Personal care trends: Global market overview

29 Jul 2024 --- Every year, through extensive global consumer research and market analysis, Innova Market Insights develops an overview of the top personal care trends. Here, we provide crisp summaries of each trend, highlighting their relevance and influence within the global personal care market.

Trend #1: Precision in Performance

The first top personal care trend is “Precision in Performance.” This trend reflects how consumers want products with exact performance capabilities — whether that’s through precise formulations of key actives or convenience and functionality in packaging without extra hassle.

Consumers are drawn to products that highlight specific and verifiable benefits. For instance, 57% of consumers in China say that they are willing to spend more on skin care products backed up by scientific claims. Additionally, 49% of consumers globally say that new ingredients and technologies make personal care products more effective, demonstrating how consumers want science-backed innovations in the market.

For example, Virospack, a dropper packaging manufacturer for personal care products, recently launched its Duo Dose Precise System. It enables users to personalize the precise dosage of the product they want to apply — with options for half or a full dose, enabled by a twisting applicator.

Trend #2: Fountain of Youth

Personal care trends are bound to include a strong focus on youthfulness. In the “Fountain of Youth” top trend, anti-aging products are shifting to promote rejuvenation and renewal benefits. This trend is partially driven by consumer interest: 33% consider anti-aging/healthy aging as the most important functional skin care feature.

Personal care products focused on anti-aging are highlighting renewal and rejuvenation more often. For instance, Cellcosmet has introduced a reformulated range of cellular renewal postbiotics, peptides and amino acids under the moniker “Gen 2.0.” The products are a blend of peptides and amino acids, stabilized using their patented CellControl method, and claim to revitalize the skin, improve its elasticity and help it retain moisture.

“Longevity” and “immortality” keywords are also seeing increased usage within personal care products, further underscoring the renewal and rejuvenation trends. Consumers are increasingly willing to spend more on skin care supported by scientific claims.

Trend #3: Restore and Repair

In the third top global personal care trend, titled “Restore and Repair,” consumers are seeking to restore, rebuild and repair skin and scalp barriers “from within” through scientifically proven active ingredients.

Skin barrier claims have been surging in personal care products, with a 15% CAGR over the past five years. This surge can be traced back to the larger microbiome trend in skin care, where in 2021 and 2022, skin microbiome claims were focused on providing balanced microbial biota. However, microbiome focused ingredients, such as probiotics, also have barrier repair properties as well, which brands are now highlighting more often.

Hair care products are also following this trend, with a focus on scalp barrier repair. For instance, ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid are seen in shampoo products, promoting their rejuvenating capabilities. These ingredients are conventional skin care ingredients, but have migrated into hair care through the “skinification” trend — whereby skin care activities are shifting into other categories, such as hair care.

Trend #4: Seeking Sustainability

The trend “Seeking Sustainability” refers to brands doubling down on sustainability — investing in research and development to minimize carbon footprint and formulate eco-friendly products. This personal care trend is supported by consumer interests, with 48% saying that it is important to them that a product displays its carbon footprint, as well as the measures the product is taking in offsetting its carbon footprint.

Increased sustainability in personal care formulations is helping to drive a reduction in microplastics, a key consumer concern for both health and sustainability. Over one quarter of consumers now look for “free from microplastics” claims on their personal care products, and consequently 36% of new products in the space sport microplastic-free formulations.

Ocean safe formulations are also popular, as are products using upcycled ingredients. Both feed into the consumer desire for increased sustainability in their product choices.

Trend #5: Celebrating Individuality

The fifth top trend, “Celebrating Individuality,” is based on brands formulating launches to meet the needs of consumers from diverse racial and gender identities who seek to be “seen” and have their needs met. Many brands are focusing new product launches in the global personal care market towards speaking to specific underrepresented groups of consumers.

New products in the realm of personal care trends are tailored towards specific ethnicities. For instance, Indian brand Arata’s Advanced Curl Care range claims to meet the specific needs of consumers with the Indian curly hair type, helping reduce breakage and frizz.

Other products provide gender neutral care, widening their inclusivity away from static gender norms. Personal care products specifically for men are also emerging, raising awareness of the changing social dynamics and norms regarding the perception of male-centric personal care. Rejuvenation and renewal claims are increasingly prevalent in anti-aging products.

Trend #6: Raising the Voice

In the “Raising the Voice” top trend, the modern consumer is evolving from their role as an end-user to an agent driving product innovations by making their voice heard. Consumers want brands to increase their transparency, with over half saying that they are worried about brands hiding their products’ pollution levels. These consumers believe that claims such as “all natural,” “green” and “eco” can leave room for misinterpretation.

Greenwashing is a major concern even within personal care trends, and consumers, especially younger age groups, are looking for information about personal care products outside of brand claims. Nearly 2 in 3 Generation Z and Millennial consumers say that they browse websites and blogs for information before they buy personal care products.

Some brands are responding by leaning into transparency, such as Deciem, with its popular brand, The Ordinary, stating they “...are not a sustainable beauty company — yet.” They continue by explaining how they believe that “...any business based on consumption cannot be fully sustainable within the current limits of sustainability in business.”

Trend #7: Redefining Daily Rituals

The seventh top trend is “Redefining Daily Rituals,” highlighting how personal care is evolving as an individual expression of self-care and wellness among users to develop a healthy daily mindset.

Some products include aromatherapy-based ingredients, such as essential oils, for stress relieving properties. Consumers are also individualizing their daily routines using specialized products to target their personal needs.

Holistic wellness, with consumers using products such as jade rollers and light therapy devices, is additionally gaining traction within daily rituals. However, many consumers are also minimizing their routines, attempting not to overload on product usage.

Trend #8: Customizing the Canvas

“Customizing the Canvas” takes the #8 spot among personal care trends, with brands innovating to indulge their audience with more personalized products. In essence, brands are hyper-personalizing their products to attract consumer interest.

Artificial intelligence is ushering in this new personal care trend, with many brands creating AI skin assessment apps and tools to create personalized skin and hair care recommendations for consumers.

Gamification is also growing within the global personal care market, as brands create virtual stores for their products, especially targeted towards Gen Z consumers. Skin barrier claims have surged as part of the microbiome mega-trend in personal care.

Trend #9: Retracing the Roots

“Retracing the Roots,” the ninth top trend in the global personal care market, is seen through consumers reclaiming their cultural roots and desiring age-old ingredients. Some 63% of consumers believe that natural ingredients are healthier than synthetic, helping drive this trend.

Ayurvedic ingredients are growing in popularity in India and the West. For instance, products use amla with claims that it relieves hair breakage and loss, aloe vera to promote scalp health and deep conditioning, and turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Chinese traditional herbs have also been seen more often, in Asia especially. Ingredients such as ginseng, reishi mushrooms and green tea are used for their anti-aging properties. Other common traditional Chinese herbs include gotu kola, lotus seeds and Chinese wolfberry.

Finally, popular African medicinal herbs and ingredients that are already common in personal care products — such as shea butter, argan oil, cocoa butter and marula oil — are being reclaimed by consumers who identify the African heritage and the cultural connotations connected to these ingredients.

Trend #10: Vocally Local

“Vocally Local” wraps up Innova’s list of top personal care trends, reflecting the growing popularity of local brands that meet the interests and cultural tastes of the indigenous populations in countries. As supply chains were disrupted during the pandemic, and prices began rising due to inflation, consumers began seeking out local substitutes for their favorite global brands.

Each country and region’s consumers have different personal care interests, affecting how local brands tailor their products. For instance, in the US, consumers are more interested in hyper personalization and scientific precision. In Mexico, consumers are receptive to native essential oils featuring personal care categories. In Europe, there is higher consumer awareness about product ethicality and in China consumers are more interested in premium skin care.

Productos Latina is an example of a Mexican hair care brand creating products specifically for curly and wavy Latina hair types. In Indonesia, local brand Safi launched a range of hair care products catering to the needs of varied hair concerns for hijab-wearing consumers.

This article is based on the Innova Market Insights report “Top 10 Trends 2024 - Personal Care – Global.”

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