This Report highlights a rising concern among consumers, particularly younger adults, regarding ingredient safety – a significant shift compared to just a year ago. Transparency has become a top priority, with consumers increasingly seeking products that emphasize effectiveness, gentleness and personalized benefits. At the same time, evolving domestic regulations and potential legislative changes are expected to shape discussions around ingredient accessibility and costs in the near future, impacting both raw materials and finished products.
Key categories, such as facial skincare, bodycare, color cosmetics and haircare, are experiencing heightened research activity, underscoring the importance of ingredient-focused messaging across the market. Often, brands spotlight hero ingredients with strong reputations for efficacy and safety. However, awareness of niche ingredients remains relatively low, presenting an opportunity for brands to market scientifically advanced positioning and proven benefits.
Eco-friendly BPC products are gaining wider adoption and interest compared to those marketed as sustainable. Although there is some confusion around sustainability definitions, and calls for stricter regulations persist, brands have a unique opportunity to demonstrate comparable value propositions to mainstream products.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Impact of macro market factors (eg regulatory, economic) on the BPC ingredient landscape
- Innovation and marketing strategies as it relates to ingredients in the market
- Consumer ingredient concerns compared to a year ago and research frequency across sub-categories
- Reasons for researching ingredients (eg effectiveness, to avoid certain ingredients) and prioritized focuses when researching (eg main ingredient, sustainability reasons)
- Prioritized resources used to research ingredients and shopping attitudes, behaviors and barriers
- Trending/niche ingredient awareness, interest, safety and efficacy perceptions
- Safety and trust attitudes and behaviors related to ingredients
- Eco-friendly and sustainable attitudes and behaviors
Established ingredients continue to resonate, but brands have opportunities to level up value propositions through safety, science-backed and eco attributes.
Carson Kitzmiller, Senior Analyst, Beauty & Personal Care
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- What consumers want and why
- Opportunities
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- The US expanded by 2.8% in Q3 2024
- Graph 1: quarterly real GDP growth, 2021-24
- Annual inflation slightly rose in October
- Graph 2: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-24
- Consumer sentiment rebounds after a number of months on the slide
- Graph 3: consumer sentiment index, 2022-24
- Over 40% of consumers have seen their financial situations change for the better in the past year
- Graph 4: change in financial situation over the past 12 months, 2024
- Households’ outlooks on their personal finances remains bullish
- Graph 5: opinions on financial future, 2024
- Graph 6: income growth in the past 12 months, by financial outlook, 2024
- Market drivers
- More to come on the potential impacts of RFK Jr.’s leadership on health and beauty regulations
- US regulations point toward greater ingredient transparency in the fragrance market
- Potential tariffs may impact supply chains as they relate to ingredient sourcing
- TikTok content brings openness and intrigue to foreign products
- …but TikTok’s fate remains uncertain in the US
- A global focus on BPC research across product attributes
- Graph 7: BPC purchasing habits, 2024
- Safety propositions drive research motivations
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Clean, efficacious and ethical remain top claim categories
- Hero ingredient evolution: efficacy, science and consciousness
- Transform familiar ingredients with a modern, scientific twist
- Hyaluronic acid: combine the dual benefits of high and low molecular weight
- Stay aligned to macro themes to further build ingredient stories
- Add value to efficacy propositions through established ingredient spaces in more niche areas of use
- Keep an eye on up-and-coming anti-inflammatory hero ingredients
- Expand “longevity” concepts in BPC
- A holistic and ingredient-focused approach to “longevity”
- Connecting skin health and mental wellbeing: neurocosmetics
- Neuroscience spotlight: NEUR|AÉ
- Use AI to discover novel ingredients
- Simplicity concepts can signal safety and transparency
- Build on simplicity to elevate water
- Specialized water can make waves in haircare
- Professional beauty services: championing minimalist hero treatments for maximum impact
- Embrace the future and redefine sustainable beauty through innovation
- Promote the efficacy of “green chemistry” actives
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Concerns about ingredients used in BPC compared to a year ago
- Most have the same level of concern
- Graph 8: concerns about BPC ingredients compared to a year ago, 2024
- Nearly half of 18-34s are more concerned about BPC ingredients compared to a year ago
- Graph 9: BPC ingredient concerns compared to a year ago, by age, 2024
- Key sub-categories need extra attention
- Graph 10: BPC ingredient concerns compared to a year ago (NET), by product usage (crosstab), 2024
- Ingredient research frequency by BPC sub-category
- Key sub-category users conducting significant research among their used products
- Graph 11: frequency of research by BPC sub-category use, 2024
- Think of haircare like skincare in terms of ingredient messaging
- Graph 12: significant ingredient research by BPC sub-category use (NET), by generation, 2024
- Appeal to parents’ peace of mind
- Graph 13: significant ingredient research by BPC sub-category use (NET), by generation, 2024
- Reasons for researching ingredients
- Capture most with gentleness, safety and effectiveness
- Highlight how ingredients directly provide benefits for younger women
- Graph 14: reasons for researching ingredients in BPC products, by gender and age, 2024
- Natural ingredients still need focus
- Graph 15: reasons for researching ingredients in BPC products, by gender and age, 2024
- Tailored solutions are foundational
- Graph 16: reasons for researching ingredients in BPC products, by gender and age, 2024
- Satisfy Black adults’ desire for sustainable lifestyles
- Graph 17: researching ingredients to for eco-friendly and ethicality reasons, by race or ethnicity, 2024
- Research focuses (ranked)
- Build supplemental value beyond hero messaging
- Graph 18: ingredient research focuses (ranked – up to three), 2024
- Scientific and directive call-to-actions can steer new users
- Graph 19: select ingredient research focuses (NET – any rank), by gender, 2024
- Cultivate brand-level trust with intentional ingredient inclusions for younger men
- Graph 20: choosing premium over mass product influencers, men, by age, 2024
- Educate on usage occasions and expected results for discerning BPC users
- Stay ahead of the rising wave of eco-conscious demand
- Graph 21: select ingredient research focuses (NET – any rank), by gender, 2024
- Consumers expect brands to lead the change
- Resources most often used when researching ingredients (ranked)
- Consumers span across channels to research
- Graph 22: resources most often used when researching ingredients (ranked – up to three), 2024
- Don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth recommendations
- Graph 23: select resources most often used when researching ingredients (NET – any rank), 2022-24
- Use brand socials as a source of product truth beyond a sale
- Graph 24: resources most often used when researching ingredients (NET – any rank), by age, 2024
- TikTok is an important part of discovery, research and purchasing
- Graph 25: attitudes toward BPC on TikTok, by generation, 2023
- Keep messaging consistent on pack
- Graph 26: resources most often used when researching ingredients (NET – any rank), by age, 2024
- Shopping behaviors and barriers
- Tackle misinformation head on
- Graph 27: purchasing behaviors and attitudes, by gender and age, 2024
- Certify “clean” positionings for researchers
- Graph 28: purchasing behaviors and attitudes, by reasons for researching ingredients, 2024
- Demonstrate the impact of everyday sustainability in ways that are tangible and relevant for environmentally driven consumers
- Graph 29: sustainability challenges, by generation, 2024
- Be readily available with ingredient info early in the discovery process
- Graph 30: select researching behaviors and attitudes, by level of ingredient concern compared to a year ago, 2024
- Consumers love rewards: Merryfield
- Trending ingredient perceptions
- Established spaces benefit from safe and effective perceptions
- Graph 31: perceptions of select BPC ingredients, 2024
- Ingredient recognition drives brand trust among “clean” BPC users
- Graph 32: using recognizable ingredients to denote trust in a BPC brand, by age, 2023
- Probiotics’ established use benefits safety perceptions
- Graph 33: perceptions of probiotics, by age, 2024
- Global launches continue to grow with probiotic or prebiotic attributes
- Interest in trending innovations and ingredients higher among young men and women
- Graph 34: ingredients adults are interested in or would like to learn more about, by gender and age, 2024
- “Stem cell” spaces fit the bill for science-backed solutions
- Graph 35: perceptions of stem cells, by generation, 2024
- Growth factors highlighted in premium, scientific-focused skincare
- There’s work to do for vegan ingredients
- Graph 36: perceptions of vegan ingredients, by race or ethnicity, 2024
- Biotech beauty evolves among brands; perceptions still limited among consumers
- Graph 37: perceptions toward ingredients made through biotechnology, by age, 2024
- Biotech brand spotlight: DEINDE
- DEINDE: the line-up
- The future for DEINDE
- Connect the benefits of vegan alternatives that are biotech-made
- Make SPF a universal need in all routines
- Graph 38: SPF perceptions, by household income, 2024
- Safety & trust
- Prioritize ingredient health information for families
- Graph 39: concerns about long-term health effects of certain ingredients, by parental status and gender, 2024
- Use data to back safety messaging
- Graph 40: brand trust and scientific study attitudes, by generation, 2024
- Global accessibility and domestic regulation may collide
- Graph 41: prohibited ingredients attitudes, by gender and age, 2024
- TikTok highlights stock-up mentality on K-Beauty sunscreens due to MoCRA
- Emphasize safety in usage directives as it relates to total rituals
- Graph 42: paying attention to contraindications, by level of ingredient concern compared to a year ago, 2024
- Eco-friendly and sustainable attitudes and behaviors
- Rising ingredient concerns drive eco-friendly BPC use
- Graph 43: use or interest in eco-friendly or sustainable beauty and personal care products, by level on ingredient concern compared to a year ago, 2024
- Eco-friendly use/interest high, but sustainable lane lags
- Graph 44: use or interest in eco-friendly and/or sustainable BPC products (NET), by generation, 2024
- Contrast safety in eco products versus mainstream for ingredient-concerned adults
- Create equitable education that is concise and clear
- Graph 45: select attitudes toward eco-friendly and sustainable ingredients, by financial situation, 2024
- No matter the reason for researching ingredients, regulation around eco marketing desired
- Graph 46: attitudes toward regulation in eco-friendly marketing, by reasons for researching ingredients, 2024
- Build detailed supply chain marketing for conscious consumers
- Graph 47: paying attention to how natural ingredients are harvested, by race or ethnicity, 2024
- Use upcycled positioning to gain trust among the conscious ingredient demographic
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research questions, continued
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- Which of the following types of products have you used in the past 12 months? Please select all that apply.
- Graph 48: BPC product usage, 2024
- Sub-category BPC product usage bases
- TURF analysis methodology
- TURF analysis: how to read
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