We speak to Nikola Matic, Industry Director – Chemicals and Materials at Kline, about the current trends driving innovation in new cosmetics ingredients.
 

Innovation has always been a driver in the personal care industry – the cosmetics sector, in particular, provides a dynamic marketplace when it comes to the development of novel ingredients and formulations. Trends and other influences shaping innovation in the personal care ingredients industry are under constant review, and their impact on this vibrant and energetic market need to be considered by formulators and ingredients suppliers.
 

Keeping it natural
According to experts in the industry, the most important trend in cosmetics ingredients continues to be the use of natural products.

 

“While many new trends appear every year in the cosmetic industry, ‘natural’ products remain a major driver,” explains Nikola Matic, Industry Director – Chemicals and Materials at Kline & Company. “This is nothing new as it is being the main market driver for more than two decades now. While other trends come and go, this is a constant driving force that directly impacts the ingredients market.”

 

Other trends are usually more ephemeral, but nevertheless impact the ingredients market too – albeit not at the same level. For instance, colour-cosmetics have recently experienced accelerated growth, according to Matic, so ingredients suppliers have responded by offering innovative ingredients in this field.

 

“It is difficult to predict where future opportunities lie, as the cosmetic industry is often unpredictable,” says Matic. “But we can be certain that the market is – and will continue to be – driven by naturals. That is probably the source of a lot of future opportunities for ingredients suppliers.”

 

Digital drivers
The industry is also capitalizing on modern technology as ‘digital beauty’ continues to shape the beauty agenda. From an ever-developing social media space to wearable gadgets, digital packaging and other advances in the field, a number of digital trends are set to make an impact.

 

“Digitalization is also a big topic in the industry, but its impact on ingredients has been difficult to quantify so far,” Matic comments.

 

We asked Matic which global regions are driving these trends and innovations.

 

“The large Western markets remain the driving force globally when it comes to innovation, due to their sizes, and the fact that a lot of key ingredients suppliers are either European or American,” he commented. “While South Korea is a trend-setting market with many innovative products being launched in Korea, some make their way on to the Western market”

 

And what about China?

 

“Of course, China can’t be forgotten as it is a large market and an increasing number of innovations are related to the specific needs of Chinese consumers,” says Matic.

 

Changing models
Another interesting trend highlighted by Matic is the growing importance of toll manufacturing (and formulating) in the cosmetics industry. While the pharmaceutical industry has a long history of partnering with contract developers and manufacturers, this is still seen as a growing trend in the cosmetics area.

 

“This is the reason we recently started researching toll manufacturing (Contract Manufacturers in Personal Care) as this is a significant change in the industry value chain that requires ingredient suppliers to adapt,” explains Matic.

 

With a strong portfolio of market research databased and studies, Kline is trying to help its ingredient suppliers to shape their strategies. The company is closely monitoring the market and, while keeping its cornerstone tools updated (e.g. Kline is working now on its global cosmetic ingredients analysis called Personal Care Ingredients 2018), Kline is also developing products to answer changes in the industry.

“Many industry observers think the industry has been waiting for the ‘next big thing’ for a few years now,” says Matic.

 

We are watching with interest to see what that will be.