Mintel, the world’s leading market intelligence agency, has revealed the four trends that are set to impact on the global beauty market – and your salon – in the coming year.
According to Mintel’s Beauty & Personal Care Global Trends 2018 report, the market will experience a fundamental shift in 2018 due to the trends outlined below.
Playing Mother Nature
The concept of natural beauty ingredients is expanding in an ever-changing world; brands will give Mother Nature a helping hand by encompassing local approaches and developments in biotechnology.
With evolving consumer demands and climatic changes around the world, the beauty and personal care industry’s approach to natural and sustainable ingredients must adapt. In the coming year, the possibilities for creating safe, allergen-free, pure, and efficacious ingredients through science could replace the harvesting of natural ingredients. In addition, local sourcing and production of ingredients will become essential in the years ahead, strengthening the idea of local pride ‒ not just with brands and manufacturers, but with consumers too.
My Beauty, My Rules
Brands will stop targeting consumers based on their age, gender or body type as consumers increasingly demand personalised beauty defined on their terms.
“In the past, brands had sole control over what defines beauty; however, perceptions of beauty based on age, gender, skin, hair, and body type are changing as today’s consumers take control of how beauty is defined. The ever-evolving perception of beauty will see the removal of labels that are based on simple characteristics and will transform the way consumers look at their skin, hair and body types. In 2018 and beyond, beauty consumers will demand that their individual needs are answered with options or customisable beauty. Brands will embrace inclusivity and address individual beauty concerns which will result in more customisation and personalisation of products.”
Campaign Capital
Simply selling a great beauty product will no longer be enough; brands must have personality and purpose that align with consumers’ own beliefs in order to win them over.
“Consumers are as passionate about the value a brand and product can bring to them as they are about the quality of the product itself. The onus is now on brands to impress consumers with a human-like personality that’s relatable, personable, and sincere. In 2018 and beyond, there will be a focus on funding educational projects rather than simply giving money to charity, and environmental and ethical issues will be at the forefront as Millennials and Generation Z place greater emphasis on the world around them.”
Private Eye
Digital technology will follow consumers everywhere, influencing their product purchases and helping them to navigate the complexities of the beauty aisle.
“Digital technology will make shopping more personal in 2018. With so many products on the shelves, time-pressed consumers are in need of a more intuitive shopping experience. New technology can interpret consumers’ facial expressions and eye movements to determine their product preferences and offer help, both in-store and online. In the coming years, commercial use of biometric data is set to extend beyond eye tracking, as heart rate, body language, and speech become increasingly important for a more complete assessment of consumer preference. The days of social media being purely social are long gone as companies transform these online interactions into shopper.”
Source: Mintel Beauty & Personal Care Global Trends 2018 report