For us it’s always exciting to go to an event as prestigious and elaborate as the MakeUp in Paris fair. It provides a platform for companies and professionals to showcase their latest products, innovations, and trends in the fields of cosmetics. This includes makeup and skincare, packaging solutions, ingredients and technologies for formulation and production.
It’s one of the most important events in Europe to see all the latest trends in the cosmetics industry and we wouldn’t want to miss it. Many of our clients simply don’t have the time to travel around the world scouting for new trends. So this is where we step in. Our founders themselves actually attend several different fairs throughout the year.
In mid June COO of Mind the Beauty, Giulia Sganga spent a few very interesting days in Paris to check out the latest innovations and most surprising product launches.
She walked away with an abundance of impressions. One big take-away for her: Sustainability! „But we are not only talking about recycled and recyclable packaging or refillable solutions. The possibilities of using upcycled ingredients in cosmetics are developing rapidly and it’s really quite exciting to be at the forefront exploring this new path.“
But how does that actually work?
Recycled Ingredients
Upcycling is a creative and sustainable way to turn leftovers, waste materials, or unwanted items into fresh and useful materials or products. When it comes to beauty products, food and beverage waste holds great potential for upcycling, especially in the creation of natural and organic cosmetics. These types of products often include ingredients that are safe for consumption, yet they possess remarkable properties that nourish and enhance the skin.
A good example for a product that is already on the market using recycled ingredients is Claudalie’s Vinosun High Protect Cream. It uses upcycled spruce extract. The Uk brand UpCircle’s sunscreen uses upcycled raspberry seeds from the juicing industry winning them several innovation awards including a shortlisting at The Sunday Times Beauty Awards 2023. Upcycled ingredients are more and more likely to be added to new and innovative formulations in the coming years.
Packaging: Mono-materials and refillables
And while we are talking about recycling: Another big topic at MakeUp in Paris were the sustainable packaging trends. „I saw a lot of innovative ideas to reduce the beauty industries footprint.“
From a refillable mascara and refillable compact cases made exclusively from recyclable PET to this years winner of the Packaging Award - a lipstick 100% made from aluminium including the cap and shell (of course it has a refillable mechanism further enhancing the ecological aspect of the design), „there is a huge focus and effort on scalable solutions that really make a difference when it comes to packaging. At Mind the Beauty we are already very conscious when it comes to progressive solutions and we are lucky working together with some great and innovative providers“
Transformative textures
„Something that really grabbed my attention too were the beauty pills. Generally anhydrous or waterless beauty was talked about a lot.“
These special formulation are made without water, while still containing active ingredients. So once purchased you leave the shop with actual beauty pills (think texture of an Aspirin pill) but at home, activated with a few drops of water, they transform into a foam you can use e.g. for cleansing your face or a soft face mask. „I liked the playfulness of it but it’s main benefit really is a reduced carbon footprint by decreasing water consumption at point of production and the substitution of water with active ingredients.“ You will find already smaller brands which are boycotting water use altogether by creating completely waterless formulas.
A lot of brands seem to be getting creative with textures other than waterless beauty too. Nuxe is describing it like this: „A cream that transforms into an oil when massaged, an oil that changes into a milk on contact with water or a gel that becomes an oil: gone are the days of skincare with proven effectiveness but a sticky feel on the skin or a less than captivating scent. Effectiveness now needs to go hand in hand with sensoriality.“
„I particularly liked a lipophilic gel that completely transformed into a nourishing body cream in minutes.“ It is free of preservatives and contains a post-biotic active ingredient derived from lactobacillus, which moisturizes and smoothes the skin. 50 ml of this lipogel is equivalent to around 300ml of reconstituted body cream. „It just felt really lovely.“ Touch and feel will always be a huge part of our beauty product choice, so it is an important consideration to make when developing new beauty products.
High performance with high naturalness levels
For quite a few years now we are witnessing a significant trend towards naturalness. This is driven by consumer demand and the people out there know what they want and what they don’t want compromise when it comes to performance.
Customers now seek beauty solutions that not only deliver exceptional results but also align with their ethical values. Everywhere at this year's fair you could see solutions responding to these demands e.g. with sustainable packaging as explained before. But formulations and ingredients are changing too. The inclusion of natural preservatives for example ensures product safety without compromising efficacy. A lot of natural ingredients are proving to have a stronger effect than their synthetic counterparts, making them a compelling choice for those seeking both effectiveness and sustainability in their beauty routines. Chemists and labs are working intensely on high performing but natural solutions. It’s only gonna get more exciting in the coming years.
Gone are the days when organic beauty was known as good for the planet but not really doing anything for the skin: Let’s look at this year It Award winner in the category of Formulation: MS Beautilab’s Supernova Green. Their injectable powders are formulated with 99% ingredients of natural origin. While eliminating micro plastics, talc, silicones and synthetic film-forming agents, they have an ultra-sensorial, creamy texture that offers high performance and a high level of shine.
„Coming back to our beautiful office in the heart of Zurich I felt inspired by some amazing product innovations I have seen at the fair. Not everything is ready to transfer into our daily business just yet but we do know the direction and we are here for our clients to help navigate their journey.“
Sounds interesting to you? Let’s talk about your vision and idea’s. We are looking forward to hear from you!