Every year Mintel’s team of global beauty and personal care experts predict the beauty trends of the future, based on a mix of consumer data, current trends and an-in-depth analysis of the category, as well as other FMCG categories and wider societal trends.
This year, the market intelligence firm has come to three conclusions about the future of the beauty and personal care industry:
- Consumers will continue to embrace ownership and individuality while prioritising functional efficacy
- There will be a merge of climate-adaptive beauty, localism and minimalism
- There will increasingly be a back-to-basics approach – through comfort, nostalgia and slow living
Here we dig deeper into the trends that are set to shape the future of the industry, with expert insights from director for beauty and personal care, Andrew McDougall.
#Trend 1 (My) Knowledge is Power
In 2025…
Mintel predicts that beauty consumers will work smarter (not harder), by combining knowledge, tools and technology to achieve personalised solutions for superior results.
According to director for beauty and personal care, Andrew McDougall, next year consumers will work ‘smarter’ rather than ‘harder’ on beauty routines. He gave the example of repurposing products like self-tanners as bronzers or using Vaseline for skin ‘slugging’ to maximise effectiveness with minimal effort.
“Expect a surge in devices that offer on-the-spot analysis and results, empowering users to make informed decisions instantly. As Gen Alphas reach adulthood, their comfort with AI and virtual experiences will transform the beauty industry,” he said.
“AR glasses will become integral to daily routines, offering real-time guidance for makeup application,” he continued.
He shared that brands are likely to begin marketing beauty products as health-focused, to address concerns from parents and institutions over the younger generations’ beauty obsession.
He also said that he expected invasive and non-invasive aesthetic medical procedures to become mainstream, stating that: “Products will be designed for pre- and post-procedure care, ensuring consumers achieve optimal results in a rapidly ageing society.”
And finally, he focused on the role of technology within this trend too.
“Consumers will take control of their routines by hacking traditional practices, embracing biotech innovations and leveraging AI for tailored, results-oriented beauty, emphasising individuality and long-term skin health,” he said.
By 2030…
In its bigger picture future forecast, Mintel said it expected that this trend would lead to a revolution in personalised beauty, driven by technological advancements and a new wave of informed consumers.
It noted that as Gen Alpha consumers reach adulthood, their comfort with AI and virtual experiences “will transform the beauty industry.”
It expected AR glasses to become integral to daily routines: “offering real-time guidance for makeup application, reminding users to reapply SPF, and even suggesting skin care adjustments based on environmental factors.”
The market intelligence firm also believed that virtual influencers powered by generative AI wil dominate social media in the future, resonating with younger audiences who are less sceptical of such technology. “These influencers will form tight-knit online communities, offering advice tailored to individual needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach,” it stated.
It said that NPD innovation will focus on hyper personalisation and gave an example of KOSÉ creating skin care products using ingredients derived from a customer’s cells.
The firm believed that AI-powered predictive modelling will anticipate consumers’ skin care needs, adjusting routines based on lifestyle changes, for example stress levels being detected by smartwatches.
It expected that brands will “enhance the bioavailability and delivery of active ingredients, pushing the boundaries of efficacy. As medical aesthetics become mainstream, products will be designed for pre- and post-procedure care, ensuring consumers achieve optimal results in a rapidly ageing society.”
“This future scenario paints a picture of a beauty industry deeply intertwined with technology, personalisation and community-driven innovation,” the firm concluded.
#Trend 2 Turning the Tide
In 2025…
Mintel said that beauty and personal care brands will be expected to consider eco-ethical implications, as consumers “demand a seamless connection between ethical practices and high-performance beauty solutions.
McDougall noted that consumers are demanding products that both deliver on performance and prioritise environmental responsibility.
“The beauty industry is headed towards ground-breaking sustainability initiatives that harmonise with the Earth’s natural systems,” he said.
“Brands will explore solutions rooted in the soil, leveraging regenerative farming and sustainable fishing practices.”
He believed that innovative ingredients like glycoproteins derived from lobsters will become more common “offering high-performance benefits while supporting marine conservation.”
He expected that as precision fermentation and vertical farming moved into the mainstream, more beauty brands would adopt these technologies to produce bio-synthetic ingredients with minimal environmental impact.
“Future beauty products will be designed to adapt to environmental and physiological changes in real-time,” he concluded.
“Imagine skin care that adjusts to varying climate conditions or deodorants that release odour-neutralising molecules based on body temperature. These climate-adaptive products will offer highly personalised experiences, blending technology with nature.”
In 2030…
In the future, the company expects that beauty products will be designed to adapt to environmental and physiological changes in real time.
Examples included skin care that adjusts to varying climate conditions or deodorants that release odour-neutralising molecules based on body temperature. These products will give highly personalised experiences and blend technology with nature.
It also expects more brands to invest in closed-loop recycling systems and advanced filtration to capture microplastics, aligning their operations with sustainable practices.
Mintel noted Fermenstation, a company that unused resources into bioethanol, which it believed could “inspire a new standard in circular economies, creating a future where every aspect of beauty production, from sourcing to disposal, supports a healthier planet.”
#Trend 3 Think Slow, Move Fast
In 2025…
Within the next year, Mintel expects that beauty will put more emphasis on comfort and emotional well-being.
“Ingredients, textures and products will evoke simpler times, focusing on sensorial experiences that soothe and nourish,” said McDougall.
“Brands will also need to adapt to the growing trend of slow living by aligning their innovation cycles with more sustainable and mindful consumption patterns. This means creating products that are not only effective but also designed for underconsumption – catering to budget-conscious consumers,” he continued
McDougall also noted that “brands will explore the intersection of neuroscience and beauty, offering routines that evoke the tranquillity of a mountain retreat or the serenity of nature through scent and texture.”
He said he expected that companies would highlight the efficacy of their products through scientific testing and innovative ingredients to build credibility.
“Regenerative beauty will emerge as a key concept, blending sustainability, mental wellbeing and longevity,” he shared.
In 2030…
“In the future, expect to see consumers fully embrace a return to essentials, where beauty routines focus on simplicity, sustainability and natural wellbeing,” said Mintel.
The market intelligence firm expects DIY beauty to gain popularity, with products that empower individuals to enhance their natural beauty at home.
It noted that this shift could see a “revival of natural ingredients, moving away from medical-grade products to formulations that celebrate purity and minimalism” and also predicted that regenerative beauty will emerge as a key concept, blending sustainability, mental wellbeing and longevity.
One example of a brand innovating in this space was Acorn Labs, which it said: “might lead the way by offering innovative services like cryo-preserving cells, allowing consumers to regenerate their beauty from within as part of a long-term wellness strategy.”
Mintel also declared said that this approach “will likely appeal to those seeking a deeper connection between their beauty regimen and overall health, though it may initially be more accessible to the wealthy.”
It expected that ‘disconnect-to-reconnect retreats’ will become a luxury escape where the affluent can immerse themselves in nature and meaningful social interactions away from the distractions of technology, and put a focus on traditional wisdom being fused with cutting-edge technology – using the example of FAS’s fusion of ancient black rice and new yeast strains through advanced fermentation.
“This approach will help them stand out in a market that increasingly values longevity connected to functionality rather than mere aesthetics, ensuring that beauty routines are both deeply effective and emotionally resonant,” it concluded.
