In the beauty and personal care industry, sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between a short-lived fad and a sea-change in the market. Remember when collagen products derived from pigs and cattle were the market norm?

Now, consumer sensibilities have changed, and while shoppers still want collagen products, they want formulas that are vegan and plant-based. We don’t see that trend changing direction – in fact, when it comes to cosmetics choices, all signs point to consumers wanting more clean beauty, more transparency, and more sustainability.

We’ve watched the direction of the personal care industry in the last several years, and we’ve studied the trends – including some which may or may not be short-lived – of 2021. Here are our predictions for the makeup and skincare products consumers are going to be snapping up in 2022.

Men’s Makeup

Photo by The Creative Exchange

The men’s makeup movement isn’t new, but it’s growing exponentially. What was once the purview of actors and rock stars has gone mainstream, and old and new brands (Chanel, Clinique, and War Paint for Men, to name a few) have lines of men’s skincare and makeup. Foundations, concealers, eyebrow pencils, eyeliners, and nail polish are all part of Chanel’s line, which also includes a range of skincare products. Men’s personal care is predicted to be a $166 billion market in 2022 — and brands that ignore it do so at their own peril.

Vegan Cosmetics

Photo by Vya Naturals

When it comes to clean and green cosmetics, the genie is out of the bottle and there’s no putting it back in. Sales of vegan beauty products jumped faster than a Leaping Bunny in 2020 — by an incredible 83% compared to 2019. Brands are responding with more options for conscious consumers, and retailers like Ulta and Sephora sell their own private label and third-party brands with vegan and cruelty-free labels. Think of vegan cosmetics like veggie burgers – they once might have been a poor substitute for the real thing, but now, their quality competes with or exceeds the non-vegan alternatives.

Microbiome-friendly skincare

Photo by Noah Buscher

If you haven’t yet heard of the microbiome, brace yourself for the new buzzword in skincare. The microbiome is the immune system of the skin – the mix of microflora that, when out of balance, can lead to breakouts, dry skin, redness, and a host of other problems. Enter microbiome skincare, which uses probiotics to gently keep skin balanced — much like probiotics do for gut health. Smaller labels are leading the charge right now – Drunk Elephant, Tata Harper, and Cultured are just some of the boutique brands that offer microbiome-friendly products. But expect to see bigger cosmetics brands jump on this bandwagon in 2022.

Solid Cosmetics

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Why waste a jar when you can put it in a bar? Solid cosmetics appeal to mindful consumers for several reasons. They’re low- to no-waste, plastic-free, and easily portable, since they’re often sold with reusable boxes. Solid cosmetics are usually water-free, meaning a more concentrated formula. Lush Cosmetics was the first to introduce solid shampoo bars to mainstream markets and now, solid cosmetics have expanded to include container-free deodorants, toothpaste, and body lotions, all in bar form. Products like Ethique’s Face-Saving Serum, which comes in a compostable push-up container, signal the move to quality, waste-free skincare in solid form.