In a world full of wellness, self-care, treatments and tweakments, it is easy to experience confusion and fatigue when it comes to how to care for our skin.
The majority of beauty content we consume focuses on the face - and considered care for the skin on our bodies rarely factors into our daily rituals. But with over 90% of our skin below the chin, caring for our bodies is vital, not only to protect our precious skin barrier, but to build our body confidence and reinforce the skin-mind connection from head to toe.
I want to put our bodies in the spotlight this season. The second installment of my Trend Report series pulls focus to the shifting industry and consumer perspectives on our bodies, and how self-care beyond the face is evolving.
During the report we will cover four major topics for AW24 - the newest body care booms, the prioritization of sensorial pleasure, the desire for expert endorsement and body care beyond demographics.
Happy reading.
Dr. Alexis Granite | Consultant Dermatologist | Founder, Joonbyrd
Body Care & Beyond
The past year has seen a significant shift in how we care for, shop for and understand the skin on our bodies - clearly demonstrated by the 845% surge in Google searches for body care.
But this isn’t simply a case of choosing a body moisturizer and moving on. Echoing the steps we take to care for our faces, people are searching for a full body care routine that delivers clear, soft, smooth skin and acts as a significant step in their self-care rituals.
Driven by TikTok trends such as the “everything shower” and innovation in active body care ingredients, multi-step routines for the body are in demand, demonstrated by the 1025% increase in searches for “Body Skincare Routine” on Pinterest.
“I only expect the body care routine trend to continue to gain traction, as people experience the benefits of a daily body care ritual. For instance, selecting the right body cleanser and exfoliator not only supports the skin barrier, but perfectly preps the skin for your serum or moisturizer - meaning longer lasting hydration, smoothness and radiance. Plus, it can form the perfect first step in your self-care routine, carving out a moment for yourself in the morning that positively impacts the rest of your day.”
Hands On
While consumers begin to consider a more involved body care routine, until now hand care has often been afterthought.
Despite many of us treating ourselves to weekly or monthly manicures, the skin on our hands isn’t currently afforded the same care, with consumers tending to invest in only the most basic hand wash and lotion.
We expect this to change in the coming months as - thanks in part to the lingering effects of the pandemic - consumers continue to educate themselves on hand health, and how care for your hands can positively impact your mental state.
In fact, reports suggest that the global hand care market is expected to grown by 4.5% by the end of 2025.
“Whilst hand hygiene is an important part of all our daily routines, and we regularly indulge our fingers aesthetically with joyful nail art and gleaming jewelry, the health of the skin on our hands isn’t often at the forefront of our minds.
Yet our hands are the touchpoint to the world around us, and are constantly in motion and on view. This means their precious skin barrier is particularly vulnerable to infection, dehydration and dermatological issues such as dullness, dryness and wrinkles. The good news is, a simple but considered hand care routine can remedy this - and what’s more, it’s scientifically proven that the simple act of massaging your hands reduces anxiety and improves your mood. Healthy hands are happy hands.”
Beauty in Motion
As our lives evolve - and the lingering effects of COVID-19 continue to change our working patterns - increased consumer desire for downtime and a rise in nomadic lifestyles will certainly impact on the beauty landscape.
We expect to see changes in packaging (think more widely available travel-sizes, or refillable solutions) and adaptable skincare routines, with brands offering simplification of steps or short-term solutions for travel.
Furthermore, with many consumers sun-seeking all year round, plus the impact of climate change on temperatures at home, demand for climate-adaptive textures and intelligent SPFs will only continue to rise.
“Despite increasing consumer awareness of the effects of sun damage, I was surprised to learn that only one third of consumers actually use an SPF on a regular basis all year around. Whilst the sun’s rays can damage and age our skin at any time of year, the effects worsen during the summer months. So, as our climate continues to change and our lifestyles become increasingly nomadic (often meaning more exposure to high UV), consumer need for a broad spectrum, wearable, lightweight SPF is only going to increase. Signs of sun damage (such as wrinkles, pigmentation and uneven skin texture) manifest from your twenties, so it’s truly important to apply sun protection at every age, every day.”
Read part 2 here.
Read the full trend report here.
