By Jennifer Hermitage
Jen’s Trends
Welcome to the winter edition of Trends. This edition will focus on the impact of textures on a cosmetic formulation, how this can support your marketing efforts, and ultimately sales. We also turn our attention to lash growth serums and the developing sector of scalp care, an area predicted to continue with steady growth over the next few years. Both the benefits and challenges when formulating with natural oils are discussed, and we look at how Cornelius can help in these areas. Finally, we will shine a spotlight on sustainability, with a particular focus on recycled raw materials – an exciting new step in the waste-to-value journey.
Tantalising Textures, Thriving Scalps, and Sustainable Beauty: Unveiling the Latest Cosmetic Innovations
Textures, alongside colours and aromas, play a significant role in skin care purchasing habits as consumers increasingly value the sensorial attributes of cosmetics. Creating unexpected textures, sensory experiences, and feelings of indulgence that make products more interactive are key to connecting with younger consumers, who are most likely to share their finds on social media.
Novel formats such as solid oils, dissolvable tablets, jelly bars and melting wax formulas deliver sensory sensations. There has been considerable innovation towards new formats in recent times, especially with the rise of waterless products, a phenomenon driven by the consumer and industry response to water scarcity.
Eco-formulas, holistic body wellness, and food-inspired indulgence are the leading trends in textures and formats. For increased shelf appeal, brands may consider textures that attract with sound and sensations when applied to the skin, such as fizzy, crispy, bubbling, heating, and freezing effects. Asian foods such as mochi ice cream balls, mooncakes, and tapioca pearls are providing unexpected textural inspiration. There are many foody textures to be found on the shelves, and sweet treats are one of our favourite sources of inspiration.
Laura Mercier’s Ambre Vanillé Honey Bath is a cult classic with many copycat versions available, most notably Lacura (Aldi) Vanilla Honey Golden Bath Nectar which has become something of a cult classic in its own right. May Lindstrom Honey Mud Facial Pudding has a rich, cushiony pudding texture. It contains enzymes and salicylic acid for gentle exfoliation and doubles as mask and cleanser. Fresh have a number of foody textures within their range. These include Sugar Face Polish with brown sugar and wild strawberry seeds and Crème Ancienne Ultimate Nourishing Honey Mask. Body Shop Pears & Share Body Butter has a rich and buttery texture boosted with pear extract for intense hydration.
Cornelius can help: At SCS Formulate last month Cornelius launched our own SensorE Textures Trend Kit. This features 10 products, each with a food related texture, including a Tiramisu Cleanser and Mask, (our own interpretation of Honey Mud Pudding) featuring ghassoul clay and a seaweed based gelling agent. There was also an Angel Delight Moisturiser which many mistook for the real thing, and a Mochi Primer which one customer described as the best texture at the show.
For more information on our SensorE Textures Trend Kit, please contact your Cornelius rep or email us at sales.enquiries@cornelius.co.uk.
Scalp Care: Nourishing Your Scalp for Healthy Hair
Scalp care continues as a growing sector, with an increase in stress related scalp problems, such as psoriasis, expected to boost global sales further. According to Trendalytics scalp care is accelerating in searches, with consumers zeroing in on scalp serums (+ 42% to LY) and oils (+ 28% to LY) whilst searches for scalp massagers are up 40% from last year.
Cristophe Robin Cleansing & Purifying Scrub has acquired many fans since its launch in 2013. This is a classic wash product, used in place of shampoo, with added salt for exfoliation. A relative newcomer to the scene is Dr. Barbara Sturm Scalp Serum. Infused with hyaluronic acid, natural extracts, panthenol, and critical amino acids, it treats dryness, restoring moisture balance without making the scalp look or feel oily.
Cornelius can help: Our Clarifying Compoté Scalp Scrub works as a pre-shampoo treatment. It contains spherical Candelilla wax beads which exfoliate away dry skin whilst pomegranate based active ADANDRINE® inhibits fungal growth and prickly pear active EXFOLACTIVE® eliminates scales and returns the cutaneous barrier to optimal levels.
Facial Oils: Harnessing the Power of Natural Oils for Radiant Skin
Facial oils have gained immense popularity in recent years as consumers seek natural and water-free skincare products. This steadily growing market is predicted to become more popular as awareness grows of their many advantages and multi-tasking capabilities. Once the preserve of indie brands, more mainstream brands are now exploring these products, launching separate facial oil lines. Different oils have different benefits – such as anti-aging, hydration, blemish removal, smoothing and brightening – and many oils are multifunctional, making it possible to promote many claims with just one raw material. Many formulators wish to add active materials to a facial oil, and this frequently poses a problem as so many actives are water-based.
Cornelius can help: Our new Purple Rain All-in-One Essence is a 2-phase formula which includes the powerful, multi-functional active INCLUSIUM® in a water section, whilst macadamia nut oil and Blue Tansy make up the other half. The product is activated by shaking the bottle, and then the combined essence is applied to skin. INCLUSIUM®, newly launched by SILAB, is proven to work on four ethnicities and across a wide age range. It improves hydration, tone, firmness, and radiance, whilst diminishing the appearance of pores, wrinkles, and blemishes. OLVE’True™ Macadamia oil is a multi-functional oil that leaves behind a protective film, making it ideal for delicate skin. It also provides nourishment, radiance, and emollience.
Blue Tansy provides a fresh scent and a beautiful blue colour at very low inclusion levels – the oil portion of our essence has an intense blue colour that was achieved with just 0.03%. Its primary component, Sabinene, is an effective anti-inflammatory agent and camphor, another key component, reduces inflammation and helps repair damaged skin. Blue Tansy is a popular addition to facial oils as it provides a beautiful natural colour as well as anti-inflammatory properties. The Eco Alchemist have used the material as a hero ingredient in their AHA + Blue Tansy Overnight Elixir which leaves skin gently exfoliated and Herbivore have a collection of Blue Tansy products: Aquarius Pore Purifying Clarity Cream, Aquarius Clarity Cleanser and Lapis Blue Tansy, and Squalane Balancing Facial Oil.
Lovely Lashes: Empowering Fuller, Thicker Lashes
Lash growth serums are gaining traction with former lash-extension devotees who have found that extensions have disrupted their lash growth cycle, leading to sparser growth and stubbier, finer hairs. Fans of the natural look are also turning to growth serums to achieve fuller, fluttery lashes without lashings of mascara. Obagi Medical provides medical-grade skincare, backed by a science-first, clinical-quality approach to formulations. The brand has now turned its attention to lashes, launching Obagi Nu-Cil™ Eyelash Enhancing Serum. It utilises NouriPlex™ Technology – a complex blend of four high-performance ingredients: biotin, proprietary lipid compound, sodium hyaluronate, and panthenol to target the anagen phase of the lash growth cycle, for lashes that are fuller, thicker, and more defined.
Cornelius can help: We supply ANAGALINE®, a hair growth active by our partner SILAB. It acts on three major factors that control the hair cycle: regulating hormonal balance, stimulating cell metabolism, and improving vascularisation of the hair follicle. Microcirculation is improved and hair density returns to normal.
Sustainability: Embracing Eco-Friendly Practices in the Cosmetics Industry
Sustainability is a major macro trend across all sectors and the cosmetics industry is always looking at new ways to improve its impact on the planet. However, a growing danger for brands is ensuring the validity of their claims, as consumers become ‘greenwashed-out’ from the rapid developments across our own industry and beyond. With standardised accolades, we can certify the responsible sourcing of certain raw ingredients. Our partners SILAB and OLVEA are two prime examples of this, having both been awarded the EcoVadis Platinum medal – positioning them within the top 1% of businesses globally for their continued efforts towards sustainability.
As other businesses catch up to those setting the benchmark, further research has been committed to recyclable products as we move towards a more circular economy – utilising waste and turning it into something of value. Traditional forms of recycling, such as in packaging, are now relatively mainstream within modern society. However, some innovators are pushing the boundaries of raw materials, and exploring ways they can turn waste into a valuable ingredient for the cosmetic market.
Cornelius can help: BeauSil™ RE-AMO 919 EM is the first recycled sugar modified silicone from CHT. It promotes the waste-to-value concept, utilising silicones that would otherwise be wasted and transforming them into a new amino-modified silicone. The silicone emulsion comprises 75% water, 11% natural source ingredients and 13% recycled monomers, meaning that just 1% of this is synthetic.
It is part of a new generation of dimethicone for haircare, where the silicone polymer is modified with amino and sugar groups, resulting in a material that has the same conditioning effects as classic amo-dimethicones, but without weighing the hair down. It can be used in shampoos and leave-on treatments. It improves combability of wet hair, has a light feel on dry hair, and promotes natural softness leaving a silky shine.
As we conclude this winter edition of Trends, we reflect on the tapestry of trending cosmetic innovations covered. We’ve unearthed the impact of innovative textures in cosmetics that can help to drive sales and engage the younger generation of consumers, and highlighted both the growing importance and market of scalp care and lash serums. Navigating the complexities of formulating with natural oils, and highlighting our continued commitment towards sustainability, there is a lot to consider going into 2024.
Here at Cornelius, we stand at the precipice of these evolving trends, offering cutting-edge solutions and insights of the modern consumer, and how we can help you to formulate to meet their rapidly-changing needs. For more detailed information on any of the formulations mentioned, whether you’re looking for formulation tips or a sample so you can experience our quality offerings for yourself, we’re here to help.
Reach out to us at sales.enquiries@cornelius.co.uk for any and all of your needs. Stay informed, and stay ahead with Cornelius – where innovation meets expertise.