10 Trends Changing the Face of the Beauty-tech Industry in 2023
Just like any other industry, the beauty industry has been reaping the benefits of modern technology to up its game in recent years. However, contrary to what the title may imply, this has been coupled with the social responsibility to opt for sustainable and consciousness-driven beauty.
The year 2023 for the beauty-tech industry has been forecasted to pay utmost importance to sustainability and clean & green products through maximizing the technology of the digital age. The industry is determined to flourish as it has been, while keeping personal, social, and environmental health and wellness on the frontlines, too.
We’ve listed down the ten trends that are foreseen to play a major role in changing the face of the beauty-tech industry for the upcoming year 2023.
1. Sustainability
With the climate crisis getting worse every day, the beauty-tech industry has also been developing ways to create impactful sustainability efforts to save the earth. This is pushed by the high demand from consumers for cruelty-free, vegan, recyclable, reusable, plastic-free, and fairly and ethically sourced beauty products.
Some of the ways beauty-tech has worked towards this framework is through personalization services and algorithms. This method employs tech to help consumers identify personal purchasing preferences in order to minimize product returns and promote only buying what they really need.
2. Transparency
Over the generations, consumers have become smarter and more concerned about the products they consume and brands they patronize, making sure that they’re kept in check and in line with the standards of keeping our planet a safe place to live in.
Because of this, arises a trend in developing transparent packaging and marketplaces that promote ethical sourcing of ingredients and materials. There is also a rising demand for apps or other tech means to be able to scan product components and provide detailed information about its contents.
3. Diversity
Along with the demand for transparency among beauty brands comes the consumers urging for more diverse offerings. The inclusion of micro and small businesses and minority business owners (e.g. LGBTQ+-owned brands) has become of growing interest in today’s sociopolitical climate. This also implies that product offerings are expanded to cater to more than the conventional feminine figure.
This has an effect on how beauty-tech is being used in the way things are being branded and positions and decisions are made. Consumers are becoming more conscious of the exclusive nature the beauty industry may have, and so part of rewriting the narrative is to recognize and empower diverse voices, skin colors, sizes, and personas.
4. Augmented reality (AR)
The pandemic may have locked us in our homes for a great deal of time, but the beauty industry quickly adapted to let its consumers test out different beauty products with the help of augmented reality (AR). While this tech development has been around for quite a while now (with Snapchat filters being iconic the past decade and others), it became much more prominent this pandemic in terms of the convenience it brings as well as the promotion of the beauty products we love or have yet to find out about.
With just a swipe and a click, some consumers have been able to simulate their acne treatment with AR filters that were created for skin brightening, makeup application, and even hair styling. It’s able to show consumers what it’d be like to try on different styles or types of makeup through very accessible filters on social media and video conferencing platforms.
5. Virtual try-ons
A level up from the simple AR mechanisms we can find on our social media apps, virtual try-ons have gained traction across the beauty industry since the pandemic began as a way to directly simulate and sell beauty products online.
It started as a tech solution mainly used by the big-league beauty brands, but it has gained enough momentum to become the norm and widely accessible in the coming year. Soon enough, all beauty stores will be able to provide their consumers the experience of trying on different and specific shades of makeup, styles of eyewear, hairstyles, jewelry, and more.
6. Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and Internet of Things (IoT)
The holy trinity of AI, ML, and IoT have dominated almost every industry today. In the beauty-tech industry, it is used in what’s called personalization where algorithms are set to learn a consumer’s exact needs and preferences based on their skin type, purchase history, motivations, and other relevant information.
The incorporation of all three in beauty-tech has allowed the consumer to choose from a wide range of suggestions based on pertinent data. This tech can analyze and align various criteria, products, and ingredients to give the consumer the most hassle-free and personalized shopping experience. You won’t have to wait for weeks for your very own personalized face cleanser that’s best suited for your specific skin type.
Aside from personalization, beauty brands have begun to explore creating tech such as skin scanners and apps that can give consumers instant virtual skin assessment or diagnosis, hair scanners, shade match scanners, and even makeup printers!
7. Phy-gital spaces
E-commerce is definitely not new to our vocabulary. But one development in the world of e-commerce might be. Over the past year, phy-gital spaces have been popping up in the beauty world.
Some examples that have been implemented by beauty brands are the following.
- Interactive and smart displays
- Selfie studios
- Contactless shopping
- Subscription-based e-commerce via scanners and e-diagnosis
The goal of these phy-gital spaces is to minimize the difference between shopping online or at a physical store. By doing this, it creates for a much more accessible and easy shopping experience for everyone.
8. Social commerce
It goes without saying that social media has dominated much of anyone’s life. This has become an arena for beauty brands as well to showcase and promote their product lines and gain significant traction.
Social media platforms such as Instagram have become a haven for all things beauty, making it a viable option for beauty brands in terms of developing fresh and innovative ways to advertise products. An example of this would be partnering up with small-to-medium-level influencers on these platforms to boost awareness of the brand at the grassroots level.
9. Enhanced blue light protection
Blue light is basically the light emitted by the screens we interact with on the regular. Ever since the pandemic happened, obviously, we’ve all spent a relatively greater amount of time in front of screens. This type of light is actually known to have damaging effects on the skin.
Upon discovery of this, beauty brands have worked to create products that can minimize this risk and damage through blue light protection. This is found to be one of the most anticipated trends we will see in the near future, as concern for accelerated skin aging increases with more exposure to blue light.
Ingredients such as turmeric and algae have been proven to aid in anti-aging treatment and have been said to be the main stars of enhanced blue light protection products. To those who have been worried about that Zoom fatigue and wondering how we can revive a stressed complexion from being in front of screens all day – worry no more!
10. Beauty and gaming
Probably the most odd one out of the list, but believe it or not, the world of beauty-tech and gaming have crossed paths over the year!
Now that gaming is thriving, big beauty brands such as Givenchy, Gucci Beauty, and Charlotte Tilbury have initiated projects with some very special video games. We saw Givenchy work with Animal Crossing: New Horizons and do their characters’ looks for them.
Consciousness-driven, earth-loving beauty for 2023
Now that we’ve run down ten of the up and coming trends that are set to revolutionize the beauty-tech industry in the coming year 2023, we may have noticed how most are treading along the line of fostering a more consciousness-driven, sustainable, and digitized beauty industry. This is what innovation is all about these days given the social climate. It’s high time for a kind of beauty that is compassionate for its surroundings, and demand forecasts from consumers have reflected this direction.
Articulated by Myrtle Bautista
Myrtle is a journalism major, a social media marketer and is now exploring freelance writing. She’s fond of anything related to health and wellness, and when she’s not writing, you’ll find her doing long-distance cycling, ultramarathons, hiking, or in a local cafe enjoying a good cold brew.