At the beginning of the year, major cosmetics player, L’Oréal, released its 2010 UK Beauty Trends report, outlining the key trends the company sees defining the UK beauty industry as it moves out of recession.
Among the findings, the report states that women will continue to use cosmetics to cheer themselves up, helping them to deal with the prolonged period of economic uncertainty. Also, bolder colours will become more popular in beauty products as women fight a backlash against the dull, grey background of recession. In terms of cosmetic science, it would seem that advancements in skin genomics will continue to grow in importance, as will proteomics (the study of proteins in the skin) and stem cell research. Quoted in the report, Bruno Bernard, group leader of life sciences department, L’Oréal Research, comments: “The discoveries which L’Oréal made available this year, mark the start of a new and very exciting era for anti-ageing skincare products. Understanding and isolating the gene response of skin to external stresses means we can develop products which are proven to improve and accelerate the process of epidermal recovery, which we know plays a vital factor in youthful-looking skin.” With haircare, the report states that it is likely scientific advancements will also have a major role to play, particularly in the area of ammonia-free permanent hair colouring, and the ability to return hair to a “virgin” or pre-coloured state. The full report can be found online at www.loreal.co.uk
