Consumer demand for beauty products containing peptides is set to soar in 2024, according to British biochemist and owner of skincare development consultancy NQ Innovations Nausheen Qureshi.
Speaking at the 2023 edition of the SCS Formulate event in Coventry, UK on personal care trends, Qureshi said the combination of efficacy and mildness of modern peptides is increasingly attractive to beauty customers.
“I think peptides will be huge. We first saw peptides 20 years ago with, for example, Matrixyl being quite big at the time. But now there is a return of peptides, more modern peptides, being used for lines, redness, pigmentation and so on,” she added.
“The customer wants to see results but they also want to see something gentle so I think we’re going to see peptides really battle for position.
“I daresay there will be customers who will prefer peptides to a retinoid; for example those with more sensitive, reddened skin.”
Qureshi said the rise of peptides is coinciding with increased consumer awareness of biotechnology in personal care.
“Social media, web searches and launches show the rise of ‘skintellectual’ consumers is advancing. Customers know more about ingredients and how products are made,” she added.
“With this rise of ‘skintellectualism’, we are seeing consumers become more open to biotechnology.
"Previously, some brands might overcomplicate the science behind their products and consumers might have been scared off. But now it’s more simplified and the customer engages more.
“Now, consumers are more aware that by using smaller amounts of material we can make more efficacious ingredients through bio-engineering. We can also produce more concentrated forms.”
In particular, said Qureshi, fermented ingredients are gaining momentum faster than others.
“They are gentle on the skin and we know they can enhance the potency of a formulation and the bioavailability of ingredients. They also help to preserve and stabilise formations, as well as the microbiome.”
Another key trend predicted for 2024 is the rise of skin brightening ingredients.
“Our research is telling us that the customer no longer sees lines/wrinkles as enemy number one. They want to have bright, radiant and glowing skin.
“People don’t mind to have a few lines, they would prefer to look radiant and glowing. Brighter skin is the new image of skin health.
“From social media, with its ‘glass skin’ and glow themes, we are seeing enhanced radiance is what the customer is looking for. So we are looking forward to seeing what ingredients we can pack into formulations to help with this demand from customers with dark spots, pigmentation, sun spots and the like.”
