The beauty industry is changing right along with how every other industry is changing in the early fifth of the 21 st century. It's changing because today's consumer has changed, at a rapid rate much more jolting than a mere generational shift. Today's consumer is better informed and demands ten times more from their products than those from decades ago.
We're seeing new companies, such as Cel MD, take over the beauty sphere that was traditionally the domain of major cosmetics corporations. What do they know about consumers that the big brands don't?
The end of the make-up
Today's consumer prefers a whole-body approach, where we treat beauty from the inside out. As opposed to using a lot of make-up to conceal blemishes, we prefer to practice healthier overall living to prevent those blemishes in the first place. Starting with a well-rounded diet, proceeding to a healthier and less stressful lifestyle, and then finishing with organic personal care products, In that way, we create a solid foundation of total mind-body wellness. Then the natural beauty just radiates from within on its own.
This is showing up as a shift in the global economy. Younger generations are buying less make-up, and one market analyst offers: "When consumers start to feel better they feel less need for coverage..." It turns out that we're all collectively listening more to the doctors who have been advocating better nutrition and exercise. It just may turn out that beauty isn't only "skin deep" after all!
The end of big brands
Smaller, more independent companies are starting to eclipse the major beauty product manufacturers. The advent of the Internet and online shopping made it possible for consumers to access a broader range of products than those offered at the mall. With the barriers to entry lowered for the market overall, independent product producers can gain a foothold and reach a wider market.
Traditionally, beauty habits were handed down from one generation to another. Most kids shrugged and figured "mother knows best." While it was viable for past generations to stay loyal to one brand or be a patron of one salon, today's consumer would rather pick and choose. They assemble a regimen that takes their individual needs into account.
The acceptance of aging
Worldwide life expectancy has climbed in recent decades, thanks to all the advances in medical research and attention to overall healthier living. As documented by the Pew Research Center, the number of centenarians (people aged 100+ years) in 1990 was only 2.9 per 10K adult population. Now, it has grown to 7.4 per 10K adult population and is projected to reach 23.6 per 10K adults by 2050.
Not only are we all living longer, but we're all staying in better shape longer. Today's 50-year-old looks about as good as a 30-year-old from a few decades back. With this trend has come a new kind of age acceptance, and even a little age celebration. With people remaining active and on the dating market well into their 50s, we're growing to love our wrinkles and rename them "character lines."
The demand for organic products
While the concept of turning away from chemical ingredients and going "back to nature" may sound like we're rejecting science, we're actually embracing it. While we were busy making synthetic compounds, we only found the need for chemical tinkering because we didn't know enough about the natural organic compounds and essential oils all around us in nature.
For example, plant stem cells are the latest buzzword in beauty products, but we didn't even know about them until 2010. Recent research has turned up natural solutions to all kinds of needs, using terpenes, peptides, and organic compounds in place of laboratory formulas. Consumers are starting to seek out natural and more environmentally sustainable alternatives. The beauty industry has been traditionally slow to change, but the rapid progress we're seeing could even be called a beauty renaissance.
