in the prevention of sun-related skin damage and skin...

The report stated that no one needs forever packaging for a 'temporary' beauty or personal care product (Image: Getty)

How plastic-free beauty could ‘futureproof’ your bottom line

By Kirsty Doolan

With so many new environmental legislations in place in Europe and beyond, a new report boldly states that cosmetics companies need to transition away from using plastic in both formulations and packaging, or they will face long-term financial losses....

While consumers may have been cutting back on other areas, Euromonitor's data shows that they have still been spending on beauty (Image: Getty/Lorado)

A focus on the global cosmetics industry landscape: part I

By Kirsty Doolan

What’s happening in the beauty and personal care industry at a global level? Is the industry thriving? And what kinds of products are consumers currently favouring and why? A beauty expert from Euromonitor shares exclusive insights in part I of this big...

Marty shared that brands that invest in hero products tend to fare well (Image Getty/Deeagrez)

Selling cosmetics on TikTok Shop: 4 expert tips for success

By Kirsty Doolan

How can beauty and personal care brands leverage and navigate the social selling platform for better results? Global VP for beauty at Nielsen IQ (NIQ) Claire Marty shared her data-backed insights on the topic...

9 new beauty packaging innovations

9 new beauty packaging innovations

By Kirsty Doolan

What’s trending in beauty and personal care product packaging development? Here’s nine recent developments in luxury cosmetics packaging…

Bringing new beauty brand Joonbyrd to life

Bringing Joonbyrd to life

By Kirsty Doolan

As beauty product packaging becomes increasingly ‘TikTok-friendly’, we spoke to the UK-based luxury packaging supplier Hunter Luxury about its recent project with new doctor-based skin care brand, Joonbyrd.

What’s trending in beauty product packaging?

By Kirsty Doolan

We spoke to a branding expert who has worked with some of the world’s biggest beauty businesses about what’s happening now and what’s coming next in terms of beauty and personal care product packaging…

6 beauty brands innovating in niche categories

6 beauty brands innovating in niche categories

By Kirsty Doolan

Beyond the mainstream, a spectrum of specialised niches is flourishing. From taboo beauty to ‘ugly’ beauty, we've rounded up 6 brands that have been innovating in niche beauty categories...

What are the new and unexplored categories in beauty?

What are the new and unexplored categories in beauty?

By Kirsty Doolan

Find out by signing up for our free ‘New frontiers: niche opportunities in beauty webinar’ and get exclusive insights from leading industry experts from the comfort of your desk or armchair.