Skin care

L’Oréal reports 5% net profit drop for 2020 despite strong Q4 and ‘record year’ in actives

12-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

International beauty major L’Oréal has reported an overall loss in net profit for the full year of 2020, despite a spike in sales for the fourth quarter, most notably in active cosmetics and across China.

‘A leapfrog forward’: €60m Beiersdorf tech centre to sharpen competitive edge, says senior exec

11-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care major Beiersdorf is building a multidisciplinary technology centre at its headquarters site that will merge research, development and production in a move set to drive competition and future-proof innovation, its senior VP of supply chain...

Listen to Beauty 4.0 - A podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe

Mobile momentum? Beauty apps that ‘fail to create value’ will fail to succeed

11-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Beauty apps have fast become the go-to tool for mass consumers looking to better understand products and routines, but industry has made some obvious design mistakes and needs to re-shift thinking to grow long-term engagement, says Maria Semykoz, co-founder...

Unilever launches branded content site linking science and wellness

11-Feb-2021 By Deanna Utroske

The multinational personal care company’s Murad brand of skin care launched an editorial venture called Well Connected this month.

Beautiful opportunity: The time is right for probiotics in skin care

11-Feb-2021 By Nikki Hancocks

Consumers are 100% focused on natural ways to improve their skin health and probiotics are an exciting newcomer for this 'extremely engaged' market.

Company demonstrates small commercial scale fermentation process for CBG, GBGA

10-Feb-2021 By Hank Schultz

A cannabinoid product developer has announced it has successfully demonstrated CBG and CBGA production from a proprietary fermentation process.

Mental wellbeing, digital discovery and eco-ethical key global beauty trends in 2021: Mintel

10-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Total wellness is now integral to beauty routines and COVID-19 has driven many consumers to prioritise more ethical brands, add in rising expectations around digital experiences and product quality and 2021 has plenty of important movements to watch,...

Shiseido’s struggles: Japanese giant reports net sales declines in Q4 and 2020 against tough COVID-19 conditions

10-Feb-2021 By Amanda Lim

Japanese cosmetics major Shiseido Company saw its financial performance continue to dip in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 18.6% decrease in net sales and an 86.9% loss in operating profits for the full year of 2020.

Gillette launches a shave brand with sustainability goals

09-Feb-2021 By Deanna Utroske

The P&G – owned personal care and grooming brand just announced its latest venture. The new Planet KIND shave and skin care brand has partnered with Plastic Bank to limit plastic waste in the oceans.

New retail standards: A.S Watson highlights the five trends that are shaping the future of its retail business

09-Feb-2021 By Amanda Lim

Health and beauty retailer A.S. Watson has identified a set of trends that it believes will influence the future of the retail industry and its business.

Beauty boost? Revlon eyes global brand extensions ‘for significant long-term revenue’ via MDR Brand Management

08-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

International beauty major Revlon has partnered with MDR Brand Management to create a global brand extension strategy that takes it into new spaces and drives deeper consumer engagement across the EMEA, APAC and Americas.

COVID-19 Consumer Shifts Close-Up - Part II

Beauty can expect ‘two waves’ of sustainability interest post-COVID

08-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has accelerated consumer focus on sustainability and planetary change, with a first wave of dominant interest set to splash over the next 18 months and drive sentiments mainstream by 2022, says an expert consultant.

'Constructive disruption': How P&G is trying to close the physical and e-commerce shopping divide

08-Feb-2021 By Amanda Lim

Personal care giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) has shed light on how it is striving to bridge the divide between offline and online retail to help smooth the consumers’ shopping journey.

A ‘volatile and unpredictable’ year: Unilever Q4 and 2020 net sales dip

05-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care major Unilever has reported a net sales drop for the fourth quarter and full year of 2020, though its CEO remains pleased with the company’s resilience and volume-based growth.

COVID-19 Consumer Shifts Close-Up - Part I

COVID-19 has triggered an ‘enduring focus on the home’, says expert

04-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Consumers worldwide are increasingly focused on the space they call home during the COVID-19 crisis, as professional and personal lines blur with work-from-home models. And this has created an important shift in how consumers integrate beauty into their...

Special edition: Active Skin Care – Protection and Healing in a Post-COVID World

Bacterial cellulose: The next big natural polymer in active beauty?

04-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Interest around bacterial cellulose in cosmetic applications is mushrooming, spurred by skin hydration and active compound delivery promise, but beauty research on this naturally occurring nanomaterial remains nascent, say researchers.

‘Prestige first’: Shiseido sells off personal care division for $1.5bn to focus on high-end skin care

04-Feb-2021 By Amanda Lim

Japanese cosmetic giant Shiseido Company has announced the decision to sell its low-cost personal care business to CVC Capital Partners in a deal worth 160 billion yen ($1.5bn) in order to focus on its more high-end cosmetic brands.

European Commission adds natural whole-hemp CBD to CosIng database

03-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The European Commission has added natural hemp-derived CBD to its cosmetic ingredient database CosIng – a move set to bring welcome clarity for industry and spark fresh innovation in the field.

French exemptions on China animal testing a ‘template for other countries to follow’, says P&G

03-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The move by France to provide a government platform enabling beauty manufacturers to qualify for exemptions when exporting general-use cosmetics to China should carve out a path for other countries to follow, says a Procter & Gamble executive.

K-beauty delivered: Bulgarian clean beauty online store looks to double innovative brand offering

03-Feb-2021 By Guan Yu Lim

Bulgarian online retailer Undone Store has added South Korean skin care brand Boutijour into its portfolio in January 2021 as it looks to double the number of brands on the store by the end of this year.

Blue gold: Waterless beauty the next eco-trend as consumers look for ‘next step’ in sustainability – Green + Bare

02-Feb-2021 By Amanda Lim

A newly launched Australian green beauty brand is aiming to develop a whole range of waterless beauty products to tap into what it believes is the next wave in the sustainable beauty movement.

Beauty Bites Gallery

Top 5 most-read stories January 2021: Blue light protection, China animal testing and COVID-19 recovery

01-Feb-2021 By Kacey Culliney

A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from January 2021 shows interest in blue light protection ingredients, a move from France to bypass China animal testing and market challenges around growth in the wake of COVID-19.

Protective barrier: ONLY Group develops anti-bacterial facial mist to keep maskne at bay

01-Feb-2021 By Amanda Lim

A Singapore-based aesthetics firm has developed an 100% plant-based anti-bacterial facial mist that it claims can prevent maskne while hydrating and soothing the skin.

From fridge to face: Lush launches ‘fresh’ cosmetics subscription service in UK and France

28-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Beauty major Lush has developed a subscription letterbox service delivering an assortment of fresh cosmetics each month with an accompanying posy of flowers – a move it says aims to bring joy and new beauty experiences into the home.

TriNutra introduces B’utyQuin for cosmetic product formulations

28-Jan-2021 By Deanna Utroske

The nutritional supplements company has ventured into beauty, launching 3% thymoquinone black cumin seed oil as a topical skin care active at the start of 2021.

Listen to Beauty 4.0 – A podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe

The future of beauty design? Think 3D printing, lab-grown ingredients, and real-time devices

28-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Beauty 4.0 will see smart, sustainable and ultra-personalised devices and formulations come to the fore, as industry shifts thinking and priorities towards improved user experience and planetary good, says Mike Webster, director of 3D structure and experience...

Beauty retail 2021: Digital convenience and holistic experiences to soar, says expert

27-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Convenience has surged to the forefront of shopping priorities in health and beauty as lockdown measures and social distancing continue during COVID-19, but opportunities remain to offer something beyond the traditional product assortment, says a senior...

Johnson & Johnson 2020 net income dips but CFO ‘confident’ in company strengths for 2021

27-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care major Johnson & Johnson has reported a dip in full-year earnings for 2020 despite a sales lift for the last quarter but says it remains confident in the company’s broad-based strengths moving into 2021.

Moisturising effect: Moringa seed oil cream formulated by Thai researchers displays cosmetics potential

27-Jan-2021 By Guan Yu Lim

A cream containing Moringa oleifera seed oil was found to increase skin hydration levels by 85% after four weeks of application, according to a new study in Thailand.

Postmenopausal sun exposure may be harmful

26-Jan-2021 By Danielle Masterson

At doctor visits, women are often asked to list their dietary supplements and medications. But what about the time they spend soaking up vitamin D?

FEBEA: Claire app provides ‘transparent, useful and simple’ detail on cosmetic ingredients

26-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The French Federation for Beauty Companies (FEBEA) says its recently developed digital app Claire will help industry professionals provide consumers with clear and concise ingredient information – ever more important given digital and social trends.

Smooth operator: Shiseido develops tech to optimise sunscreen texture and usability with less UV filters

26-Jan-2021 By Amanda Lim

Shiseido has developed new technology to reduce the use of UV filters – such as titanium oxide and zinc oxide – to improve texture and white cast issues without compromising the strength of UV protection.

P&G ‘optimistic’ for post-COVID future as net sales continue to rise

25-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) has reported a net sales rise for its second quarter (Q2) of fiscal 2021, continuing its upwards trajectory globally despite challenges associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Special edition: Holistic Health & Wellness – Formulating for wellbeing and anti-ageing

The Organic Pharmacy eyes US and European expansion: ‘LA would be the dream’

22-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

London-based holistic wellness retailer The Organic Pharmacy recently opened a flagship concept store in Marylebone and has plans to edge deeper into the European market, according to its founder.

Beauty Broadcast Video Series

WATCH — Post-pandemic evolution: How the growing hand care category can continue to thrive

22-Jan-2021 By Amanda Lim

In this episode of Beauty Broadcast we dive into the hand care category with B&B Labs and Corum to discuss how COVID-19 has influenced the category and its chances of continuing to thrive post-pandemic

Unilever commits to €2bn annual spend with ‘diverse’ suppliers by 2025

21-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care major Unilever has set aside more money to conduct business with suppliers owned or managed by under-represented groups, including those led by women and people with disabilities.

Plant cell culture technologies rising fast to plug ‘eco-friendly’ needs in modern cosmetics: Review

21-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

There are an exponentially growing number of commercialised active cosmetic ingredients made from plant cell culture technologies that address rising sustainability concerns around energy, carbon and water footprints, say researchers.

GSK and Eligo Bioscience targets skin microbiome in €185m acne deal

21-Jan-2021 By Will Chu

British pharma company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are to pair up with Eligo Bioscience in a deal potentially worth €185m ($224m) that sees the firms target the microbiome to reduce the risk of developing acne.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY PART II: REFLECTING ON WHAT’S TO COME IN 2021

Cosmetics Europe: Microplastics and digital services part of ‘intense regulatory change’ in 2021

20-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The European Green Deal will be the biggest policy challenge for the cosmetics and personal care industry in 2021, but industry must also focus on upcoming change around microplastics and digital services, says the director-general of Cosmetics Europe.

‘Monumental’: British beauty secures sector representation in UK govt

20-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The British beauty industry has secured formal, sector-specific representation within the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) – a move industry leaders says finally gives the sector the spotlight it deserves.

Construction begins on Colonial Chemical M.E. Arabia

20-Jan-2021 By Deanna Utroske

Today, the Tennessee-based specialty surfactants company announced that work has begun on a new manufacturing facility that will make the most of regional localization efforts in and beyond Saudi Arabia.

USDA Final Hemp Rule draws mixed reactions from industry stakeholders

19-Jan-2021 By Danielle Masterson

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the final rule regulating the production of hemp in the United States — well over a year after publishing draft regulations.

A beauty first: Fashion retailer FJB bets on skin care brand Dr. Barbara Sturm in effort to diversify business

19-Jan-2021 By Amanda Lim

South East Asian fashion retailer FJ Benjamin Holdings (FJB) has recently expanded into beauty with the addition of cult skin care Dr. Barbara Sturm Molecular Cosmetics to tap into the growing demand for skin care amid COVID-19.

Beneficial bug: AI predicts how molecules will react with skin microbes to ensure product safety

19-Jan-2021 By Amanda Lim

A research team from India has developed SkinBug, an artificial intelligence tool which can predict how specific molecules in cosmetics will react to skin microbes and potentially harm the user.

French beauty firms can now qualify to export ‘ordinary’ cosmetics into China without animal testing

18-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

France has become the first EU country to qualify for exemptions on animal testing for general-use cosmetics exported to China after its National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) developed a dedicated platform enabling manufacturers...

Protective barrier: Kao looking into development of lactic acid-based anti-bacterial hand care based on latest research

18-Jan-2021 By Amanda Lim

Kao Corporation aiming to develop lactic acid-based hand care products with long-lasting antimicrobial properties based on latest research into the hand barrier.

Addressing stability and nano concerns: Beiersdorf files flurry of patents for UV filter blends

15-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care major Beiersdorf has developed a collection of alternative UV filter blends for use in cosmetic applications and sunscreens that it says provide increased stability and address nano particle concerns.

The Hut Group needs own-brand and premium beauty edge to stay ‘ahead of rivals’: GlobalData

14-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

UK e-commerce major The Hut Group has aggressively expanded in recent months, propelling it way ahead of competitors in health and beauty, but it must now deepen its customer base to continue leading in such a crowded market, says GlobalData.

Listen to Beauty 4.0 – A podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe

Retail expert: COVID-19 has ‘turbo-charged’ the digital beauty experience

14-Jan-2021 By Kacey Culliney

The future of beauty retail will see a unified commerce approach connecting online and offline that relies on data to provide highly tailored shopper journeys, experiences and products, says Simon Hathaway, EMEA MD of retail strategy agency Outform.

Anti-ageing innovations special edition

Gentle defiance: Clean cosmeceutical brand Biologi takes ‘pro-ageing’ approach with latest serum launch

14-Jan-2021 By Amanda Lim

Australian clean cosmeceutical brand Biologi is taking a pro-ageing approach with its latest serum which harnesses the power of phytonutrients to enhance the appearance of youthful skin rather than erase away wrinkles and lines.