Pro-aging: Gen Alpha to Boomers

Accoring to Circana data presented as part of CEW's annual beauty trend roundup^a, the top U.S. prestige skin care launch in terms of dollar volume sales was Clinique’s Moisture Surge Broad Spectrum SPF 28 Sheer Hydrator Moisturizer, while the top masstige launch was The Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide Eye Serum.

Both top sellers point to a pro-aging, preventative streak among consumer shopping habits.

Here are some of the dynamics driving "aging" claims and engagement in the category across life stages.

The Tween Skin Care Challenge

More and more, those habits are starting at a younger age. Recently, a slew of media reports about Generation Alpha “Sephora kids” and tweens on TikTok led to concerns about children adopting skin care products that may contain potentially dangerous active ingredients.

A recent Kline report^b notes that retailers like Target have responded with “Tween Skin Care” sections to direct shoppers to age-appropriate products.

The report also adds, “marketers will increasingly focus on helping younger consumers cultivate healthy habits from an early age … [T]his movement could redefine the concept of wellness and self-care. Instead of fixating solely on youthful appearances, emphasis will likely shift towards holistic well-being at every stage of life.”

This has implications for consumers from Gen Z to boomers.

Pro-aging Across Life Stages

“To alleviate skin symptoms, it is recommended to use products for prevention such as sunscreen, to further slow the aging process,” says Vantage's Sebastien Massard. “Additionally, [it is advisable to use] products with ingredients that are mild, yet effective where applicable. Think gentle surfactants, ceramides, humectants or even postbiotics.”Nina L/peopleimages.com at Adobe Stock“The pandemic has changed consumer preferences for anti-aging skin care products,” says Sebastien Massard, global director of strategic marketing, personal care, at Vantage Personal Care. “During lockdowns, there was a shift in focus from anti-aging concerns to overall wellness, but as people return to socializing and work, concerns about skin appearance are resurfacing. A new trend is emerging, emphasizing a holistic and wellness-based approach to anti-aging skin care. This shift presents opportunities for brands that promote skin health alongside pro-aging messaging and for expanding anti-aging claims beyond just facial skin care to include body care.”

Vantage Personal Care is debuting its “Vantage, Your Life Choice”, a new collection of beauty formulations for various stages of life, during in-cosmetics Global 2024 in Paris.

Among the life stage challenges the company is focused on is menopausal beauty care, which is designed to address issues such as sensitive, dry and thinning skin, rashes, acne, and other issues.

“To alleviate skin symptoms, it is recommended to use products for prevention such as sunscreen, to further slow the aging process,” says Massard. “Additionally, [it is advisable to use] products with ingredients that are mild, yet effective where applicable. Think gentle surfactants, ceramides, humectants or even postbiotics.”

The company’s “Midlife Bliss” collection of menopause-friendly hormonal skin care for pro-aging lifestyles comprises technologies such as postbiotic Adaptogen Fermbiotic S and the skin-mimetic Biosignal Lipid 10, which is designed to support collagen production, reduce skin sensitivity and boost skin moisturization from within. The collection also features organoleptic solutions such as Coolact 10, which imparts an instant and sustained cooling effect without a menthol smell.

To address the sensitivity that comes with aging skin, Massard notes that brands are turning to mild surfactant alternatives. This is easier said than done.

“When replacing sulfate-based surfactants, formulators must balance many parameters: performance, such as flash foaming, lather, softness, but also mildness, processability, compatibility at different pH levels, cost and more,” says Massard. “The lack of primary surfactants in the sulfate-free space makes it inevitable for formulators to consider combinations. To accelerate the adoption of milder surfactant alternatives, it is paramount for formulators to have access to ingredients that meet the foaming expectation of consumers but can easily be processed, without adding additional heating or pre-mixing steps.”

Massard adds, “Using pre-optimized surfactant blends can alleviate some of this work by reducing the amount of steps leading up to the mixing, but also by facilitating the handling of some materials that, taken individually, would be too thick, and would require homogenization. Vantage Personal Care works with its customers to develop optimized surfactant systems that are sulfate-free, betaine-free, easily pourable, compatible with clear systems and usable across categories to simplify their formulation work.”

To that end, Vantage Personal Care will debut a new surfactant system, Metaupon EZ Amibio, during in-cosmetics Global 2024 in Paris. The system reportedly allows formulators to leverage the performance and flexibility of taurate surfactants in a pourable format, which supports easy incorporation at room temperature.

Elsewhere, Accupac’s product development innovation division, Cobalt Labs, has developed a Hyaluronic Acid Burst Hydro Gel to support aging skin experiencing dryness and dullness.

“The plumping water cream was formulated with 3% niacinamide and hyaluronic acid beads that burst on contact to help nourish, protect and strengthen the fragile barrier while flooding quick absorbing, refreshing moisture to the skin,” says Michelle Chavez, vice president of innovation at Cobalt Labs. “Malachite, a powerful antioxidant, is known to help protect skin from free radicals and oxidative stress. The product leaves with a fresh feel and plumped with a renewed glow.”

Chavez explains the product design is aligned with consumers’ shifting views on aging.

“Well aging is shifting the goal from looking younger to living better with a focus on one’s entire lifestyle to enhance longevity through overall health,” she explains. “Launches will synch with life stages and the needs associated with each with more emphasis on the health of the skin rather than just its look.”

Chavez adds, “Another aspect of well aging is leveraging professional treatments to help prevent signs of aging before they occur. Professional procedures are not only effective at helping keep skin at its optimal state, they are also becoming increasingly accessible and acceptable. With the rise of ‘tweakments,’ consumers are experimenting with professional procedures that help repair signs of aging and prevent future ones. With this influx of procedures comes the need for products that help prepare skin before treatment, protect skin after treatment and ultimately help extend the results.”

Cobalt Labs’ Cushion Cream was designed to meet the needs of those pursuing professional treatments. The formulation fortifies the skin barrier and restores moisture to help skin recover and repair.

“Perfect for soothing skin post-procedure,” says Chavez, “it was formulated with Ophiopogon japonicus root extract, a high-efficacy natural extract that is known to help to hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier while reducing inflammation and balance the microbiome to promote calm, soothed skin.”

Emerging Aging Targets

“Ever since the emergence of the hallmarks of aging in 2013, aging and longevity research has seen a steep rise in interest,” says Mibelle Biochemistry’s Franziska Wandrey. “These hallmarks have been identified as the underlying causes of aging; targeting them will lead to slower aging processes or even rejuvenation."Nicholas Felix/peopleimages.com at Adobe StockAs reported earlier this year, beauty is undergoing a revolution in aging-related ingredient innovation, much of it focused on regenerative solutions.

“Ever since the emergence of the hallmarks of aging in 2013, aging and longevity research has seen a steep rise in interest,” says Mibelle Biochemistry’s Franziska Wandrey. “These hallmarks have been identified as the underlying causes of aging; targeting them will lead to slower aging processes or even rejuvenation. Holistic approaches or combining active ingredients that target several, if not all hallmarks, are the way to go. This is why we developed RejuveNAD, which targets at least five of these hallmarks of aging. There is still a lot of research being conducted on how the different hallmarks of aging interact and influence each other. Therefore, I expect future developments in this direction, more active ingredients that target different hallmarks to maximize the rejuvenation process.”

Wandrey adds that reversals of aging elements are a key focus of research but that the cosmetics industry isn’t yet there.

“There are several technologies and interventions that are currently trending in the medical field that offer promising results on a longer lifespan or even age reversal,” she explains. “One of them is the genetic reprogramming of cells back to a younger stage. However, this is far from the scope of cosmetic treatment. The research field of epigenetics, reversible changes that change the way our genetic code is interpreted in our cells, might be a solution for the field of personal care that allows for cellular rejuvenation without changing our DNA. Epigenetic alterations are also one of the hallmarks of aging and an interesting target for cosmetic ingredients.”

 Looking ahead, says Wandrey, the industry will be targeting a wider range of age-related targets.

“The hallmarks of aging are constantly updated,” she explains, “and new aging targets are identified by the aging research field. These can be adapted for cosmetic innovation.”

Wandrey concludes, “Beyond the hallmarks of aging, which are general processes true for all aging organisms, there are mechanisms specific for skin cells. For example, the identification of the skin-brain axis that led to the development of innovative neurocosmetic active ingredients in the past [few] years. These skin-specific pathways need to be further researched to identify the optimal targets for each skin concern.”

Even as further research takes place, beauty is firmly moving toward a more regenerative and proactive era.

Footnotes

^aSome data cited was originally presented at the annual CEW state of beauty event; other data originated directly from Circana; https://cew.org/event/state-of-the-beauty-industry-report-2024/; www.circana.com/intelligence/category/blog/

^bhttps://klinegroup.com/articles/beauty-and-wellbeing-trends-2024-and-beyond/