In many cases, trends can be self-fulfilling prophecies. Retailers have the power to create trends or provide the marketing fuel for nascent trends to become mainstream. In celebration of Whole Foods Market’s Beauty Week, experts on the grocer’s Trends Council have unveiled their annual list of top five clean beauty trends for the year: Beauty Goes Waterless, Multitasking Balms, Juiced-Up Skin Care, Upcycled Beauty, and Stressed Skin, Meet Ramped-Up Remedies.
While these clean beauty trends are not new to beauty industry insiders, they are worth noting just the same because Whole Foods has become an important piece of the beauty distribution ecosystem. If you believe the new normal requires brands to meet consumers where they are, consider Whole Foods Market has more than 500 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and is “powered” by Amazon.
Whole Food believes consumers will continue to simplify in 2021, which is substantiated by a recent online survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Whole Foods Market. The survey found that 85% of consumers who simplified their beauty routines over the past year plan to continue their new practices. Transparency remains as important as ever, too. More than half (57%) of consumers surveyed said they are interested in learning more about what ingredients are in the beauty products they are buying.
“The beauty industry has seen significant consumer shifts this year due to COVID-19, and our trends are a true reflection of these changes,” said Amy Jargo, Global Beauty Buyer at Whole Foods Market. “Customers are looking to streamline their beauty routines, while also seeking out brands that align with their values like those that limit their environmental impact with waterless and upcycled products. Beauty Week is the perfect time for customers to try these trending ingredients and products at a great discount.”
Whole Foods Market’s top five beauty trend predictions for 2021:
Beauty Goes Waterless: More beauty products are being packaged in solid, waterless formats to help minimize the use of plastic packaging. When a product isn’t in liquid form, brands can use materials such as recyclable boxes or metal tins, and the product is generally smaller, reducing the amount of packaging needed and the shipping weight. Expect to see shampoo and conditioner bars that leave hair fresh and clean with less packaging, and toothpaste tablets that whiten, brush away plaque, and do some good for the environment.
Multitasking Balms: If 2020 taught us anything, it was to be really good at multitasking. Balms are being reimagined to do it all: lips, cheeks, cuticles—anywhere that needs a little extra TLC. Consumers are learning to do more, with less.
Juiced-Up Skin Care: Produce-aisle favorites are now playing starring roles in new beauty products. New skincare and self-care essentials take full advantage of top superfoods. From celery and mushrooms to blueberries, the go-to ingredients for juices, smoothies, and salads have found their way into beauty formulations.
Upcycled Beauty: Upcycled products aren’t just showing up in food. Repurposed ingredients pop up in beauty products too. Think quality coffee grounds, discarded apricot stones, leftover argan shells—all ingredients that support your skin, while giving what would have been food waste, new life.
Stressed Skin, Meet Ramped-Up Remedies: It’s no secret that stress isn’t great for the skin, and neither is months of wearing a face mask. Clean beauty remedies have come to the rescue in new formats like masks and serums with soothing ingredients like tea tree oil and witch hazel extract.
Whole Foods Market’s standards go beyond typical “clean beauty” claims, banning more than 100 ingredients and requiring third-party certification for organic label claims.
