Seasonality, Power Ingredients, and Retinol: Skin Care Ingredient Trends in Western Europe

Consumer focus on health, safety and ingredients has naturally expanded and become a prominent theme within skin care. Consumers have grown more interested in shopping for star ingredients first and foremost, before gravitating immediately to certain brands. Increase in digital educative platforms as well as ongoing consumer demand for efficacy, transparency and safety has led to a rise of ingredient-led beauty.

So, what is driving ingredient-led beauty and what are the future developments?

More beauty players are embracing seasonal skin care through launches of AHAs, BHAs, vitamin C and retinol. Seasonality is influencing the facial skin care market, which is affected by consumers’ beauty habits and routines changing with each season. This offers manufacturers the chance to capitalise on products for specific skin needs throughout the year.

During autumn months, retinol and cosmetic acids reign supreme. Winter months are for skin regeneration and building the hydrolipid barrier. Spring is for repeating the cycle with acids, and its early months for retinol. During summer months, skin needs light moisturisers in order to regenerate from higher sun exposure. At the same time, there is a growing awareness that SPF protection is a must throughout the entire year.  

New launches focus on strengthening the skin barrier through active ingredients

An increasing number of skin care players are formulating with “power” ingredients with proven effects and natural origin, such as peptides, ceramides, and fruit acids. Japan-based Kao’s luxury brand TWANY introduced its 40-year researched hyaluronic acid technology, NAG2.0, which boosts the skin’s hyaluronic acid levels. Also out of Japan, kefir extract is one of the staple ingredients in Shiseido’s Eudermine activating essence. In Shiseido’s upcoming Revitalessence Skin Glow Foundation, kefir extract is also added as a moisturising ingredient to this foundation product’s skin care hybrid benefits.

More investment is expected in microbiome skin care. In June 2023, for its Ultimune product line, Shiseido also launched probiotic powder, marketing it as “eatable serum” for skin barrier repairing from the inside. Postbiotics have become popularised in topical form thanks to skin care products that highlight their ability to reduce inflammation, protect against pollution and strengthen the skin microbiome. According to Euromonitor’s Product Claims and Positioning tool, the number of SKUs with the claim “probiotic” increased by 10% in 2022 in comparison to the year before.
At the same time, searches on TikTok for beauty products containing postbiotics are up 228% on last year. Educational content on skin microbiome protection is shining a light on plant oils, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, allantoin and fatty acids like ceramides.

Retinol remains in high demand, but regulations restricting its concentration loom in the EU

Retinol has been gaining in popularity in the cosmetics industry for a long time. Its action, revitalising abilities and advanced anti-ageing properties have made it one of the most sought-after ingredients in beauty. The graph below shows the growing popularity of the word “retinol” being used in the Google search engine (for Germany – time frame 2018-2023).

^{Source: Google} 

Currently, there are no restrictions on the use of retinol in the EU Cosmetics Regulations, but regulations are coming to enforce a more diluted version of it, which will make it less effective on its own as a skin care routine product. As per the EU regulation, expected to come into force in early 2024 and to adopt all new requirements by the end of 2026, the maximum permissible concentration in body lotions is to be 0.05%, and for other cosmetic products 0.3%. The concentrations will therefore be lower than those currently used by manufacturers, which means that brands will have to decide whether to change their formulations or eventually phase out those products from the market.

Natural or organic still trending strongly in the Western Europe skin care segment

The future of retinol is occupying beauty manufacturers’ minds. What added benefits are likely to be added to the main ingredient to keep it efficient? One may expect that the industry will look for effective retinol alternatives like bakuchiol, based on previous substitutes (eg tocopherols instead of vitamin C, vegan collagen instead of animal-based collagen, plant-derived antioxidants from rosemary or ginkgo biloba instead of BHA and BHT, etc). If this substitute effect occurs, it aligns with consumer trends that popularise “natural or organic” features in skin care. Euromonitor’s Beauty Survey found that the number of German respondents looking for skin care products with “natural” features rose from 11% in 2021 to 13% in 2023 (Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer: Beauty Survey, fielded June-July 2023).

Additionally, “natural” aligns with the current beauty industry in Europe. Euromonitor International’s Product Claims and Positioning tool found that “natural’’ claims in online SKUs of skin care products available in Germany rose by 31% in 2022.

Skin care predictions for 2024

Over the forecast period, skin care will be shaped by AI and technology, both of which will drive personalised and precise solutions for skin care routines. Stressful lifestyles will make way for more conscious and intuitive skin care formulations. Industry players will offer formulas that work smart and provide solutions to restore balance. Brands will continue to move away from harsher ingredients that only temporarily control breakouts. Therefore, anti-inflammatory, probiotic and postbiotic formulas designed to balance bacteria and support the skin barrier will dominate the market as more research focuses on the skin microbiome. Brands will position their products as “balanced” and specific to different skin pH levels, with a focus on acne-prone and dehydrated skin. Such ingredients will address skin concerns by using microbiome-balancing ingredients to improve overall skin health.

For further insight, read our article, Unveiling Future Opportunities in Microbiome-Infused Personal Care, and our briefing, The Rise of Ingredient-Led Beauty, for further analysis on ingredients in beauty and personal care.