‘Nu Natural’ & ‘Mood Enhancing’ Cosmetics Predicted t

The cosmetics industry faced a challenging and difficult year in 2009. Fueled by economic crisis, decreased consumer confidence, and the push for innovation and development of organic and environmentally friendly products, beauty brands were and will continue to be forced to find more innovative ways to attract new customers and keep their old ones. As 2010 approaches, Mintel Beauty Innovation, a market research company, released their predictions for the year ahead, and ‘Nu Natural’ and ‘Mood Enhancing’ cosmetics are set to lead the way.

“Beauty brands and suppliers have continued to seek creative new ways to merge science, nature and sustainability for better results and more eco-friendly formulas and packaging,” said Nica Lewis, Director of Mintel Beauty Innovation. And both Nu Natural and Mood Enhancing products do just that.

The report, ‘Global Beauty Trends for 2010,” created by Mintel, identifies four trends for beauty products which it labels “Mood Beauty,” “Nu Natural,” “Pro-Tech’t” and “Turbo Beauty 4G.”

Recent product evolution and scientific advancements will allow beauty products to include ingredients that will enable consumers to enhance their mood through makeup and skincare, going beyond aromatherapy and simple use of scent.

The Mood Beauty trend creates a product space where the physique and well-being are combined by utilizing specific ingredients that effect neurotransmitters, which apparently will increase well-being, as well as ingredients that provide psychological benefits, the report said. Such benefits that are expected to be seen are the ability to induce positive moods or improve sleep quality.

The trend “Nu Natural” is predicted to stray away from the increasingly popular natural cosmetic objective of obtaining natural or organic certification, and become more focused on results, efficiency, and safety. Organic ingredients will still remain the backbone of Nu Natural products, but brands will focus more on the ingredients authenticity, provenance, and local production instead of the certification label.

“Mintel Beauty Innovation expects claims like “free from” and “sustainable” to appear in products that simultaneously contain synthetic actives like peptides, hyaluronic acid, ceramides or collagen,” states Mintel. “Beauty manufacturers will further explore simple formulas, such as infusions and fluids, but they’ll formulate them with a new generation of phytochemicals, anthocyanins and fermented actives.”

In 2010 the Pro-Tech’t trend will extend an existing emphasis on protection, especially against harmful UV rays in skincare, hair care and color cosmetics. And with this, the marketing language and packaging are also expected to evolve in effort to target and engage new customers, such as using terms like ‘immune-boosting’ and ‘skin-defending,’ and highlighting ingredients from extreme environments like the Arctic, Alpine or Desert.

The next generation of high tech beauty products are part of the Turbo Beauty 4G trend capitalizing on advances in biochemistry and incorporating the use of next-generation nanotechnology in beauty products. This trend features more quasi-medical results and “mix-it-yourself” solutions: at-home kits, cures and gadgets that offer alternatives to cosmetic surgery and non-invasive procedures.