NEWS

Psychodematology, solid formulas and AI to lead beauty trends up to 2025

Trends prediction agency WGSN forecasts that psychodermatology, as in the impact of emotion on skin, solid formulas (as opposed to liquid) and artificial intelligence (AI) will dominate the market during the next two years.

In its latest report, WGSN specifies six key trends. The first is Flexabilities, whereby the continuation of global crises will see stress become a more prominent feature of daily lives. ‘Emotional beauty’ is set to grow, with the connection between mind and skin at the centre of new product design, recognising the effect of emotion on skin conditions. Indulgent formulas that boost the mood are likely to become popular.

The second trend is Layered Realities, where ‘digital duality’ will add a sensorial layer to beauty through the use of personal avatars to help consumers with product choice. Rapid prototyping will enable businesses to work faster and more sustainably.

Trend three is Resource Ready, where businesses will use resource scarcity to drive more sustainable production and consumption, meaning lab-grown alternatives to rare natural ingredients, as well as compostable packaging.

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Fourth trend Urgent Optimism will see people losing trust in political processes and taking change into their own hands. There will be more activism from beauty brands around inclusivity, as well as the challenging of filtered images and unsubstantiated terms, such as ‘clean beauty’.

Preservation Mode is trend five and focuses on how a history of overconsumption will lead to demand for preservation in coming years. As well as more sustainable ingredient sourcing, this will mean a switch from liquids and creams to solid and powder formats that have a longer shelf life and are easier and cheaper to transport.

The last trend, Strategic Imaginations, is a move from the information age, where knowledge was the driver of growth, to the imagination age, where creativity will be valued more highly. For beauty, this will mean more multi-sensory design, using AI tools and neuroscience.

Source: https://professionalbeauty.co.uk/site/newsdetails/2025- beauty-trends-psychodermatololgy-AI

Demand for female wellness rises exponentially

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New research from Cult Beauty shows a whopping 783% increase in demand for ‘female wellness’, with revenue up by 176% for products in this category.

These statistics were compiled by analysing Cult Beauty’s online sales as well as Google trends data.

Female wellness products include everything from sex toys to supplements, and intimate cleaners to pelvic floor trainers and women’s hygiene.

Menopause products also saw high growth, with a 69% increase on perimenopause products year-on-year, and 73% for menopausal capsules (supplements).

A shift in female wellness attitudes comes at the same time as research from aesthetics company Sinclair, which found that 97% of women worldwide feel judged for how they look.

A spokesperson from Cult Beauty commented, “We’re always on a mission to raise awareness of female wellness, providing education and empowering women to feel more in tune with their bodies. It is great to see that demand is dramatically increasing female wellness and we hope it continues to head in this direction.”

https://professionalbeauty.co.uk/site/ newsdetails/demand-for-female-wellnessrises

Fat loss injection popularity results in worrying trend

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The surge in popularity of fat loss injections has led to an alarming increase in unregulated online purchases, as consumers look to self-inject.

An article in Aesthetic Medicine magazine reports that fat loss injections have seen a 4,750% search increase online over the past 12 months, and there are currently 700 million TikTok views on videos on the topic.

Most of the discussions are around an injection tradenamed Ozempic, with another popular option called Saxenda. Both were originally developed to treat type two diabetes, support weight loss and reverse associated medical conditions such as high blood pressure in obese patients. The injections contain semaglutide, a drug that mimics a hormone (GLP-1) which is released after eating, making you feel full, so you eat less as a result. This can promote the loss of around 10 to 15% of body weight.

The increase in unregulated online purchases has not only triggered concern from experts about the negative side-effects for those using them untrained at home, but also for the real risk of shortages for those who have been medically prescribed the injections, specifically those with type two diabetes.

“Unfortunately, after learning about these injections online, on social media, and hearing about their use by celebrities, many consumers are getting hold of these medications online despite not being obese, as a quick and easy solution for weight loss,” says leading surgeon Miss Sujatha Tadiparthi, who has over 15 years of experience in the field of plastic surgery. “The side-effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, tiredness and headaches, or the potential risk of developing pancreatic cancer or thyroid cancer, do not seem to be putting anybody off. This surging demand has meant a severe shortage for those who are obese or have type two diabetes and genuinely need the drug.”

Furthermore, practitioners are also now seeing a rise in clients coming to clinic with signs of ‘Ozempic face’ – acombination of gauntness and lax skin around the face caused by rapid weight loss.

Losing up to 15% of your weight can have dramatic effects on your face, which many don’t realise, reveals Tadiparthi. “Ozempic can make you look much older and may require anything from dermal fillers, thread lifts to surgery with fat grafts and a face lift to restore volume and tighten.”

Individuals may struggle with sagging skin on their body too, especially the breasts and stomach.

Source: https://aestheticmed.co.uk/site/ shownewsdetails/fat-loss-injections-trending

Sorbet launches app for easier access to salon services

South Africa’s largest beauty salon group, Sorbet, has launched an app to allow guests more convenient engagement with any of its branded stores.

These include Sorbet Salon, Sorbet Nailbar, Sorbet Hairbar, Sorbet MAN and Candi&Co.

The Sorbet App allows guests to book treatments, reschedule appointments, view their service history, check loyalty points, buy gift cards and earn rewards by referring a friend, anywhere and anytime.

Downloadable for free, the app is available on Google Play Store, the Apple App Store and on the Sorbet website.

Says Sorbet Group CEO Linda Sinclair: “We listened to what our Sorbet guests wanted and developed the new app to bring them all the benefits of engaging with us at any time that suits them.

“This app is built to provide a seamless, engaging and accessible experience for every one of our valued guests, to ensure they continue to get that Sorbet feeling.”

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Bargaining Council issues imposter alert in Western Cape

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The HCSBC (National Bargaining Council for the Hairdressing, Cosmetology, Beauty & Skincare Industry) is warning salons in the Western Cape to be wary of someone claiming to be with the Council.

Says the Council: “It has come to our attention that an individual has attempted to extract payment of money from an establishment in the Western Cape by way of email in which they misrepresent that they are a staff member of the Council.

“If in doubt, please check the email addresses from which emails are sent to you, the names of staff on our website (http://hcsbc.co.za/contact-us/#contactagents), or call us. Please note that the Council’s bank account number for payment appears on your Returns and on the Council’s website.”

In other news, the Council has made two new appointments – Melisha Dhanuk – who joins the Durban Office as Credit Controller and Office Supervisor.

“We are also very pleased to announce that Sudarshan Poovalingam has been appointed as the Council’s Legal and Compliance Manager and is working from our Johannesburg office,” states the Council.

BTI to further its expansion into Africa

The Beauty Therapy Institute (BTI), founded in 1996 in Cape Town by industry professional Sandy Fuhr, is dedicated to opening new campuses in Botswana and Zimbabwe, with a focus on further expansion further into Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa.

Says Fuhr: “Within the next 5 years, BTI plans to have more campuses available in the current countries as well as a minimum of 3 additional countries. We choose our locations carefully based on various different factors and criteria. For instance, the country needs to be English speaking due to all of BTI’s learning materials being presented in English. There also needs to be potential for industry development, growth and success in the country. Furthermore, there must be a space in the market for an accredited flexi-learning training college. It’s also essential that we have a committed Franchise partner, ideally with knowledge of the industry and business.”

According to Fuhr, BTI is the first beauty therapy training college in the country to provide flexible, modular training within the sector. “This innovative approach has launched new opportunities and possibilities for future career prospects in the industry,” she adds.

BTI offers students and professionals accredited certificates in beauty, health, skincare and hairdressing. Learners have the opportunity to specialise in specific areas of beauty, such as nails, make-up, facials, massage, body treatments, advanced treatments such as microblading, microneedling, advanced skin peeling, among others.