10 Hot Trends In Beauty Care From A C-Level Insider
(Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP via Getty Images)
As we turn the corner on a new decade, I want to explore some hot topics and industries to see what the future might hold. One industry that has piqued my interest is beauty care. To learn from an industry insider, I reached out to Elisabeth Charles, former CMO of Rodan + Fields, a company that makes dermatology-inspired skincare products. Below, she provides insight on the top 10 trends in beauty care.
Trend #1: A Shift in Consumer Needs and Desires. “There has been a shift toward a desire for more ‘natural beauty’. With young adults, in particular, the combination of late nights, too much time in the sun, a lot of time in front of the computer, questionable diets, and too much drinking, young people are noticing that their skin is looking dull and tired. They want healthy-looking skin and for younger women (and men) that means dewy, glowing skin – what we think of as youthful skin.”
Trend #2: A Shift to Preventative Skin Management. “Younger women are focused on taking care of their skin at an earlier age. They don’t want to wait until they get lines or wrinkles…they are focused on trying to prevent them in the first place. In past generations, the emphasis was on addressing problems as they occur. Because of the greater general health awareness today, there is more emphasis on proactive prevention versus reactive correction.”
Trend #3: A Desire for Simple Products that Multitask. “There is an accordion-like effect with trends. At one point, consumers want an all-in-one product. At other points, they want specific products to address singular issues. Currently, there is a desire for more products that are simple—that address a number of needs in one bottle versus having to layer on product after product. They don’t want ‘5 steps to healthy skin’ – they want one easy step.”
Trend #4: Personalization will Reach a New Level of Sophistication. “In the past, personalization has been important, but it has been done through more customized collateral or product line expansions designed to address key segment needs (e.g., pore refining products or redness reducing products). There will be greater opportunity in the future to really customize through clearer consumer insight.”
Trend #5: Beauty Technology will Change Consumer Expectations. “From DNA testing to enable the development of more appropriate product solutions to customizable maps that allow consumers to target specific areas of the face with different product solutions, there are a number of fascinating technologies being developed that will enable more efficacious results for consumers.”
Trend #6: Beauty Brands will Invest a Lot More in Content. “Many segments of consumers are quite interested in understanding how beauty products work. They want to conduct research and educate themselves. Companies will need to invest significantly to develop enough content to help provide the education desired.”
Trend #7: Subscription Options will Proliferate. “The original subscription model was based on sending a new bottle of product around the time that the old bottle would run out. This simplified consumers’ lives as they didn’t have to worry about reordering. But there will be a number of new and different subscription services cropping up. For example, curated boxes that are designed to surprise and delight the consumer—unexpected treasures customized to their prior purchases and preferences.”
Trend #8: Apps that Improve the Customer Experience will Grow in Importance. “For example, how might makeup look on my face? An App will allow the consumer to ‘try products on prior to purchase’. Brands will use Apps to not only educate but to enhance the shopping experience.
Trend #9: Beauty Brands are Becoming more Inclusive and Diverse. “This isn’t just about who is depicted in advertising, it also includes which products are made and for whom. There will be greater diversity in hiring as well, to better reflect the population that we serve. This has been a trend for some time, but it’s paramount in beauty where different skin color and texture require different solutions.”
Trend #10: Beauty Brands are Among the Leaders in Leveraging Influencers and UCG. “Content creation is not just about traditional marketing anymore but a growing area of emphasis centers on leveraging brand advocates, influencers and consumers to bring brands to life in a way that is more accessible and relatable.”