Editor’s note: This month, Cosmetics & Toiletries (C&T) welcomes Nikola Matic, vice president of chemicals market research for Kline & Co., who provides the introduction1 to our Expert Opinions report.
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Editor’s note: This month, Cosmetics & Toiletries (C&T) welcomes Nikola Matic, vice president of chemicals market research for Kline & Co., who provides the introduction1 to our Expert Opinions report.
Within the broad segment for body care, cellulite is a common issue that many people face, especially women. Various treatments exist and range from massage therapies, laser treatments and anti-cellulite creams, to surgery for cellulite conditions. With growing awareness of cellulite, the market for topical cellulite treatments has also expanded.
This rising demand for anti-cellulite creams is benefitting active ingredient categories such as vitamins, biotechnology ingredients and botanicals. Anti-cellulite actives, for example, represent most of the slimming category – one that was estimated at US $44 million in 2022. Botanical actives represent the largest share of slimming actives, with 34% of their total value, followed by biotechnology actives with 29%.
On top of cellulite improvement, anti-cellulite creams often bring additional properties such as skin firming or texture and elasticity improvement, among others. The most common ingredients used in anti-cellulite creams are vitamins such as retinol; botanical and marine ingredients such as caffeine, Centella asiatica, ginkgo biloba and green tea or seaweed extracts; and biotechnology-derived ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.
Most of the key active ingredient suppliers include products with cellulite smoothing or reduction claims in their portfolio. This is the case for BASF with Slim Excess (INCI: Water (Aqua) (and) Butylene Glycol (and) Pentylene Glycol (and) Sodium Chloride (and) Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract (and) Xanthan Gum); Silab with Affiness (INCI: Water (Aqua) (and) Butylene Glycol (and) Hydrolyzed Coriandrum Sativum Fruit Extract (and) Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract); Croda with Bodyfit (INCI: Glycerin (and) Water (Aqua) (and) Coco-Glucoside (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Alcohol (and) Glaucine); or Ashland with UCPeptide V (INCI: Water (Aqua) (and) Butylene Glycol (and) Pentapeptide-25).
Demand for anti-cellulite creams has driven the need for such ingredients. Peptides and proteins are increasingly being used – e.g., biomimetic peptides with anti-cellulite properties and peptide blends to promote collagen production and improve skin elasticity. Collagen itself is also used more frequently for anti-cellulite properties in personal care products.
Anti-cellulite is a growing area within personal care that will benefit from all treatment routes; although cosmetic applications are expected to benefit the most. This follows consumer preferences for non-invasive and simple-to-use treatments.
As previously mentioned, ingredient suppliers also have identified this opportunity and brought solutions to formulators. And since innovation plays a key role in ingredient choices, the industry should expect to see these suppliers continue bringing new solutions with original treatment routes for anti-cellulite and other body care products to the market.
C&T reached out to industry experts to gain their insights on current and future dynamics in the broader body care category. Following are their insights.
Biotech Begets Sustainability
According to Juliana Santos Nakayama, R&D manager at Apoena Biotech, current trends in body beauty and body care are shaped by the demand for clean, skin-specific solutions. She adds that the focus is also on the microbiota's role in skin health, leading to new products such as biotechnological postbiotics. Furthermore, solutions with high multifunctional potential are based on sustainable concepts and aligned with minimalist formulations, simplifying ingredient lists.
“Biotechnology emerges as a promising pathway, offering high performance, security and genuine responsibility with sustainability,” she writes. “In summary, the market is evolving with a focus on clean, microbiota-conscious and sustainable cosmetics, where biotechnological innovations are redefining industry standards.
Biotechnology is undeniably a promising path to a sustainable future in cosmetics. Per Santos Nakayama, “its limitless potential lies in harnessing microorganisms in controlled environments to create eco-friendly ingredients and personalized skin care solutions.” She continues, “[it also] favors impactful innovations that meet growing consumer demands for effective, secure and eco-conscious products.”
As the awareness of environmental issues grows, the importance of biotechnology will increase even further. As such, Santos Nakayama believes the future of the cosmetics market is linked to biotech, paving the way for sustainability, innovation and consumer-centric and nature-centric beauty solutions.
Per Santos Nakayama, the cosmetic industry's future is shaped by advanced technologies and ingredients that take care of people and the planet. Examples include the postbiotics Apobio Skin (INCI: Water (Aqua) (and) Astragalus Membranaceus Extract (and) Bacillus Ferment (and) Benzyl Alcohol (and) Ethylhexylglycerin) and Apobio Slim (Water (Aqua) (and) Lactobacillus Ferment (and) Benzyl Alcohol (and) Ethylhexylglycerin).
Another example is the biosurfactant Ramnocare (Water (Aqua) (and) Rhamnolipids (and) Benzyl Alcohol (and) Ethylhexylglycerin). According to Santos Nakayama, these innovative eco-conscious ingredients deliver high-performance and security through biotech expertise, sustainable sourcing and customization tech to revolutionize body skin care – including the reduction of carbon footprint when replaced by traditional raw materials.
Skinification and Microbiome Drivers
Skinification is a trend that Tia Alkazaz, senior marketing manager for Arcaea, sees as redefining body care, extending advanced, typically facial skin care benefits to the entire body. “Ingredients that are typically seen in facial care products, like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, are finding their way into body care formulations,” she writes. “This trend is fueled by a holistic approach to skin care, recognizing the need for overall skin health, and a demand for uniform skin tone, texture and hydration, driven by an increased understanding of skin care ingredients and their benefits.”
In relation, Alkazaz notes rising interest in microbiome-friendly formulas. “Since the pandemic, heightened concerns about skin health have emerged. Consumers' growing awareness of the skin's microbiome, its role in skin integrity and the consequences of imbalances — like aggravated skin conditions — have boosted demand for products that balance and nourish the skin’s natural ecosystem,” she explains.
In terms of future directions, Alkazaz believes the skinification trend in body care reflects an expanding awareness that skin health is not solely reserved for the face. “With this evolution, areas previously overlooked, such as the underarms, are now coming into focus,” she observes. “With the increasing understanding of skin's microbiome and barrier health, ingredients that support, restore and balance the skin's natural defenses will be pivotal for body care innovation. Probiotic, prebiotic and postbiotic ingredients will see growing interest.”
Enabling these current and future directions, Alkazaz points to Arcaea’s ScentARC (INCI: Yeast Beta Glucan (and) PCA (and) Glucosamine HCl (and) Betaine (and) Glutamine (and) Lysine HCl), an ingredient that provides a biology-first approach to body care. Per Alkazaz, the ingredient reflects a blend of scientific innovation and holistic understanding of skin health, setting a new standard in the body care industry’s future landscape.
“ScentARC is a precise prebiotic nutrient blend [that] has been developed to modulate underarm microbes, addressing odor by interacting with the body’s inherent biology, rather than masking odors,” she explains. “Extensive testing and consumer feedback indicate [it] also aids in reducing transepidermal water loss, supporting underarm skin hydration.”
Transparent, Traceable and Inside Out
Cyrille Zambo, beauty market sales manager for Herbarom, highlights transparency and naturalness as key requirements for the body care market. “People expect their cosmetics to be environmentally friendly, transparent about their (local) sourcing and based on formulas that keep the ingredient list down to the bare minimum,” Zambo writes. “We're observing the emergence of ranges without preservatives; [that are] coloring-free [or] pure; [by]product-based ranges [derived through] upcycling; and also a preference for plant-based ingredients.”
Per Zambo, in response to consumers’ expectations in this era of “connected and engaged beauty,” future directions will include even greater transparency, traceability, [inside-out] products and personalized beauty. Enabling technologies or ingredients will include blockchain, for example, as a guarantee of traceability, putting the emphasis on ingredient origin. “At Herbarom, to act on transparency [and across] the supply value chain, we set up cultivation contracts on exceptional terroirs for sourcing; from cultivation to production of the plant extract,” Zambo explains.
In terms of ingredients, oils represent a timeless and minimalist ingredient in full revival, according to Zambo, such as Herbarom’s Apricot Virgin Vegetable Oil, ABIO traceable origin France (INCI: Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil). Zambo adds: “Vegetable oils can live up to the promise of upcycling by becoming perfectly exploitable co-products, as is the case with Herbarom’s Apple Seed Virgin Vegetable Oil CBIO, designed using waste from the production of Breton and Norman cider (INCI: Pyrus Malus Seed Oil).”
Finally, to support inside-out and personalized beauty trends, expertise and support for industry players is essential. “We draw on our expertise in nutraceuticals and nutricosmetics for [inside-out] and personalized beauty, [which] can be enhanced by custom manufacturing, as is the case with Herbarom’s plant extracts. [These] can be tailor-made according to each brand’s needs.”
Wellness and Mood-boosting Olfactive Experiences
Well-being is a key driver for body beauty, especially in the post-pandemic world where consumers are increasingly seeking sensorial escapes in olfactive solutions and scented body care products. “With 75% of our everyday emotions triggered by our sense of smell, and 41% of consumers using fragrance or scented personal care products as an act of self-care (Mintel), it is clear why consumers are reaching for products that have proven mood-boosting properties now more than ever,” write Michael White, new technologies director, and Vasco Fontes Marques Da Silva, new technologies specialist, both of Iberchem.
“The fragrance industry has always been known to play with sensorial cues to provoke profound emotional resonance with the end consumer,” they explain. “However, this mood-enhancing ideology is no longer just theory. There is clear scientific data to support that fragrances can transform our emotional landscape, with scientific advancements now allowing us to study the brain’s response to scents. As a result, neuroscience is a new addition to this mood-shaping tool kit.”
Per White and Da Silva, this revolution in the world of scents to promote active well-being means that all brands, from start-ups to established fragrance houses, are investing technical innovation into their art form to ensure consumers not only smell good, but also feel good. Technologies supporting this direction include Wavemotion, Iberchem’s neuroscientific investigation program designed to scientifically evaluate the impact of fragrance on human psychology and physiology.
“Utilizing investigation methods and state-of-the-art neuroscientific techniques and physiological practices, Wavemotion unveils insights into how scent can influence positive neural responses to transform the emotional landscape of consumers and elevate consumer wellbeing,” they state.
Waterless, Solid and Treatment-oriented
Philip Shukla, CEO, and Vaijnath Lad, manager for creative cosmetic technologies, both of International Cosmetics Science Centre A/S, Denmark (ICSC), see body positivity and sustainability as highlights in the body care space. “Body care is evolving as a fast-growing category post pandemic and it is transforming from just care to wellness, which can be seen from campaigns like body positivity and accept[ing] [one]self, thus defying the focus on only face beauty products,” Lad writes. He adds that startups and indie brands are fueling growth with newer formats with products like body serums, solid lotion bars, body sculpting masks, etc.
In addition, per Shukla, demand for safe and sustainable ingredients has become apparent in body care products. “Sustainable format products with waterless or solid beauty concepts like sunscreen sticks [and] solid lotion bars are preferred by conscious consumers,” he explains. “With no restrictions across countries, travel has reached pre-pandemic level and that means the consumption of body care products such as sunscreens, deodorants and anti-pollution skin care is rising again.” Furthermore, Shukla expects products that address special skin conditions, such as psoriasis, dryness, back acne, stretch marks and pigmentation disorders to grow further.
To cater to requests for sustainable natural ingredients for waterless or solid beauty products, ICSC has launched products from its certified precision climate farming. “Cosmosil HB butter (INCI: Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract (and) Butyrospermum Parkii Butter) has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties,” notes Shukla. “Cosmosil CAL butter (INCI: Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (and) Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract) has excellent skin-soothing properties,” Shukla adds.
Lad also highlights, for treatment-oriented or preventive care formulas, ICSC’s Cosmosil CICA Omega 3 Oil (INCI: Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil (and) Brassica Campestris Seed Oil (and) Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract) and Cosmosil Anti-pollution Oil Organic I.S. (INCI: Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (and) Juglans Regia Seed Oil (and) Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract (and) Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (and) Curcuma Longa Root Extract), which reportedly helps to improve the skin barrier and thus protects skin.
Blue Beauty and Seaweed Bioactives
As movements like “blue beauty” continue to sweep the industry, Karen Scofield Seal, CEO and co-founder of Oceanium, sees consumers looking for effective, clean-label ingredients from natural, marine sources for body care. She writes: “36% of consumers said they would choose the more natural skin care option2 and 30% globally would pay more for products with socially responsible claims.”3
Scofield Seal adds that high purity, high quality seaweed extracts are drawing the attention of the skin care industry. “[This] natural, marine ingredient has robust bioactive properties and gives more to the planet than it takes – algae ingredients in beauty are projected to grow at 7.3% CAGR through 2029, reaching more than $300 million.”4
Furthermore, she emphasizes that beauty is more than skin deep. “With the melding of wellness and beauty, consumers are shifting their objectives from aesthetic perfection to holistic well-being, which overlaps with an ongoing focus on sustainability and naturally derived ingredients with high efficacy.”5
In terms of future directions, Scofield Seal believes there is significant potential to harness the natural resilience and protective mechanisms of seaweed for robust bioactivity in skin care formulations. In addition, sustainable seaweed farming can support marine and coastal ecosystems and contribute to biodiversity.
“Blue beauty can continue to be a key driver of this market shift that brings together holistic beauty, efficacy and sustainability,” she explains. “The blue beauty movement protects our oceans by focusing on zero-waste packaging to eliminate plastic in our oceans, as well as using non-harmful and reef-safe ingredients.”
Driving toward blue beauty, Oceanium created its Ocean Actives Fucoidan (INCI: Fucoidan), a marine bioactive of high purity and natural origin with many medicinal and therapeutic uses, per Scofield Seal. “Fucoidan restores, calms and protects all skin types, with benefits comparable to signature luxury-branded ingredients.”
The ingredient is sourced from regenerative seaweed farms and is reported to provide excellent traceability and provenance while contributing to the health of our oceans. “Fucoidans in skin care formulations provide benefits including hydration, moisturization, pigment and redness reduction and brightening. … [They also] have antioxidant properties,” she adds.
Health Conscious, Specialized and Paraprobiotic
According to Christophe De Jouvancourt, technical sales representative for Symrise, the skin care category continues to thrive after the pandemic. “The market is supercharged by brands offering products tailored to post-pandemic lifestyles and a desire for safety, indulgence and convenience,” De Jouvancourt writes. “Health-conscious and self-care lifestyles are gaining in popularity, leading to the need for specialized body care products that meet the changing needs of consumers.”
As skin care extends below the neck, De Jouvancourt sees familiar facial formats and ingredients making their way into body care. Examples include products related to resurfacing, pigmentation, hydration, anti-acne and high-performance SPF.
“Promoting self-love and well-aging is also on trend as more brands are tackling specific issues of the body joining the inclusivity trend,” De Jouvancourt observes. “Consumers will also embrace experiences that enhance skin health with neurocosmetics and use products that protect their overall well-being and the planet.”
Supporting these market directions, Symrise has combined performance and naturality in its SymVital MADA (INCI: Zingiber Officinale Root Extract). Per De Jouvancourt, this powerful antioxidant from ginger roots strengthens the skin’s defenses and acts as a stem cell protector. In addition, SymReboot L19 (INCI: Maltodextrin (and) Lactobacillus Ferment) is a microbiome-friendly paraprobiotic, said to “restore skin’s own instinctive micro-defenses for a soothing effect and sustainable skin moisturization.” It also strengthens the skin barrier and prevents pollution-induced damage.
Symrise has additionally developed a range of neurocosmetics evidenced with neuroscience methods. Take Frescolat ML (INCI: Menthyl Lactate) for example, whose cooling sensation could be linked to well-being.
Lastly, according to De Jouvancourt, sensoriality is key for body care. “Customers expect good spreadability, nourishing and comforting products, [and our] Apple Seed Oil (INCI: Pyrus Malus Seed Oil) uses leftover seeds from apple juice production to produce an oil with silicone-like touch and antioxidant benefits while reducing the environmental impact of cosmetic formulations.”
References
1. Kline. (2023, Jun). Specialty actives in personal care: Global market analysis and opportunities. Available at https://klinegroup.com/reports/actives_personal_care_global/
2. Callaghan, S., Lösch, M., Pione, A. and Teichner, W. (2021, Apr 8). Feeling good: The future of the $1.5 trillion wellness market. McKinsey and Co. Available at https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/feeling-good-the-future-of-the-1-5-trillion-wellness-market
3. Shandwick, W. (2020, Feb 21). Consumers demand action on climate change – And it’s time for retailers to listen. Retail Dive. Available at https://www.retaildive.com/spons/consumers-demand-action-on-climate-change-and-its-time-for-retailers-to/572572/
4. Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. (2022, Jun 8). Algae products market for cosmetics worth $305.3 million by 2029 – Exclusive report by Meticulous Research. Available at https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/06/08/2458637/0/en/Algae-Products-Market-for-Cosmetics-Worth-305-3-Million-by-2029-Exclusive-Report-by-Meticulous-Research.html
5. Amed, I. and Berg, A. (2023, May 22). The state of fashion special edition. The new face of beauty. BoF Professional. Available at https://tinyurl.com/yckx4f29
