Hair care

Beauty patents 2021: Smart devices, next-gen CBD actives and naturals

24-Dec-2021 By Kacey Culliney

A raft of patents were filed in 2021 from industry heavyweights, including L’Oréal, Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive and Estée Lauder. Here, CosmeticsDesign-Europe rounds up our coverage of the year’s patent-worthy innovations.

Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability to have ‘significant consequences’ on entire value chain: BASF

15-Dec-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Supply giant BASF says that whilst the European Green Deal’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability opens plenty of innovation opportunities, it will also cause significant disruption and challenges given the simplification of risk assessment and shrinking...

12-MINUTE WATCH

WATCH – 15 Global beauty trends 2022: Key cosmetic insights from CosmeticsDesign editors

15-Dec-2021 By Amanda Lim

From hybrid cosmetics to menopause beauty to upcycled ingredients, CosmeticsDesign’s global editors take you through the top 15 global trends to watch for 2022.

Ayurvedic indie hair care brand Chāmpo secures €1m in pre-Series A funding

14-Dec-2021 By Kacey Culliney

UK-based startup Chāmpo has secured funding it says will be used to drive retail growth, international expansion and NPD during an exciting and pivotal time for the hair care market.

The rise of Amazon beauty: A fast-paced world where consumers want ‘everything yesterday’

13-Dec-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Amazon has long been an e-commerce goliath but as it edges deeper into beauty, brands should take note, especially given its model offers a lot of what today’s consumer wants, an expert says.

SPECIAL EDITION: NATURALS & NATURALLY-DERIVED – SOURCING, CHEMISTRY AND CLAIMS

Ecovia Intelligence founder: ‘It’s no longer just about natural and organic, it’s about the wider green issues’

10-Dec-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The natural and organic cosmetics category will continue its growth in coming years, but broader green sustainability issues will become central for brands operating in the space, says the founder of Ecovia Intelligence.

P&G files patent on ‘smart’ hair grooming device

07-Dec-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care major Procter & Gamble (P&G) has developed a hair grooming device that analyses the time, speed and force of brushing, collecting and storing data to communicate with its user.

Study

Essential oils could have uses across cosmetics, but still pose significant challenges

07-Dec-2021 By Ravyn Cullor

Consumer and regulatory demands are pushing personal care brands to use more botanical ingredients, pulling essential oils further out of fragrance and demanding more research.

Financial focus: Shiseido, Estée Lauder and more feature in our latest beauty business and finance update

07-Dec-2021 By Amanda Lim

Shiseido, Estée Lauder, LG Household & Health Care and more in this round-up of financial results, M&As and funding drives in the cosmetics industry.

Retail expert: Unified commerce, data connectivity and the metaverse to be future for beauty

06-Dec-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Unified commerce where online and offline are intrinsically linked, a sharper and smarter focus on data, and investment in the metaverse must be the future focus for beauty brands and retailers, says a retail expert.

Groom boom: Beauty and cosmetics ‘fastest-growing interest’ amongst male consumers globally – GWI

02-Dec-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Male consumers worldwide are showing serious signs of increased interest in beauty and cosmetics, so brands must take note and invest in inclusivity efforts for this group, and beyond, says a trend expert.

SCS Formulate 2021

Society of Cosmetic Scientists president: ‘The supplier is the formulator’s best friend’

29-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Beauty formulators must continue to strengthen supplier relationships, particularly amidst the push for greener and more sustainable product development, says the president of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists (SCS).

Out of this world! Kao’s space shampoo will start much needed ‘water-smart’ conversations

29-Nov-2021 By Amanda Lim

Kao Corporation is preparing to send a waterless shampoo sheet to the International Space Station in 2022, a move that is being predicted will give waterless beauty the exposure it needs to shift long-held water habits.

World beauty’s green agenda: Environmental claims, blockchain transparency and local sourcing

24-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Beauty markets around the world are sharply focused on sustainability, with substantiated claims, smart lifecycle analysis and closer-to-home sourcing some of the top priorities.

SCS FORMULATE 2021

Supply and transport disruptions ‘biggest’ 2021 challenge for UK beauty

23-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Supply and transport disruptions caused by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and compounded by Brexit have been the most difficult hurdle for UK beauty and personal care businesses this year.

Lush closing several major global social media accounts – these platforms are the ‘antithesis’ of relaxation

23-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Cosmetics major Lush will close all global social media accounts across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat this month, stating they will remain closed until the platforms provide a safer environment for users.

Turning the grey tide: Menard Cosmetics new study suggests red ginseng and truffles can prevent greying hair

23-Nov-2021 By Amanda Lim

Japanese cosmetics company Menard has published a study on the causes of greying hair that suggests that Korean red ginseng and truffle can help prevent the process by targeting pigment stem cells.

Singapore clean beauty brand DrGL expands online presence in Europe with Amazon launch

23-Nov-2021 By Guan Yu Lim

Singapore’s clean beauty brand DrGL is expanding its online presence in Europe with a listing on Amazon in Germany and France.

Maximising recovery: Shiseido will increase marketing investments by $132m after ‘holding back’ in previous year

22-Nov-2021 By Amanda Lim

Japanese beauty and personal giant Shiseido will be making “aggressive marketing investments” in the fourth quarter to capitalise on what it believes is the beginning of market recovery from this year’s COVID-19 resurgence.

Special Edition: NATURALS & NATURALLY-DERIVED – SOURCING, CHEMISTRY AND CLAIMS

Beyond ISO 16128: Industry ‘can’t ignore’ biodegradability in natural and organic cosmetics, says expert

18-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

As the beauty industry continues its push forward with natural and organic cosmetics innovation, focus must be placed on the biodegradability of ingredients – still surprisingly overlooked in the field, says a formulation expert.

Three takeaways from chemists' current knowledge on natural antioxidants: Study

18-Nov-2021 By Ravyn Cullor

Consumer interest is turning more towards natural and sustainable ingredients, and while plant extracts are a good potential avenue to satisfy that trend, more research is needed to effectively implement natural antioxidants.

SCS FORMULATE 2021

Going greener: The Body Shop investing in ‘regenerative’ supply chain innovation

17-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Natura &Co’s The Body Shop will heavily invest in regenerative business innovation over the next decade, including advanced use of biotech and carbon capture, its head of innovation and sustainability R&D says.

SCS FORMULATE 2021

Post-Brexit chemical safety: SAG-CS and UK REACH now in place for ingredient management

16-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

In the wake of Brexit, the UK formed a Scientific Advisory Group on Chemical Safety in Consumer Products (SAG-CS) and established its own REACH regulation – both of which need to be understood and navigated by industry carefully, says the Cosmetic, Toiletry...

Put your start-up centre stage at our Probiota Pioneers hub

Probiota Pioneers: Calling all probiotic, prebiotics, and microbiome start-ups!

16-Nov-2021 By Stephen Daniells

NutraIngredients is on the hunt for entrepreneurial consumer-facing, science- or technology-based start-ups to join our Probiota community and present their company in Copenhagen.

‘Electric growth’: UK beauty and grooming e-commerce surged 42% in 2020 – GlobalData

08-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

E-commerce now represents the second-largest channel for cosmetics and toiletries in the UK, with growth outpacing pharmacies and drugstores, creating important opportunities for brands and e-tailers, says GlobalData.

‘Credible’ net zero plans: L’Oréal, Natura &Co and Unilever awarded Terra Carta Seal by HRH The Prince of Wales

05-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

International beauty majors L’Oréal, Natura &Co and Unilever have received the inaugural 2021 Terra Carta Seal for their commitment and momentum towards achieving net zero status ahead of 2050.

Special Edition: INSIDE-OUT BEAUTY – THE RISE OF EDIBLES AND FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS

Physical appearance ‘no longer the defining factor of beauty’ – Euromonitor International

04-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Consumers worldwide now believe a healthy appearance, hygiene and cleanliness and feeling comfortable in yourself is what defines beauty, opening plenty of opportunities for functional, efficacious and authentic innovations, according to Euromonitor International.

SEPAWA 2021

Mindful moves: Sustainable beauty success relies heavily on consumer perception, says expert

03-Nov-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Beauty that is better for the planet and people is surging, with great industry strides made in ingredients and packaging, but efforts need to be met with positive consumer perception to truly succeed, an expert says.

Closing the loop: How beauty is accelerating the transition towards circular beauty in the post-pandemic era

03-Nov-2021 By Amanda Lim

Over the last couple of years, we have seen beauty companies radically scale up sustainable action and pledges, shifting from linear to circular ways of working. While the push for circularity is stronger than ever, there remains a host of challenges...

Beauty Bites Gallery

Unilever reports Q3 ‘21 net sales rise but cost inflation woes continue

21-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care major Unilever has reported a net sales rise for its third quarter (Q3) of 2021, with strong growth in the Americas and across its prestige beauty division, but the future will prove challenging as price inflation continues.

Price hikes to come: P&G Q1 ‘22 net sales rise but ‘challenging’ costs hit profits

20-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) has reported a net sales rise for the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal 2022, though profits suffered due to a challenging cost environment – an ongoing issue it plans to overcome with price hikes.

The Long Read: In Conversation with Unilever Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre (SEAC) executives

The future of animal-free chemical testing? There’s a ‘big frustration’ in the scientific community, say Unilever execs

20-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The beauty industry continues to be stuck between conflicting requirements on animal testing, with bans under the EU Cosmetics Regulation and new data calls under the European Chemical Agency’s (ECHA) REACH Regulation, and the scientific community is...

Antioxidant-rich green tea extract offers UV protection promise for hair: Study

19-Oct-2021 By Ravyn Cullor

Botanical green tea extracts can protect hair from ultraviolet (UV) damage by reducing the formation of certain protein biomarkers, though efficacy is linked to antioxidant levels of the extract, finds a P&G funded study.

Sepawa 2021

Strength of scent? Still ‘more room’ for fragrance innovation in beauty, says Mintel

19-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Beauty and personal care brands can innovate further with fragrances, bringing scent to the centre of a product and highlighting health and wellbeing benefits it can bring, says a Mintel analyst.

‘Grossly neglected’: Underserved hair care market due for a tech upgrade – Verdure

19-Oct-2021 By Amanda Lim

Singapore-based brand Verdure believes there is need for more tech innovation targeting hair care concerns, with the majority of developments focused on other categories in the beauty space.

Beauty sample ‘opt-ins’ higher from major influencer campaigns: Odore

18-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The number of Instagram followers opting in to receive beauty samples and information from brands is higher when campaigns are led by large-scale influencers versus micro influencers, according to beauty sampling tech startup Odore.

Kaffe Bueno awarded €2.5m European Innovation Council grant

15-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Upcycled coffee startup Kaffe Bueno has been awarded a European Innovation Council (EIC) grant that it plans to use to build a coffee biorefinery and scale-up its active ingredient offering.

SEPAWA 2021

Pharmacy power? Natural & organic cosmetics to grow outside of specialty retail – Ecovia Intelligence

14-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The natural and organic cosmetics category will expand in pharmacies, beauty stores, salons, spas and e-commerce over the coming years, shifting outside of its traditional speciality retail setting, says Ecovia Intelligence.

‘Important milestone’: ECHA publishes advice on applying OECD non-animal skin sensitisation assessments under REACH

13-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published advice on how industry can reliably combine non-animal data from different sources to assess skin sensitisation of chemicals in the EU, using the new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development...

Natura &Co: Environmental and social impact ‘the next chapter’ for cosmetics

12-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Understanding and communicating the impact cosmetics production has on people and planet is the next chapter in industry’s journey towards full circularity, says Natura &Co’s VP of sustainability and group affairs.

HENKEL, L’OREAL, LVMH, NATURA &CO AND UNILEVER EXECUTIVES WEIGH IN

Beauty majors say brand-agnostic environmental impact system will make industry more 'transparent' and 'comparable'

07-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Executives from Henkel, L’Oréal, LVMH, Natura &Co and Unilever say co-developing an industry-wide environmental impact assessment system is critical for the sustainable future of cosmetics.

How beauty coped with moving digital ‘overnight’ and why NPD needs to 'work that consumer journey': Expert

06-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

COVID-19 forced huge swathes of beauty brands and retailers online overnight, changing long-established market models and shifting shopper mindsets. Industry must now plan and deliver on innovations that cater to this new environment and fresh opportunities...

Five 2023 beauty ‘personas’ to watch: Think frugality, sustainability, gender fluidity and creativity, says WGSN

05-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The next two years will see five cohorts of beauty consumers take centre stage - skinimalists, refillutionaries, beautopians, super basics and skillusionists - drawing a sharper focus on core desires around frugality, sustainability, gender fluidity and...

Special Edition: CIRCULAR BEAUTY – SUSTAINABLE SOURCING, GREEN CHEMISTRY AND ECO-DESIGN

Going green: Garnier unveils National Geographic CreativeWorks campaign

05-Oct-2021 By Kacey Culliney

L’Oréal’s Garnier brand is working with branded content studio National Geographic CreativeWorks on a worldwide educational campaign designed to empower beauty consumers to live greener.

Beauty Bites Gallery

Social commerce innovation: Unilever unveils beauty startup collaboration platform

30-Sep-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care major Unilever has launched a collaboration initiative to partner with forward-thinking beauty startups, scaleups and entrepreneurs specialised in social commerce to drive next-generation in-house innovation across its portfolio of brands.

Natura &Co sustainability chief: WaterBear will help communicate the ‘seriousness’ of the climate crisis

28-Sep-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Natura &Co says its partnership with Dutch eco video streaming platform WaterBear will help emphasise the seriousness of the climate crisis and shift perceptions around traditional communities to spotlight them as biodiversity guardians.

WGSN ‘big ideas’ for beauty in 2023: Progress, frugality, wellbeing, tech and community to shape the future

24-Sep-2021 By Kacey Culliney

As beauty edges out of the COVID-19 pandemic, brands and retailers must take the opportunity to reset and recreate an industry that is more ethical, inclusive and sustainable, says a WGSN exec.

Unilever: EU needs ‘paradigm shift’ in chemical safety assessment methods

23-Sep-2021 By Kacey Culliney

A complete shift in the safety assessment of chemicals will be necessary if the EU is to uphold its ‘animal testing as a last resort’ policy under the European Chemicals Agency’s REACH regulation – a critical aspect to maintaining the wider cosmetics...

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