Top 5 most-read stories July 2022: Unilever skin microbiome NPD, skinimalism 2.0 and beauty tech

A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from July 2022 shows interest in Unilever’s take on the skin microbiome, WGSN’s trend predictions for skinimalism, L’Oréal’s AR makeup app and the future of the beauty metaverse.

Skin, skin, skin​

Unilever scientists brainstormed the next evolution of microbiome science, discussing just how advanced science in the field had become. The team said because of these advances and interest in the field, there were plenty of opportunities to develop more products using prebiotics but also work on the mass upscale of these offerings.

Continuing the topic of skin, WGSN released its latest TrendCurve: ​Skinimalism 2.0​ report, detailing how the trend was continuing to gain traction. And the trend forecaster said there were fresh opportunities in colour cosmetics and hair care targeting the trend, via all-in-one hybrid products.

Unilever also revealed plans to develop more targeted skin microbiome products for the scalp, oral and underarm care categories using its lipid precursor technology, stating these products could be used to improve overall skin quality and hydration.

The future of beauty tech​

L’Oréal filed a trio of patents on a digital makeup software it had developed, offering virtual cosmetics and makeup artist recommendations to its users. The beauty major said the software could be used to create highly personalised augmented reality (AR) looks across online video streaming and image sharing platforms.

And at this year’s Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, beauty and tech experts brainstormed the future of the metaverse, highlighting plenty of promise but also challenges up ahead for industry as it looked to engage more in this space.

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