Four consumer trends are set to shape the beauty and grooming category in 2020, according to data analytics and consulting firm GlobalData: 360-degree wellbeing, an anti-pollution revival, a back to basics trend, and cannabis cool-down.
Lia Neophytou, analyst at GlobalData, said demand for products that protected against environmental forces and streamlined beauty and grooming routines would persist across EMEA, but the leaning towards 360-degree wellbeing would stand strongest.
Speaking to CosmeticsDesign-Europe, Neophytou said: “The trend toward ‘360-degree wellbeing’ can be said to hold the most importance and longevity as consumers become more concerned about the impacts of a product on their personal health before that of the planet.”
According to a GlobalData, consumers across Europe, Middle East & North Africa (EMEA) were most influenced by the impact a product had on health and wellbeing when making a purchase decision on beauty or grooming products, with 67% stating this in Europe and 68% in Middle East & North Africa.
“Health and wellbeing is considered more influential than factors including the ethical or environmental status of a product, or how well a product is tailored to their needs and personality,” Neophytou said.
Personal health and wellbeing needs a holistic approach
Within this, she said demand would grow for products that promoted a more holistic sense of wellbeing as mental health discussions lost stigma.
“Until recently, wellbeing in beauty encompassed formulations featuring ‘safe’ ingredients, or ‘natural’ and ‘chemical-free’ positioning. Now, consumers hold a more holistic perception of wellbeing that spans both physical and emotional aspects. This will drive the proliferation of beauty products that boast features that go beyond function and efficacy and promote mental and emotional wellbeing.”
According to GlobalData, 74% of global consumers were concerned about stress and anxiety and 76% concerned about tiredness and fatigue.
“…Holistic wellbeing can be communicated to consumers through product formulation, marketing and positioning, or both in conjunction with one another,” Neophytou said.
LA-brand Uma, for example, had a ‘Pure Calm Wellness’ oil that was said to provide a sense of peacefulness and calm through a mix of ingredients, she said, and Revlon with its ‘X Gurls Talk Dare to Love Yourself Kit’ encouraged consumers to freely talk about personal issues, promoting holistic wellness beyond formulation.
Consumers would also continue to shift into a ‘back to basics’ mentality, taking a minimalist approach to beauty, skin care and hair care, Neophytou said.
According to GlobalData, 81% of global consumers considered living a less complicated lifestyle important in creating a feeling of wellbeing or wellness.
However, she said this didn’t necessarily mean brands had to shrink portfolios or slash SKUs entirely, rather focus on products that consumers could integrate easily into existing beauty routines.
Environmental concerns to drive anti-pollution products
Alongside these growing and evolving demands around wellbeing, Neophytou said there would also continue to be demand for anti-pollution formulations, driven by the “magnitude of the environmental crisis and pollution”.
“Anti-pollution will no longer suffice as a ‘nice to have’ claim on beauty products, rather it will become an expectation. Consumers now have a heightened awareness of the impact environmental factors have on the appearance. While the effects of sun exposure to the skin have long been emphasised as contributory towards premature ageing, the negative impact of pollution is an imminent concern, driven by heightened awareness of the dangerously high pollution levels present in urban cities across the globe,” she said.