Summer is approaching, and that means lighter clothing and longer, lighter days. Best of all, this season’s hottest beauty trends will help you lighten your footprint on the planet.
Lip oils
Fun-filled summer days and playfully glossy lips just seem to go together. This year, traditional lip products will take a back seat to lip oils. They’re viewed as being purer than regular glosses and lipsticks, says Tony Rechtman, CEO and owner of Australia-based INIKA Organic. Quality lip oils are lightweight, he explains, and made with natural ingredients including botanical oils. Bonus: Your hair won’t stick to them with the slightest breeze.
Mineral sunscreen
Mineral sunscreen—as opposed to the chemical kind—is an ongoing trend, and it remains firmly planted in the spotlight in 2019. That’s mostly thanks to chemical-sunscreen bans in places like Hawaii, the Florida Keys, and Palau. The bans were prompted by research showing that chemicals such as oxybenzone and octinoxate can leach into the ocean, damaging fragile coral populations. In February, the FDA also proposed stricter regulations to ensure all ingredients used in sunscreens are safe for humans.
“Consumers have educated themselves and are actively choosing to avoid chemical sunscreens,” says Nova Covington, founder and CEO of Goddess Garden, a Colorado-based sunscreen and skincare company. “Retailers are taking action by wanting to offer sunscreens that contain only reef-safe ingredients.”
Food as skincare
The healthy foods we love will continue showing up in our beauty products—they’re good for our skin too!
“Keep an eye out for products that not only have natural ingredients in the formula, but also for the specific and proven benefits of those particular ingredients,” Rechtman advises. “For example, Australian Kakadu plum has the highest concentration of vitamin C found in any plant.” Ingredients high in vitamin C brighten the skin and may reduce sun damage to it.
This summer, you’ll see beauty products pumped up with Kakadu plum and other whole food ingredients, such as mushrooms, turmeric, and white tea.
Waterless beauty
According to the World Wildlife Fund, two-thirds of the world’s population could face water shortages by 2025. Besides saving precious H2O, waterless beauty products boast additional benefits. The water is usually replaced with botanical ingredients, giving you more for your money and making products more potent. When a product is more potent, you need less of it, which reduces packaging.
“Waterless formulas also reduce the need for additional preservatives,” says Rechtman. The result? A purer product that benefits your skin even more.
No-waste products
Trendsetters are taking the phrase “natural beauty” literally, adopting a minimalist skincare routine with fewer but harder-working products. While this helps to cut down on packaging, consumers will also continue asking for zero-waste and sub-zero-waste products. In fact, according to a 2019 report from worldwide market intelligence agency Mintel, “There will be a backlash against brands that purposely create limited shelf-life products or encourage overconsumption.”
Sub-zero-waste products go beyond zero-waste by further reducing a product’s overall impact, focusing on upcycling, creative refill options, product-life extensions, and the use of sustainable ingredients.
“Low-impact beauty is a hot topic … although we see this as much more than a trend,” says Rechtman, whose company is planning to launch biodegradable tubes made from sugarcane derivatives.
“As waste reduction becomes more evident in day-to-day lives, more global consumers will scrutinize their beauty routines,” states the Mintel report. “It’s the dawn of a total lifestyle shift.”
Why is CBD skincare sizzling hot?
Cannabidiol (CBD) skincare barely existed five years ago, and it’s exploding now. Why?
Our bodies have an endocannabinoid system—yes, it’s a real thing—that includes receptors in our skin that welcome cannabinoids from external sources. Cannabinoids are active components in the Cannabis sativa plant that produce physiological effects; CBD from hemp is a non-psychoactive one. Studies have shown that topical CBD may reduce inflammation, treat acne, and soothe conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
“When using CBD skincare, you want to be sure you’re getting a product with full-spectrum CBD oil,” says Nicoletta Makris, who grows hemp for CBD skincare products on her Oregon farm. A whole-plant extract has all the beneficial elements, she explains.
