How the beauty industry will evolve in 2024?

The 10 trends changing the landscape of beauty – from AI-driven innovations to Gen-Alpha influencers, epigenetics, regenerative aesthetics and more

Change is the only constant in beauty – and in 2024 technology will accelerate the way we choose and use beauty more than ever.

• 1) Artificial intelligence will further redefine beauty

Making things more efficient and effective, (AI) will continue to revolutionise the beauty industry. Specifically, the growing presence of AI will result in “shifts towards improved personalisation of experiences and interactions, even in a virtual domain,”

• 2) Viral hair, make-up and nail trends will keep inspiring

If you thought last years were exasperated by TikTok, prepare for 2024 to bring us many more viral micro-trends.

To reveal the ingredients, products and techniques that will be big in 2024, ‘Ectoin’ is the buzzy skincare ingredient to know, while ‘skin streaming’ (streamlining your routine) is still going strong. The ‘Scandi hairline’ highlighting technique and ‘butterfly bob’ cut will dominate hairstyles, while ‘Cherry cola lips’, ‘espresso make-up’ and ‘chocolate-milk nails’ prove that food-inspired trend names will remain relevant.

We can expect fragrance content to snowball, too: according to Instagram’s 2024 Trend Talk (a data-driven look at Gen-Z trends that will drive global culture in 2024), #perfumetok remains on the rise, with “over a quarter of Gen-Z planning to express themselves by discovering a signature scent in 2024”.

• 3) The Gen-Alpha consumer will garner influence

From generation Z to A… Alpha is set to have a huge impact on brands and the economy in upcoming years

“Being born between 2010 and 2025 makes the oldest of Gen-Alpha teenagers, and although they do not have purchasing power yet – brands and products are increasingly being tailored for this young generation of future customers,” Preteen influencers like the Kardashian offspring, namely Penelope Disick and North West, are also setting the next trends, sharing their routines on TikTok, where videos tagged ‘#generationalpha’ have generated nearly 50 million views.

• 4) Body care will boom for two big reasons

Our ‘skinvestments’ no longer stop at our neck: so it stands to reason that building awareness of caring for skin beyond the face is vitally important”.

• 5) Emotional beauty will become better understood

As above, the joy of beauty cannot be underestimated now – and is proven by the ‘mind-body axis’, explains Dr Shotter. She relates this to a 2024-forecasted trend coined ‘neuro-glow’, conducted by the market research company Mintel. “The relationship between how we look and how we feel is becoming better understood, and that also goes in reverse… how we feel impacts how we look.

• 6) Potent plants will update the ‘clean’ beauty conversation

In terms of new product formulations in 2024, “a growing interest in herbalism and botany will supercharge brand and shopper conversations about powerhouse plant ingredients as an update on the ‘clean beauty’ trend,”

Both humble garden weeds and exotic indigenous herbs will invigorate everything from skin serums and hair masks to lip oils and luxury nail polishes

• 7) Expect constant progress in sustainability

In 2024 “consumers will have an even stronger focus on products that are reusable and recyclableIndeed, in a recent report, 69 per cent of people stated that sustainability is more important to them now than it was two years ago. As one of the biggest contributors to waste, the beauty industry will need to continue to innovate when it comes to the life-cycle of products. We can expect constant progress.

The booming beauty tech market – forecast to increase continuously over the next five years, reaching a value of around $8.93 billion by 2026 – is experiencing a rising call for sustainable solutions.

• 8) Protective personal care will become a priority

Another factor related to the planet: Think sophisticated sun protection and products to help the body and mind adapt to harsh environments.”

Here, UV protection is a particularly exciting category for innovation, “as sun care technology makes it much easier and more pleasant to use every day,” While pollution – a big concern for many of us – “will inspire protective products for extreme outdoor environments,”

• 9) Regenerative aesthetics will ‘biohack’ our skin

Next year, the booming non-invasive procedures will evolve as much as grow. “We’ve witnessed a shift away from anti-ageing to pro-ageing,” “and central to this is the concept of regeneration”.

The focus is shifting from overly filling faces to the use of technologies that can naturally rejuvenate the skin. “

Options allowing the regeneration of tissue are increasingly available to experts. “We are now able to ‘biohack’ our skin,”

• 10) The science of epigenetics will supercharge skincare

Talking of biohacking,  the science of epigenetics is supercharging skincare. Where skin is concerned, epigenetics refers to the ageing caused by external factors, specifically environmental and lifestyle sources of DNA damage.   Longevity is one of the fastest-growing movements in the beauty and wellness industries, with multi-generational consumer interest in biohacking and age-reversal practices at an all-time high