Wednesday, February 8
The Biotech Beauty Revolution
Trends
Cutting-edge technologies and innovations accelerate the beauty and wellness industries into the future, as the biotech revolution merges science and technology to create sustainable, ethical, and renewable solutions that preserve nature. Areas like fermentation and microbiome-supporting products gain in popularity both for their benefits and for their biotech possibilities, while the regeneration movement leads to concentrated, subtropical, and bioactive formulas that deliver more efficient results with less product needed.
Biotech Breakthroughs
As biotechnology continues to push the boundaries for what is possible in beauty and wellness, we see a new era of biotech advancements. Biotech becomes a key focus for skincare with brands like Skin Minute by Body Minute developing scientifically-backed, biotech products, while brands also experiment with innovative biotech ingredients, like Själ Skincare’s gemstone-infused biotech skincare, or Ioxēl’s ionized oxygen gel products. Science-based Instagram educational platform Evolved by Nature also recently launched their debut skincare line, with their Barrier Redux Serum that utilizes a biotech-generated silk to “turn your skin on” and activate natural vitality. Bio-based alternatives also emerge, offering sustainable, scientifically-crafted solutions for formulations as brands explore updates to traditional materials: popular ingredient fungi, for example, shows promise for color cosmetic applications, thanks to biomolecular scientist Jesse Adler. Adler’s experiments using fungi to create makeup pigments as a renewable alternative to fossil fuel-derived dyes is still in its early stages, but could revolutionize how the industry sustainably generates high-quality pigments.
Microbiome & Fermentation
Biome-supporting products grow, as continued research highlights the benefits of protecting the microbiome. Skincare brands develop services for consumers to test their microbiome, empowering them to learn more about their skin and its unique needs: Shiseido introduced their simple bacteria-measuring device to quickly measure the balance of two beauty-related bacterias on the skin, while Dr. Elsa Jungman introduced their new Microbiome Testing Campaign to “close the microbiome data gap,” asking for volunteers to test their skin for free with the brand’s Microbiome Testing Kit in hopes of gathering useful microbiome data. Phyla, a probiotic acne care brand, even uses a proprietary probiotic in their live phage serum that intelligently targets acne-causing bacteria and not “good” bacteria, correcting acne while supporting a balanced, healthy microbiome. Biotech also experiments with the process of fermentation to create potent actives for formulations that have a host of beauty benefits. We see examples like biotech company Capra, who is bringing fermented retinol to the market, add the microbiome-supporting benefits of fermented ingredients to an already beloved skincare powerhouse like retinol. Nuebiome also uses an array of bioferments for its products, including prebiotic inulin as a source of good bacteria for the skin, lactobacillus ferment lysate to improve skin hydration, bifida ferment lysate for protection against UV induced skin damage, saccharomyces lysate (commonly known as brewers yeast) to add radiance to skin, and pseudoalteromonas ferment extracted from fermented Antarctic ocean bacteria to deliver clinically effective hydration and anti-aging.
Accelerated & Efficient Formulas
Brands also look to biotech innovation to create optimized solutions like bioavailable formulas, as science shows that many popular ingredients cannot be properly absorbed and utilized by our bodies. U Beauty’s Barrier Bioactive Treatment, for example, features an “engineered cocktail of actives” with bioactive marine ingredients and SIREN Capsule Technology to actively communicate with skin to revitalize it. Building off of this, advanced skincare technology delivers potent, concentrated actives deep into the dermis where they can be most effective, allowing for more efficient results with less product. Pioneering this movement is Ourself, whose proprietary subtopical technology delivers patented hyaluronic acid deeper into skin where it can be most effective and beneficial, hydrating immediately and firming skin with continued use. Concentrated skincare is also rising, as consumers seek medical-level benefits without a prescription or doctor’s appointment: Auro is at the forefront of this concentrated skincare movement, with their “more than skin deep” line of ultra-potent antioxidant formulas that utilizes the patented antioxidant delivery system Auro GSH™ to deliver Glutathione, the “master antioxidant” into skin. In addition, Everist spearheads the concentrated beauty market, with their water-saving concept of concentrated hair and body products that can be diluted with water.
Article write by Mallory Huron, Senior Strategist for Beauty & Wellness at Fashion Snoops
FS is a global trend forecasting agency helping leading consumer-facing brands around the world unlock innovation and propel growth. Through a combination of human and artificial intelligence, we analyze cultural shifts and interpret detected patterns in order to forecast trend-driven business opportunities.