The growth of the health, beauty and skincare industry over the last three to five years has encompassed a rollercoaster of trends. There is no doubt that the sliver of market share that natural and eco-friendly brands held five years ago has now dramatically increased to a significant segment. The explosion of natural skincare has resulted in it becoming readily available.
The demand for, and access to, knowledge on beauty and skincare for consumers has definitely contributed to this market share takeover. We are better educated than ever on how ingredients work, where they come from and how our products are made. We are also more concerned than ever before on what impact our consumption of products has on the environment.
Through 2020 we’ll see the beauty and skincare industry diversify further with some of the top trends covering exotic new ingredients and completely bespoke formulations. From a natural skincare insider, here’s some 2020 trend predictions:
- Conscious minimalism
- Dialling back to herbal remedies
- Oil cleansing to become more sophisticated
- Personalised skincare
- A convergence with mental health
Conscious minimalism
Wave goodbye to your laborious and expensive 12-step skincare routine, it was just a phase. Say hello to beauty minimalism: much less effort, much less expensive and far better for the environment. Entering this decade we’ll be re-evaluating which products actually work and finding the simplest product combinations for every day healthy skin, meanwhile making a lot more room in our bathroom cupboards and being a lot more conscious of the planet.
Already we are seeing brands join in on our planet-consciousness. We will start to see them making bigger commitments to recyclable packaging, biodegradable ingredients and implementing refill systems. L’Oréal has committed to having 100% eco-friendly packaging by 2025 (which although sounds like a very futuristic year, is actually only a short five years away). Get ready to see more of the emerging term ‘blue beauty’ too, a concept for preventing plastic waste and pollution of the oceans.
Dialling back to herbal remedies
With increasing scepticism over SLS, parabens and synthetics in skincare, more of us are looking for phrases like ‘100% natural’ or ‘silicone-free’. As a result herbal formulations have experienced somewhat of a comeback. This year we’re going to stop overloading our skin and instead follow the paths our diets are taking us: plant-based. Devoid of the side effects that synthetics can have, 2020 will see a further revival of herbal extracts which often have naturally occurring treatment properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.
Oil Cleansing will get sophisticated
Oil cleansing became a bit of a buzz-phrase in 2019 with many brands, particularly those focussing on natural skincare, introducing products that remove make up or treat skin overnight with various blends of oils. This trend is set to continue into 2020 with formulations becoming more sophisticated and including more interesting and sustainable ingredients. The use of natural oils such as Olive and Jojoba are already very popular in natural oil formulations so look out for these in ingredients lists.
Personalised skincare
Technology in the beauty industry has developed at an incredible pace. Around this time last year Nutrogena announced the development of the first 3D-printed sheet mask (although we’re still awaiting the official launch) so we won’t have to worry about the eyes being halfway down our cheeks or getting blobs of glow-giving jelly in our mouths. The future of skincare lies in tech, and this year we expect to see it move in leaps and bounds in the realm of true bespoke products. Think individually formulated moisturisers and foundations as well as smart serums that treat your specific skin type and conditions only.
Convergence with mental health
The rise in popularity of people taking their ‘wellness’ seriously has incorporated self-care into many aspects of our daily lives; from our diet to our downtime we’re beginning to treat the symptoms of our increasingly fast-paced lives. This year we’ll be embracing the therapeutic elements of our skincare routine, focusing more on ourselves to reap the mental benefits as well as the beauty benefits.
So if you’re looking to green your skincare routine in 2020, research your ingredients, use samples and testers to figure out the best oil combinations are for you, make sure you allow your skincare routine to be part of your self-care and don’t be afraid to ask questions, whether they’re about what’s good for your skin or where your products come from.
Don’t forget, what makes skin happy is unique to everyone, but recommendations always help. If you’re already on the clean beauty train, do you have some favourite products? Are you an oil cleansing convert? Share your experiences with us!
By Rebecca Dallimore, co founder of Conscious House London.
Conscious House London is a brand of natural, sustainable and ethical home and beauty products that only uses ingredients and materials from trusted suppliers. www.conscioushouselondon.com