Natural, personalized and cruelty-free: 3 trends in 2018
Beauty and personal care products that take the term “natural” to the next level, provide personalized specifications, and mirror consumers’ beliefs and values are a few of the key trends that will take center stage in 2018, according to a new report by a global market intelligence agency.
Mintel’s “Beauty and Personal Care Global Trends for 2018” said buying trends for next year will reflect “overarching consumer themes of trust, transparency, ethics, sustainability, individuality, and speed.”
Notable among these is the expansion of the term “natural” to include locally sourced and technologically enhanced ingredients and products as environmental challenges become an increasingly important concern.
“While naturals continue to be popular with a growing number of beauty consumers, many are choosing to ‘get back to basics’ by shopping small, buying locally-sourced, locally-produced, and small-batch products, and by ‘being green’, which is now not only trendy, but for many, a lifestyle choice.”
It mentioned a Nigerian company that produces 100 percent natural beauty products using in- gredients indigenous to West Africa (e.g., unrefined cocoa butter, virgin coconut oil), partners with local farms, and encourages consumers to embrace and accept themselves for who they are.
There is also a trend toward personalized beauty, which Mintel said will prompt brands to embrace inclusivity by looking beyond age, gender, sexuality, and body type.
“Consumers want products that fit their own personal routines and meet their own sensitivities,” explained the report.
Mintel said the third key trend is the favoring of brands with “personality and purpose” that are aligned with consumers’ own beliefs. Its survey showed that many consumers would stop buying from a firm they believe has unethical practices, would trust smaller businesses over big corporations, and would like to see terms like “cruel- ty-free” on the products.
In 2018, “more consumers will demand to be able to talk to brands in the same way they talk to their friends. Consumers will expect instant responses.”