Beauty Trends 2025

The beauty industry of 2025 will be shaped by informed, empowered consumers who demand highly personalized and effective products that align with sustainable values. Brands will need to focus on technological innovation, eco-ethical responsibility, and emotional well-being to stay competitive and meet the evolving expectations of a more conscious and engaged consumer base.

They focused their investigation on three themes:

Knowledge is Power

By 2025, consumers will be more empowered in their beauty routines. They will harness AI and biotech innovations to personalize their care, going beyond traditional methods. Consumers will creatively repurpose products for maximum effectiveness with minimal effort—for instance, using self-tanners as bronzers or Vaseline for “slugging” (a technique to lock in moisture).

• Social media plays a critical role in deepening consumer knowledge. Influencers demystify product development, making complex information about ingredients and formulations accessible to consumers, empowering them to make better decisions.
• Professional treatments such as Botox and laser treatments are becoming more mainstream and popular among younger generations looking for enhanced results.

Consumers’ knowledge will continue to expand, pushing biotech innovations to the forefront of loyalty-building. Brands are investing in high-grade ingredients to deliver clinical-level results, creating a deep connection with informed consumers.

• Precision and efficacy are critical, as consumers increasingly demand products that perform at the level of professional treatments. The trend is for brands to offer highly personalized experiences through technology, such as real-time skin analysis devices.
• Innovation will focus on biotech advancements, like aesthetic-grade ingredients that enhance the effectiveness of products, meeting the demand for scientifically backed, tailored beauty solutions.

The beauty landscape is set to evolve with the growing demand for high-performance, personalized beauty, driven by consumer knowledge, access to technology, and the desire for real, noticeable results.

Consumers will leverage their knowledge and technology to optimize their routines smartly, and brands will need to adapt by offering personalized, biotech-driven innovations to meet these evolving demands.

Sustainability Now

Sustainability in beauty has moved from a niche concern to a baseline expectation. Consumers now demand that products not only deliver results but also prioritize environmental responsibility. This shift is driven by:

• Eco-friendly innovations: Brands are incorporating green chemistry and using sustainably sourced ingredients, such as botanicals, to ensure products are both effective and environmentally conscious.
• Biotech advancements: Companies like Debut, in partnership with L’Oréal, are developing bio-identical ingredients that replicate natural substances without depleting resources. These innovations help create sustainable products, but consumer awareness of these practices remains limited, highlighting the need for better education.

Refillable packaging is gaining popularity as a solution to reduce waste and encourage repeat purchases. In markets like China and Japan, sustainability is increasingly influencing purchasing decisions, and brands are responding with climate-adaptive products and multifunctional formulations that cater to local environmental needs.

Looking ahead, brands will need to continue embracing cutting-edge sustainable technologies to remain competitive. This will include techniques like:

• Bio-pharming and ingredient upcycling, where waste is transformed into valuable resources. These practices will align with the circular economy model, promoting zero waste.
• Partnerships between beauty and other industries (such as food and beverage) will become more common, leading to innovations in zero-waste products and sustainable sourcing.

As the effects of climate change become more evident, brands will be pressured to provide evidence of their sustainability efforts, like carbon footprint reductions. Companies will focus on local ecosystems and domestic production, integrating sustainability into their core identity.

Sustainability is no longer optional in beauty—it’s a fundamental consumer expectation. Brands must innovate by adopting eco-friendly practices and biotech solutions while providing transparency about their environmental efforts to stand out in a competitive market.

Think Slow, Move Fast

Consumers are increasingly drawn to beauty routines that emphasize longevity and prevention, rather than constant repair. This shift is influenced by:

• Awareness of skin aging causes: Factors like UV exposure and environmental aggressors are driving consumers to start effective skincare routines earlier in life.
• The rise of “slow living” and “slow aging” movements: Consumers are embracing simplicity, comfort, and nostalgia in their beauty routines. For example, nostalgic fragrances that evoke memories of simpler times are particularly appealing to Gen Z.

Brands are responding by creating easy-to-understand, effective products that focus on delivering comfort and long-term results. In markets like Japan, consumers are drawn to products that combine traditional ingredients with innovative twists, reflecting the broader trend of slow, thoughtful consumption.

Looking ahead to 2025, beauty will continue to focus on comfort and emotional well-being:

• Products will evoke sensory experiences that soothe and nourish, using ingredients and textures that remind consumers of simpler times. Expect an increase in nostalgic fragrances and luxurious creams that provide a comforting, rich texture.
• The trend of slow consumption will grow, with consumers becoming more selective and budget conscious. Brands will need to align their product development cycles with these patterns, offering products designed for underconsumption while remaining effective and sustainable.

The integration of wellness and beauty will rise, with products addressing both physical and emotional well-being. Brands will explore new frontiers, such as the intersection of neuroscience and beauty, offering routines that evoke the tranquility of natural retreats through scent and texture. Scientific testing and innovative ingredients which blends traditional wisdom with modern science, will help brands build credibility.

Consumers focus on prevention, simplicity, and emotional comfort. Brands must adapt by creating products that deliver sensory-rich experiences, support wellness, and align with sustainable consumption trends, while highlighting the efficacy of their products through science.

You can access the the full Mintel’s 2025 Global Beauty and Personal Care Trends report here

Delfin Technologies is prepared to support and address the challenges of tomorrow

Companies developing skin measurement devices, such as Delfin Technologies, must address these challenges and emerging trends to ensure cosmetic brands can support claims aligned with evolving consumer demands. It appears that a current trend is focused less on the superficial appearance of the skin and more on its suppleness, comfort, and natural balance. A radiant, soft skin with good elasticity is now preferred over skin in which signs of aging, such as wrinkles or pigmentation spots, have been masked. While these latter criteria still represent most product claims, cosmetic formulations should not compromise skin health in the pursuit of altering its appearance related to aging.

Delfin Technologies develops devices capable of in-depth measurement of skin characteristics. At Delfin Technologies, we are well-versed in skin science and believe that testing devices that rely solely on cameras are insufficient for dynamically demonstrating the effects of cosmetic products. Beyond evaluating the skin’s condition, it is crucial to monitor hydration or dehydration processes through the Stratum Corneum, Epidermis, and Dermis. To measure water distribution across the different skin layers, our MoistureMeter range has already demonstrated its effectiveness.

Regarding skin color, erythema and melanin levels are often indicators of cosmetic product performance and efficacy. Our devices specialize in these parameters with sensitivity comparable to high-definition camera systems. Our colorimetric sensors allow for the acquisition of accurate information through a well-defined and reproducible clinical practice, independent of algorithms or special calibrations beyond the standard sensor calibration across all skin tones. We provide direct measurements without the need for complex image processing stages.

Our results are consistently presented as numerical data, enabling the detection of even minor variations. The practicality of our measurement systems facilitates the acquisition of extensive data, which is invaluable for high-quality scientific analyses. At Delfin Technologies, each measurement result is accompanied by careful control of the measurement technique, specifically the kinetics of probe application, including the speed and pressure applied to the skin. We have in-depth knowledge of our devices and offer guidance, when necessary, on protocols and best measurement practices. As cosmetic product claims increasingly shift from being solely appearance-focused to addressing the skin’s physiological state, it is essential to use testing devices equipped with dedicated sensor-based technologies. Consumers are becoming more attuned to instrumental analysis practices, as they are increasingly concerned about the scientific claims of the products they use.

At Delfin Technologies, we measure transepidermal water loss (TEWL) with our flagship device, the VapoMeter, which operates on the closed-chamber principle. This measurement method is highly accurate, fast, and eliminates disturbances caused by environmental conditions during testing. Our MoistureMeter range is unique, as it not only measures the hydration of the stratum corneum, but also evaluates the moisture levels in the subcutaneous layers of the epidermis down to the deep dermis.

The SkinColorCatch is a highly practical colorimeter, valued for its precision in measuring Lab*, Lch*, and RGB values, as well as its ability to provide melanin and erythema indices on a scale from 0 to 1000, allowing even the smallest variations to be detected. With the increasing popularity of laser treatments in aesthetic medicine, our colorimeter also assists professionals by measuring the ITA angle and converting it to phototype, which helps enhance the safety of these procedures.

We have recently improved the precision and measurement kinetics of our ElastiMeter, a device designed to measure skin elasticity. These new features allow measurements to be performed on all areas of the face and body, including delicate areas under the eyes, as our measurement principle does not stress or damage the skin. It is even possible to repeat the same measurement multiple times in the same location without causing harm.

Our product range also includes devices for measuring sebum and skin gloss.

We’re here to help you make sure consumers get the most out of today’s ingredients.

Feel free to contact us with any skin measurement concerns, whether for single parameters or more complex protocols involving series of measurements with multiple devices.

Delfin Technologies Ltd

info@delfintech.com

www.delfintech.com

References:

Mintel 2024. Global Beauty and Personal Care Trends 2025.