More than ever before, modern cosmetics consumers are savvy about what ingredients they want to see in the cosmetics and beauty brands they use, down to the ingredient level.

The demand for green products that have minimal impact on the environment (both through the sourcing and manufacturing processes) as well as a minimal negative impact on health and wellness is drastically changing the type of ingredients consumers choose and expect to see on cosmetics labels.

Here are three ways cosmetics are responding to these demands:

1. Creation of Minimalist Formulations

The typical cosmetics formula may contain 20 or more ingredients. However, today, many manufacturers subscribe to the “less is best” philosophy. Consumers increasingly want natural, organic and recognizable materials in their cosmetics and cosmetics manufacturing.

As such, manufacturers must act quickly to scale down their existing products and swap out substitutions quickly across a broad range of formulations. Being able to identify where to remove or swap out ingredients and reformulate quickly is key.

2. Usage of Vegan and Vegetarian-Based Raw Materials

Demand for green, non-cruelty and organic-based materials and material sourcing means many manufacturers are working towards finding and incorporating vegetable substitutions for many common raw materials, such as lanolin. The perception of non-organic and chemically harsh ingredients such as silicones and parabens has also led to a decline in those materials. 

As a result, agility in adapting formulation design, quality testing, and supplier selection will become paramount to respond to these changing raw material preferences. Cosmetics manufacturers are tasked with the capabilities to change course and integrate new or substituted ingredients in their global formulations and testing at any given time with minimal disruption.

3. Integration of Beauty App Tracking and Personalized Product Data

Consumers aren’t just asking for more natural-based ingredients and organic products; they’re also armed with evolving smart devices for evaluating the impact that new and existing products have on their beauty and health in real time. Examples include:

• Beauty skincare apps that make real-time personalized recommendations for both general routines and specific product suggestions to consumers.
• IoT devices like “smart hair brushes” that collect data about consumers’ skin, hair or other personal health conditions.

As cosmetics brands to merge even more closely with tech devices for personalized customer advice, cosmetics manufacturers will continue to invest in internal and external transparency around ingredient lists and more rapid product design.