Abstract

As consumers continue to embrace health and mindful living, they are educating themselves more than ever on the ingredients in their beauty products. The digital revolution has empowered them to scrutinize ingredient labels with increasing confidence, and this has led to a significant shift in product development, whereby ingredients occupy an all-important position with regard to product benefits, safety, and brand communication.

Recent controversies and headlines surrounding certain ingredients, including parabens, formaldehyde and DEA, have made consumers wary and mistrustful of claims and brands, even stalwart brands that have a long heritage. This has further heightened consumer motivation to decode and understand the products that they use.

INGREDIENTS ARE LEADING DEVELOPMENT

More than ever, consumers are demanding ingredient-led, results-driven beauty products that nourish body and mind, do no harm to self and the environment, and are easy on the wallet. In this age of greater brand transparency, consumers are using all the tools at their disposal to better understand formulations. 

The linear purchase journey is no more. Nearly 50 percent of women prefer to research beauty products online prior to buying them in-store, particularly cleansers, moisturizers and anti-aging serums, according to a recent survey from a leading market research company. In 2018, there were 40 billion beauty-related searches on Google in the US, France, Spain and Japan. The United States accounted f ...