Beauty Spot: Detox, fresh and vegan beauty

The global growth in popularity of free-from and vegan diets has seen consumers everywhere embrace the natural. The gluten-free, vegan and juice markets have all benefited from widespread media coverage over the past few years, fuelled in part by various celebrities reporting that they follow exclusion diets. Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Russell Brand have all publicly spoken of the benefits of a vegan diet.

Consumers are openly adopting these diets, with the UK ‘Veganuary’ campaign attracting 20,000 supporters. The market is responding as the likes of the German vegan-only supermarket chain Veganz announcing in February that it will launch in the US.

As these trends become cemented in the food market, similar claims are emerging in beauty markets as two thirds of UK women agree diet is a significant factor in determining the appearance of skin.

Mintel’s Global Beauty and Personal Care Trend ‘Gastronomia’ highlights the rise of consumer interest in natural ingredients as people are more willing to get involved in the process of creating their own beauty products.

BPC product launches blur the boundaries between beauty and food

Brands are taking note of consumer interest in pure and natural, appealing to those wanting to be more involved with the creation of products. In 2015 a juice mask maker was showcased at International Beauty Expo, allowing people to literally make skincare products from their juices. Fruit, vegetables, water and a thickening tablet are loaded into the machine, which then creates a hydrating gel-sheet mask.

When it comes to natural ingredients, in the past few years beauty markets have seen the use of botanical oils, such as coconut oil, in beauty routines blossom, at the same time as their popularity in cooking and baking has increased. The gluten-free claim also began to gain traction in the skincare market in 2013.

There has been a continued blurring of skincare and food boundaries, particularly with regard to ingredients and storage. For example, the Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber De-Tox De-Puffing Eye-Cubes are individual cubes stored in the freezer, and the Erborian Perfect Morning BB Mask contains matcha green tea and is available in single sachets.

Just like ‘raw’ and ‘cold-pressed’ have become buzzwords in the health food markets, the clean eating food trend is influencing the BPC markets, and there is increasing interest in products containing fresh ingredients and limited preservatives, which therefore have a shorter shelf life. As a result, the approach of brands such as The Body Deli, Skin & Tonic and Fresh are resonating with consumers.

Detox: A new focus of beauty launches

Mintel’s Soap, Bath and Shower Products UK 2016 report found bath additives increased share of new product development in 2015, with innovation seen in connecting bathing to the healthy lifestyles trend. Detox bath salts and antioxidants were a key trend seen in product launches, which have enabled the bathing segment to post sales growth despite reported declines in the number of baths.

While claims such as vitamin/mineral fortified have been popular in product launches over the past two years, claims such as vegan, gluten-free and no additives are now seeing particular growth.

In 2016, greens such as spirulina gained popularity as food supplements, as well as in the beauty market with brands such as Algenist harnessing the regenerative power of microalgae. Similarly, fermented foods have also become a popular beauty ingredient in Asia, and are expected to be a growing skincare trend in the UK.

What we think

Whist food-inspired fragrances and ingredients have long been reflected in beauty and personal care launches, in 2016 an increased focus on diet has seen beauty begin to take influence from vegan and gluten-free diets. Further innovation is also expected in algae and fermented product launches, particularly in skincare. Free-from innovations, as well as appealing to health conscious consumers, also hold opportunity to appeal to other beauty consumers, such as those seeking halal-friendly products.

Charlotte Libby is Senior Beauty Analyst at Mintel, collating and analysing a wide range of data on the beauty markets, including consumer trends, product sales and new innovations. Charlotte joined Mintel in 2013 as an Analyst across the Beauty & Personal Care and Household sectors and now specialises in Beauty.