Consumers are increasingly viewing cosmetic products not in isolation, but as part of complex beauty systems and in the context of health and wellbeing. Market research firm Mintel describes this trend in its global ‘Future Report 2027’. Rather than looking for individual products or categories, consumers are increasingly seeking solutions for goals such as healthier skin, better ageing, regeneration or greater wellbeing. According to Mintel, artificial intelligence, social media and new diagnostic capabilities are rapidly accelerating this development. For cosmetics brands, growth therefore no longer lies solely in the next product launch, but in the meaningful combination of individual beauty offerings. In addition to simple skincare routines, this could also take the form of a comprehensive approach that combines treatments, technologies, behaviour and advice. “Brands that combine diagnostics, advice, treatment, new technologies and personalised customisation into a cycle will remain a permanent part of the beauty routine,” states the Mintel report.

Diagnostics complements skincare

According to Mintel, skin analyses, health tracking and personalised recommendations are providing consumers with increasingly detailed information about their skin, body and physical appearance. At the same time, interest in professional and technology-assisted services is growing. By 2025, 21 per cent of women aged 25 to 44 in the UK were already using professional facial treatments – up from 17 per cent in 2023. More than half of US users of luxury cosmetics are interested in technologies from the clinical sector that have been adapted for home use. For cosmetics brands, therefore, services, diagnostics, subscriptions, partnerships and digital offerings could become increasingly important. Successful beauty brands must recognise which expectations are driving entire markets – such as healthy ageing, regeneration, resilience, wellbeing and longevity, the report states. “They must demonstrate the specific contribution they make towards consumers’ goals.”

The skin barrier as a system

Mintel cites the skin barrier as an example of the blurring of traditional category boundaries. Targeted support for skin health no longer plays a role solely in skincare, but increasingly also in dietary supplements, food, and household and laundry care. Data on online discussions in the US, for example, shows a growing interest in dietary supplements for skin health. Beauty and wellness are also increasingly overlapping when it comes to sleep. In future, for example, consumers could put together their evening routine from skincare, supplements, drinks, fragrances and other products. Cosmetics brands would therefore need to demonstrate their contribution to the desired outcome and provide guidance for increasingly complex routines. “Brands that make connections clear, develop meaningful systems and simplify the path to the desired result create added value that a single product can hardly achieve,” says Mintel.

Source: Mintel