Global trend forecasting company WGSN has highlighted 5 key trends that they believe will be prominent this year—including alternative ingredients and “a more forgiving and honest approach to self-care.”

Scenting for Identity

Fragrance will increasingly be centered around identity, becoming an olfactory storytelling tool to express individual emotions, style, values and culture. During the lockdown phase of the pandemic, “scenting for self” saw people begin to wear perfume for their own enjoyment rather than that of others. This approach has continued to evolve, with Gen Z in particular experimenting with scent layering and contemporary notes to express who they are, how they feel and where they are from.
 
With over 11bn views, #PerfumeTok has become a place of scent discovery, introducing contemporary fragrance brands, culture-led ingredients and trends such as “scent hacking” to boost mood. The concept of the signature scent will take on new meaning as fragrance choices become more personalized, using neuroscience to guide choices based on individual mood and emotional responses.

Age-Agnostic Beauty

Age-agnostic beauty will see more people refusing to conform to demographic expectations and embracing aging well over age reversal. Led by Boomers and Gen X, this is a rejection of outdated anti-aging narratives and the toxic obsession with youth.
 
A WGSN survey has found that 74% of Gen X women worry about aging, and on average, women start experiencing age anxiety as early as 29. Age-agnostic beauty will see brands shift to meet consumers where they are with beauty products and language that serves the need, not the number. From skincare and haircare to cosmetics, age-agnostic beauty will enable everyone to age as appropriately or as inappropriately as they like.

Hangover Beauty

Not actually a trend about alcohol consumption, “hangover beauty” references a more forgiving and honest approach to self-care which acknowledges that we all sometimes overindulge.
 
Stressed-out beauty consumers are prioritizing joy and pleasure in their wellness routines and pushing back against strict regimes that don't factor in fun or take into account that real life sometimes gets messy.
 
Fueled by Gen Z's growing anti-wellness attitude, a new wave of brands is emerging that promotes indulgence and rejects the notion of sacrifice. Low-maintenance “hangover” beauty products are designed to address the effects of late nights and partying without judgment or hassle, and even include cosmetics that are formulated in a way that means you can fall asleep in your makeup without feeling guilty.

Backyard Beauty

As sustainability shifts focus to preservation, soil will be recognized as a vital resource to be protected and replenished.
 
Sustainable beauty brands will encourage caring for soil as we would our skin, implementing circular systems and regenerative farming and making use of “soil saviors” such as microbes and worms. Soil and insects will be embraced as alternative and abundant sources of beauty ingredients, rich in skin-beneficial actives.
 
In packaging, active compostable materials that release soil-beneficial elements such as nitrogen and potassium when composted will gain traction. 

Plant Milking

The end of abundance and the need for alternative ingredient sourcing will drive a revolution in sustainable beauty. Plant milking will emerge as one solution.
 
This alternative cultivation method uses aeroponic cultivation and the extraction of active ingredients from the plant's roots. Appealing to our ‘Protopian’ beauty consumer persona, this sustainable method makes more with less, maximizing yields and minimizing land and water use. Plant milking is environmentally friendly and non-destructive, with the same plants “milked” several times a year.
 
It’s also 100% traceable, allowing beauty consumers to follow their product origins from root to routine.
 
About the Author
Clare Varga is WGSN’s Beauty Director.