The Future of Beauty: 2023 Trend Report

Get ready for science-backed solutions that cater to busy lifestyles

With consumers being more conscious of their buying decisions than ever, the 2023 beauty and self-care landscape is set to have a key focus on sustainability, individuality and science-backed solutions that cater to busy lifestyles. 

From a collective sustainable packaging push, to a deep ingredient and formulation dive that aims to cater to the eco-conscious consumer, an array of brand founders and marketers have set the 2023 beauty and self-care scene. The company Known Community have put together the trend report, complete with predictions from industry experts at the world’s leading beauty brands.

Read on to find out what’s coming in 2023…

PLANET-FRIENDLY PACKAGING  

With consumers being more clued up than ever on the environmental impact of their beauty routines, brands have stepped forward with sustainable packaging solutions. ‘Refillable products are a key focus for development, as well as reusable, second life packaging’says Alex Oprey, marketing director for Luxury Fragrance house Miller Harris.  According to Anna Priadka, founder of refillable natural hair & body care brand fills, innovative packaging upgrades are set to become bigger than ever – she says, ‘Within the niche beauty brand sector, brands are looking to innovate their refillable/sustainable models even more to bring a standout concept to the market. Now, the larger players have also switched to refills.’

To help the current environmental crisis both through innovative packaging solutions and formulations that are kinder to the planet, brands are now taking proactive steps in ensuring that they make insightful decisions when it comes to the planet. For example, in 2022, natural hair, body and home brand Faith in Nature legally appointed ‘Nature’ to its board of directors: a role with the same voting weight as any other company director. ’This will hopefully spark a big change in how the business world perceives and acts on its responsibility to the natural world. For too long, Nature has been seen purely as an expendable resource: this kind of thinking has led us to the brink of ecological collapse. It can and must change’, says Brontie Ansell, Director and Co-Founder of Lawyers for Nature.

SUSTAINABLE FORMULA SOLUTIONS  

‘Suppliers for ingredients are working on reducing their carbon footprint, becoming B-Corp registered and improving their sustainability’, reveals Faith in Nature. Also according to Sophie Lowe, Brand Manager for We Are Concentrate, beauty is an industry that laps up the most water, after agriculture. We Are Concentrate built its brand to help consumers monitor their water footprint, Lowe explains, ‘We use an in-house manufacturing method called a “closed loop water system” which is proven to be more sustainable than other manufacturing methods’. This has also led many brands to seek innovative solutions and make savvy ingredient swaps within their formulations to help combat the sustainability crisis. Upcycled ingredients are on the rise, Alex Oprey (Miller Harris Marketing Director) reveals, ‘We are developing a new EDP for next year, which will be the first in our range to incorporate Hydrolat water - a by-product of the essential oil production’.

TRANSPARENCY TALK

Consumers are cleverer than ever when it comes to claims and demand no ambiguity from their formulations. ‘We’ve noticed an increase in customers’ knowledge about ingredients - they have asked for the percentages of the naturally derived ingredients and the percentages of the active ingredients in the formulations’, according to Zoe Wasfy, co-founder of Wild Science Lab. With a boom in ingredient-focused marketing claims over the last few years, beauty buyers are now clued up and demand hard-working formulations. With certain ingredients only being effective in certain doses, consumers are on a mission to bring misleading marketing to an end.

‘People understandably want to know more about the ingredients in their products,’ explains Jasmine Wicks-Stephens, founder of FAACE, ‘as well as where and how ingredients are sourced, and the impact on the environment. I am seeing more consumer interest in tracing stories, where they are able identify all the ingredients in their products via a batch number, and alsosee the story of how the product was produced.’

NATURE BACKED BY SCIENCE

With consumers being more knowledgeable than ever about formulations, there is an ongoing push for ingredients that are nature-rooted and ethically sourced, but just as hardworking as their more traditional counterparts. Sustainability and traceability are key drivers when it comes to formulations; ‘Upcycled ingredients are gaining traction as well as bio tech ingredients’ reveals Faith in Nature.

Science-rooted practices are the way forward. Zoe Wasfy, Co-Founder of sustainable hair and skincare brand  Wild Science Lab says, ‘We are carrying out extensive studies to test the efficacy of the products, as this process is a vital part of the process that ensures that our formulations are effective. Always using active ingredients backed by science and sourced from nature, we’ve created formulations aiming to stimulate hair growth’.

LIVE & LIMITED

When it comes to product storytelling, the origin and limited nature of certain ingredients engages consumers: ‘In fragrance, we are seeing trends more so around natural origin ingredients, elements inspired, city escapes and conceptual escapes (e.g. Metaverse)’ says Alex Oprey, marketing director of Miller Harris.

Anna Priadka, founder of Fiils, has noted that consumers are looking to have fun with formulations and they want to be engaged by product drops; ‘Crazy limited edition ingredients and scents seem to swork well’, she says for example.

EVOLVED SELF-CARE

Beauty is intended be uplifting and in this sense can contribute to a post-pandemic sense of self-care that includes wellness for every life stage. The search for health, whether that be emotional, hormonal, sexual or otherwise continues. Looking for a new year health kick includes helping your hormones and this is where ēostre, a new science-led supplement based their foundations.  Alli Godhold, leading consultant nutritionist and expert spokesperson for ēostre reveals, ‘The world is finally taking menopause seriously and so we wanted to create a supplement that does that too.’