Body care of tomorrow

There has always been so much emphasis on skincare products for the face. But in recent years, a whole new range of specialised products have become available to address multiple concerns for a much larger area: the body. Just what are these new and trending products – and what formula extensions could your brand be missing out on? Read on to find out …

1. Body firming and smoothing

Topping this list of trending body care formulas for tomorrow are serums, lotions and creams with firming and smoothing actives. This can include standard extracts such as coffee, green tea and horse chestnut, but also includes active ingredients with clinical evidence of firming, lifting and toning results. Check out Gatuline In-Tense (Gattefosse), Slimming Factor Karkade (Lipoid Kosmetik), Asiaticoside (Seppic), Regu-Slim (dsm-firmenich), Sculptessence (Lucas Meyer Cosmetics) and Zirhafirm (Provital).
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2. Body glow and shimmer

Firm skin looks even better with a healthy glow. Since consumers are now so aware of the ageing and damaging effects of the sun, they often seek to get a sun-kissed appearance from their personal care instead.
Body care products of tomorrow now often include a  variety of ways to boost a healthy, vibrant appearance  such as:

the use of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) or erythrulose in low concentrations to achieve a subtle tanning effect. I’m not talking about making you look like you’ve just returned from a tropical holiday here – but just enough to make your consumer look healthier and their skin tone more even.
using shimmer or effects pigments in small quantities. Again, I’m not talking about the kind of sparkle one might want on a Saturday night out; but instead, a very faint shimmer that makes the skin appear more vibrant.
skin staining FD&C colourants in very small amounts. These can imitate the subtle tan desired of DHA or erythrulose, but without the many formulation incompatibilities and restrictions of self-tanning ingredients.

3. UV and pollution repair

Cumulative sun damage over many years leaves the skin looking weathered, worn and uneven. Ingredients aimed at UV and pollution repair are rapidly becoming popular additions to the body care of tomorrow to reverse this damage. Think of ingredients traditionally used for these purposes in facial care that are economical for body care additions, such as vitamin B3, ectoin, beta-glucan, antioxidant rich extracts and vitamin E. For more advanced repair results, if the budget allows, check out Repair Complex CLR (CLR Chemisches Laboratorium), Hierogaline (Laboratoires Expanscience), and Gatuline Skin-Repair (Gattefosse).
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4. Lightening

For those with darker skin or pigmentation spots, body-lightening products are rising in popularity. For overall lightening, a variety of whitening actives can be used, and of course vitamin B3 is always a staple addition. For pigmentation, more specialised actives with specific activity are needed. Check out clinically proven actives such as Delentigo (Mibelle AG Biochemistry), Belides (CLR Chemisches Laboratorium), Wakamine (Givaudan Active Beauty) and Gatuline Spot-Light (Gattefosse) for the best results with hard to lighten age spots.
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5. Hydration

Hydrated skin naturally looks better – and hydration doesn’t just happen at the lotion step. Those with seriously dry or sensitive skin will seek out a variety of body care products for bathing and showering; such as shower oils, bath oil-to-milk products and hydrating body wash. Look for functional products that enable your cleansing products to contain high levels of oils but wash off easily, such as the Sucragel range from Alchemy Ingredients. Other great additions include lasting emolliency from superfatting agents and restructuring and moisture protective benefits from hydrolysed proteins. Hydrolysed proteins from plants can also be a fantastic way to promote the vegan-friendly aspects of a formula.
With lotion formulas, look for exotic oils rich in omega-3 and fatty acids that really support skin suppleness and lasting moisture protection. Hydrated skin has a healthy glow of its own!
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6. Anti-acne

Younger and oilier skin types may have acne or blemishes in less than desirable areas such as their back or thighs. Body care products with extra exfoliation from upcycled and chemical sources are the latest favourites – and give the best results. Combine a physical exfoliant from a sustainable or upcycled source with a low input of a chemical exfoliant such as salicylic acid to help consumers slough off even stubborn skin cells. Its great to pair these types of products with nurturing (but not oily) hydration products… see more tips above!
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7. Scars and stretch marks

Both scars and stretch marks can be hard to tackle once there, but body care can be used with good success to reduce their visibility. Massaging light skin-feel nutritive plant oils into the skin during pregnancy can help make the skin more flexible and elastic to counter the damage of stretching. For scars, keeping the skin hydrated and massaged with similar oil-based products also helps reduce thickening and promotes circulation for healing.
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The body care of tomorrow …

Body care is a rapidly growing sector of the personal care industry, so make sure you add to your range to give your consumers that extra touch of body confidence. Support your consumers’ desires for perfection with one or more of the body care concepts mentioned here.