2023 Cosmetic Trends

2023 is in full swing and it's time for our annual cosmetic trends forecasting.

Every year we research the cosmetic trends coming to the fore, which helps guide us and our customers in terms of key ingredients, products, and of course what's hot and happening in the cosmetics' world.

So without further ado, let’s dive in!

Skincare Trends:

The skin's microbiome has been a hot topic the last few years, and it continues to be a dominant topic in 2023. In fact it's now less of a trend and more of a norm, so make sure you are taking this in consideration when formulating. If you would like to learn more about the microbiome and microbiome friendly ingredients, then click here: Microbiome Part 1 &  Microbiome Part 2.

Along similar lines, skin barrier care and protection is also important this year. Look for ingredients and products that provide barrier protection against environmental factors. An example of such an ingredient is  bisabolol. 

Holistic skincare & all round wellbeing comes to the fore in a big way this year: nutrition, gut health, breath work, stress levels, spiritual reassurance, various healing therapies - these can all impact our skin's health and may trend this year. Holistic wellbeing has always been a thing, but was really highlighted during the Covid years as people tried different ways to manage their mental health and stress levels. This has definitely spilled over into other spheres such as skincare. This category of skincare is incredibly nuanced, and we’ll be looking more in-depth at it in upcoming blogs.

High performance skin care for the body, not just the face, is trending: think body serums and powerful moisturisers. While in the past, high end ingredients have been saved for facial application, they are now being applied to all of the skin.

Menopausal skincare is a niche that has not been well explored or highlighted, but is making an appearance this year. This is a time of change in the body, including the skin, which requires special attention. We will be discussing the best ingredients for menopausal skincare soon.

Scalp care is commonly neglected in favour of hair care, but the two are not quite the same. Your scalp health is incredibly important for a variety of reasons, chief amongst those is that that is where healthy hair stems from! This year, give your scalp some attention.

Multipurpose and minimalistic products are staying in vogue, as customers look for value-for-money products that are still effective. The multipurpose and minimalist skincare movement took off a few years ago but hasn't really slowed down; if anything it is becoming more important to customers.

Star Ingredients For 2023:

Niacinamide: ever popular, Vitamin B3 remains a key ingredient this year. Its effectiveness is undeniable from numerous scientific studies. It is a reasonably priced and effective active, so feel free to add it liberally!

Prebiotics and ferments: assist in balancing the skin's microbiome with  inulin and  biosaccharide gum.

Minerals  (magnesium, potassium, zinc) + metals (gold,  silver, copper) + normal vitamins = a full spectrum of nutrients for optimum health, including skin health.

Trending Products:

Natural Vaseline substitutes and alternatives.

Calming and protecting products.

Preventative products that really look after the skin. Ideally, customers want to prevent before having to treat!

Products that promote the natural production of collagen and elastin.

Hardworking, minimalistic formulas: the right ingredients at the right concentrations in the right combination - a magic formula!

The above should give you a good idea of the trends, ingredients and products that are front and foremost in 2023.

We will be exploring more of these themes in upcoming blogs so stay tuned!