The beauty industry has seen extreme growth and a huge transformation since 2021. Upcycling set to be the hottest new sustainable measure, this sector is set to become more tech-savvy, more transparent, and more bespoke than ever before. There seems to be a beauty trend that will speak to each and every one of us. Here are some of the trends that are going to impact the beauty and grooming sector in 2021. 

Upcycling

Yes, you got that term right, upcycling. It's no longer enough to say we recycle in 2021. We are bringing recycling to the next level. Upcycling is about repurposing items to extend their life so we can avoid adding things to our already overflowing landfills. Upcycling items could be the only step towards having zero waste beauty. To many cosmetic companies, food waste often represents a valuable source of materials for the creation of natural and organic upcycled cosmetics. Partnerships between food producers and cosmetic companies are more and more common as a joint effort to reincorporate materials with precious active ingredients for the skin in the production loop.Organizations like Full Circle were created with a mission to not only help beauty brands reduce waste, but to reuse it for the development of plant-based ingredients obtained from food waste material for their use in cosmetic formulation.

phygital beauty

'Phygital' (physical + digital) beauty is a form of a contactless shopping experience that has been gaining momentum for a couple of years. Our retail experiences become more and more digital, beauty consumers are expecting more immersive, personalized mixed-media experiences that merge the physical with the digital and help them learn about their skinr in new ways. Spurred on by the Covid-19 pandemic, combining technologies like voice, gesture and contactless navigation to facilitate virtual try-on will become a growing trend for shoppers to sample products in a safe way. Even though the concept of ‘phygital’ beauty has been around for a while now, it is in the post-pandemic era where it has found its place. In fact, many brands, Byrdie and Glossier, with its pop-up showrooms, have been doing so for some time, and have already started putting systems in place to ease anxious shoppers from stepping into stores post-pandemic and also make their online shopping experience easy and safe.

People of Colour

Though there's been a lot of buzz around more effectively targeting people of color in the beauty sector, there's still a lot to be done. Fenty Beauty, Mented Cosmetics and Urban Skin Rx, are making including beauty a core part of their brand value proposition. In targeting people of color, companies must be mindful of the risk of overlooking the complex consumer behavior dynamics across particular ethnic groups. As is often mentioned when talking about diversity, if brands employ marketers who are as diverse as the audience they are trying to reach, many of these problems could be prevented as it is impossible to represent communities and identify their needs without fostering an environment where people of color are not only present but feel they can speak up or play a part in. Ultimately, if ignored, brands will be left scrambling as more dynamic challengers provide the inclusivity consumers demand.

Clean and Conscious Beauty 

While the trend of clean beauty has been developed over the past few years, such as looking healthy, building confidence and self-esteem, the "clean" to "conscious" movement in beauty will be reinforced further in 2021. Makeup brand NICH focused on creating clean and safe cosmetics has also benefited as the move towards preventive skin health grows in demand and they have taken steps educating consumers the importance of skin health, mask and maintaining mental well-being, including beauty routines. This health-oriented approach will become even more vital as the Covid-19 pandemic gradually transits into an endemic. 

Anti Pollution Cosmetics

Anti-pollution cosmetics are growing in demand. Reports show that 91 percent of the world's population live in places where air quality exceeds the World Health Organization's guideline limits and 4.2 million deaths every year  occur as a result of exposure to ambient (outdoor) air pollution. Conditions of skin aging, such as wrinkles and dark spot formation, are accelerated in heavily polluted environments and the number of those suffering with skin conditions, such as acne, is increased. Beauty brands such as Clé de Peau Beauté is launching its skin care product with pollution defense, SPF and super light reflecting technology.And many experts within the beauty industry predict that the demand for cosmetic products with an anti-pollution claim will sound in the coming year and will become common in our daily routines as UV protection products.