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Spotlight on the body

LOVBOD, South Korea

As explored in Rethinking Bodycare, brands are increasingly highlighting the benefits of a body-centric approach to skincare. The emphasis, however, is moving away from traditional focal points like the arms and legs to different areas of the body.

While masks are not new in beauty, they are typically designed for the face or hair. South Korean bodycare brand LOVBOD, however, is demonstrating the versatility of a mask by launching products for the bottom, hands and neck. Each of its products offer a specific outcome, with the BumBum Mask promoting skin contouring and enhanced buttock definition, the Melting Mask for Hand offers brightening and moisturising, and the Melting Mask for Neck promises to reduce lines and wrinkles. The brand’s motto, Love Your Body, Love Yourself, taps into the emerging zeitgeist among South Korean youth who are fighting back against the oppressive beauty ideals perpetuated by cosmetic surgery.

Focusing on patches rather than masks, Italian brand Bioline Jatò used the show as a platform to launch its Active patch treatment, which aims to reduce the blemishes caused by cellulite and local adiposity. The product is designed to be worn under clothing on the hips, abdomen, buttocks and legs for up to 24 hours. During this time it gradually administers active ingredients like caffeine, ginger and fucus (a type of brown seaweed) to create a more defined body shape.

CBD converts from beauty to haircare

With the hype around cannabidiol (CBD) continuing to grow, it was unsurprising that the ingredient made a star appearance at this year’s show.

According to Colombian pharmaceutical brand Khiron, CBD is credited as being three times more effective than vitamin E at boosting skin firmness, hydration and protecting against free radicals, and is swiftly becoming the go-to product for skincare. Through its own expertise in the field, the company has launched dedicated beauty collection Kuida, made up of seven products, including a body mist, eye contouring cream and regenerative night cream. In a bid to educate its customers, each product is accompanied by a breakdown of its physiological benefits through the brand’s product shop.

Lithuanian brand You & Oil is drawing on bioactive phyto components (plant chemicals) and the replenishing properties of CBD to address very specific skincare needs. Among its latest launches are a breastfeeding cream designed to target sore nipple skin while simultaneously increasing the skin’s strength and elasticity, and an acne cream that prevents bacteria from spreading and helps to reduce inflammation.

With skincare ingredients often translated into haircare, several brands explored the use of cannabidiol in hair products. American brand Emera is using CBD, which integrates with the body’s endocannabinoid system, to regulate hair loss, hydrate hair and promote a healthier scalp. Still in the early stages of formulation, Italian brand Trendy Hair is reportedly working on a CBD dye that nourishes as it colours.

Beauty embraces hormonal changes

Sublime Skin Hormon-Aging , Comfort Zone

At Cosmoprof 2019, the idea of tapping into women’s hormones moved beyond the health and wellness space and into beauty.

Italian skincare brand Comfort Zone launched a new range of skincare specifically designed for women on the menopause. Developed in conjunction with Italian nutri-dermatologist Dr Mariuccia Bucci and British holistic hormone expert Dr Alyssa Burns-Hill, the Sublime Skin collection consists of two products, a Hormon-Aging Oil Cream for use during the day and Hormon-Aging Oil Serum for night.

When women enter this life stage, collagen levels drop rapidly and skin ageing accelerates in a short time, explains Barbara Gavazzoli, Comfort Zone’s education and communication director. As a result, skin becomes dry and hyper-sensitive, so these oil-based textures are used to nourish the skin and restore cellular vitality.

Beyond skincare, the Korean brand Zaol, which specialises in products for the scalp, introduced a new line specifically for women. Consisting of a Synergy Booster for hair thickening and anti-hair loss and a Scalp Scaling Shampoo for scalp health, the line uses ingredients that are known to address oestrogen levels, such as soybean extract and pomegranate.

Repackaging pH levels

The conversation on pH levels in beauty reached new heights as a number of brands brought the issue of the acidic and alkaline nature of their products on packaging to the fore.

The aptly named salon-only brand pH Laboratories launched a new shampoo, conditioner and hair mask line enriched with monoi oil – made by soaking Tahitian gardenias in coconut oil – and magnolia extract. Each product in the brand’s most recent collection is clearly labelled with its pH value, which ranges between three and five.

Medavita similarly highlights the pH value of each product through its packaging. Unlike most colour products, its illuminating gel oil for men has been formulated with an acidic pH to close the cuticles and offer a more natural-looking result. The Brazilian hair-straightening treatment by Braliz also taps into the pH level of its ingredients to offer a formaldehyde-free alternative to traditional keratin treatments. The product’s Brazilian Botanical Bioactives (BBB) – made with guarana, and – combine to create an acidic pH, which, when applied to hair, straightens it for up to four months.

pH Laboratories

On-the-go hair rejuvenation

Bond Smoother No 6 by Olaplex

Typically, hair nourishment is a time-consuming process, whether that be applying a mask or going for an in-salon treatment. With consumers looking to minimise the time spent on their tresses, on-the-go replenishments are emerging that can be applied directly to dry hair.

Personal Touch introduced its Extreme Filler, which comes in a compact spray format and has been developed to add brightness, hydration and fullness to all types of hair. Containing seaweed and collagen, the product helps rebuild and strengthen damaged hair. Meanwhile, the sustainable beauty brand Davines took this idea of leave-in nourishment one step further by creating an invisible hair mask that can be applied on-the-go.

Olaplex’s new No 6 Bond Smoother is a concentrated conditioning crème that works not only to moisturise damaged hair, but also to strengthen it against further breakage. Applied to dry or damp hair, the leave-in treatment differs from the brand’s No 3 Hair Protector by also doubling as a styling product. Meanwhile, salon-only brand Medavita has devised a portfolio of take-home styling products, from sprays to serums, that also treat hair. The range uses a combination of vegetable oils to enrich hair with essential fatty acids and vitamins, preventing dehydration and restoring softness and suppleness.

Thought-starter: Should beauty rethink sustainability?

In a talk that addressed sustainable sourcing within the beauty industry, Firmenich’s vice president for sustainability and naturals Juliette Sicot-Crevet and BASF’s stakeholder manager Bianca Seelig explained the commonly held beliefs that can be deceiving.

While there is still a view among the majority of fragrance consumers that the term ‘natural’ denotes healthier and safer for the individual and environment alike, Sicot-Crevet highlighted that an over-reliance on natural resources can in fact have disastrous consequences for sustainability.

Firmenich is therefore striving to combine sustainable naturals with sustainable synthetics through the four tenets of green chemistry, biodegradability, renewability and white biotechnology. The brand enforces a ‘Green Gate’ policy, which ensures that any new ingredients incorporated into its scents are completely biodegradable and therefore will not pollute the environment.

Continuing this theme, Bianca Seelig of chemical manufacturer BASF took to the stage to explain that while there has been a push in recent years to boycott palm oil, it is perhaps time to rethink the conversation. She stated that palm oil currently makes up a third of all the vegetable oils consumed, and that a complete ban would only encourage other ‘land hungry’ oils to take its place. It is therefore not about banning palm oil entirely, but taking measures to ensure it can be sustainably sourced.