Celebrating individuality

COSSMA: Your trends guide BeautyForward was launched last year. What inspired you to create its second edition? 

Nicolas Lasbistes, Global Marketing Manager, Clariant: Beauty Forward relies on a process unique to our company. We introduced the first edition last year, following extensive work with beauty trend experts and personal care industry professionals to apply identified social and cultural changes into personal care trends linking our company’s formulations and products. The trend guide was very well received by our customers. In fact, the feedback from some customers was that the fashionable formulations can be used in their speed-to-market strategy. The fact that our customers are making use of this information confirms that we are on the right track. This is what has inspired us to come up with a second edition this year.

We want our customers to continuously benefit from insights into trends, related consumer profiles and our formulation inspirations. Thus they can be one step ahead in their product development. Trends permanently evolve and new trends emerge. So, we’ve been hard at work again to respond to changing times and identify the four most relevant global trends that we think will have a deep impact on the beauty business in the coming year.

Which new developments characterise the second edition of BeautyForward?

BeautyForward II, which was presented for the first time in April at the global trade show In-Cosmetics in London, represents a shift in focus even more away from the individual products to a truly customer-oriented perspective. 

This trend guide has become a platform on which we present our products, which are embedded in formulation inspirations and connected to one of the four identified trends.

The four new identified trends are: Custom, Origin, Revive and Balance. For each of the trends, we developed a consumer profile, describing their social and cultural behaviour and purchasing decisions. Wrapped in a precious beauty box, we offer our customers the opportunity to explore 15 product samples in total, with new recipes connected to each of the four new trends. 

What formulations accommodate these trends?

BeautyForward II features 15 trend-inspired formulations. Here’s one from each trend to give an idea of how we are interpreting the related consumer profiles for our customers. 

For Custom we have the moisturiser booster Hero Elixir: Pro Age with Plantasens Olive Active HP. To reflect that no two days are the same and neither is skin, we have introduced a mix ‘n’ match Elixir or Boosters set for moisturisers. It caters to individual needs on any particular day by taking moisturisers to the next level. Our range of elixirs, infused with enriching elements, each deliver a specific skin benefit. The pro age with Plantasens Olive Active HP counteracts two important reactions in the skin ageing process – glycation and lipid peroxidation.

For Balance, the Claytastic Cleanser with BioDTox is a real treat for frazzled complexions. This super mild facial wash deep-cleans the skin, preventing irritation whilst providing protection against environmental influences.

For Revive, Youth Activating Milky Way with DongBaek features natural oil from camellia japonica seed. It helps to improve tonicity to keep skin looking younger and fight the damaging effect of pollutants.

For Origin, we developed a Facial Honey Gel that contains the highly effective, biodegradable, mild, and sugar-based nonionic surfactant GlucoTain Plus with a blend of seven plant extracts for gentle foaming facial gel cleansers. 

What ingredients help to create these formulations and why?

We used natural products across the trends. For Custom, the formulations feature specialised ingredients that can be concentrated into a booster. In Origin, the provenance of the ingredients is important. For Revive, ingredients that can help to create new texture and “new” elements are used. Balance required ingredients that offer protection against the environment and external aggressors and deliver indulgent sensory details.

What were the highlight formulations of last year’s trends featured in BeautyForward I?

The trends from the first edition will not “expire” in 2017 but are constantly evolving and will remain relevant for the coming years. These are the highlight formulations for each trend:

The trend Pure features the formulation Bouncing Cream. The new purist looks to achieve great skin by using products with a truly novel texture. The right combination of rheology modifiers offers a bouncy texture in this cream, while allowing it to deliver intense skin hydration and a beautiful healthy glow.

The Mild Shampoo of the trend Care is a clear and sulfate-free formulation with a sugar-based mild surfactant to provide a creamy rich lather for our modern technologist. Gold spark perfume, the highlight formulation of the trend Look, is a glittering fragrance mist that helps the modern millennial steal the spotlight.

Ice cream repair is part of the trend Dare. This repairing cream melts on the skin’s surface and provides a slight cooling sensation – just like ice cream! The unusual texture and rich skin feel is perfect to protect the hands and other dry spots.