Higher Future: Decoding the Scientific and Technical Beauty Revolution

Source: DeathtotheStock: Photo de Nick Fancher

The pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of our lives; the integration of new technologies and scientific solutions into our homes (and bodies) in response to emerging challenges. Artificial intelligence has expanded our expectations and experience of the world, offering brands opportunities for innovation in products, services, and experiences.

Consumers recognize that science and technology are essential for increased efficiency. Thus, investments in science-driven beauty brands exceed investments in natural brands by 2.5 times.(1) In this context, the "Higher Futures" dossier from Cosmetics IC, offers an analysis of the latest directions, a strategic perspective for brands to meet the demand for beauty solutions based on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), while solving the main challenges of humanity.

At a special conference for MakeUp in Paris 2024, Cosmetics IC invited attendees to discover the transformative impact of the scientific approach to beauty, highlighting three strategic territories: Augmented Science, Amplified Reality, and the Post-Natural Future, representing the opportunities that await brands ready to embark on the path of science.

AUGMENTED SCIENCE: NEXT-LEVEL EFFICIENCY

Traditional categories are being redefined by heightened performance expectations, driven by dermatological procedures and a growing focus on wellness. This is driving brands to explore hyper-personalized solutions and at-home experiences, using the latest technologies to biohack the body, extend longevity, and enhance the daily beauty ritual. AI-powered devices, smart materials, and precision-tailored formulas will blur the lines between clinical and convenient.

Symbiotic STEM solutions are winning across all categories, accelerating the transformative power of new technologies. At New York Fashion Week, designer Christian Cowan collaborated with Adobe to produce an electronically controlled dress meticulously crafted using hundreds of laser-cut polymer liquid crystals. The dress becomes a "dynamic canvas," intuitively changing color and tone several times per second.
At VivaTech 2024, L'Oréal unveiled Cutaneous Technology , a revolutionary bioprinting process that recreates human skin in all its complexity. This discovery enables inclusive and realistic testing on all skin types, paving the way for personalized beauty products and potentially accelerating progress in dermatological research and burn care.

AMPLIFIED REALITY: INTERVERSAL SENSES

Breaking down physical boundaries, the human-technology symbiosis creates "intraversal" realities—universal experiences that bridge the digital and physical worlds. This union opens up new possibilities, enriching our perception and engagement with the world through immersive encounters and new sensations. This intense immersion is integrated into the retail experience, reinventing physical stores as sensory playgrounds.

Across disciplines and industries, technology is used to amplify sensations. At Milan Design Week 2024, Samsung Design's " Newfound Equilibrium " exhibition took visitors on a multi-sensory journey through five spaces, each exploring a different aspect of a future where technology seamlessly blends with humanity. The exhibition highlighted the promise and potential of technology to enrich our lives.
At VivaTech 2024, Guerlain pushed the boundaries of perfumery with an olfactory VR experience . Visitors donned a custom virtual headset and entered a world where the scent of Guerlain's iconic fragrances was paired with AI-generated landscapes and the perfumer's explanations, highlighting the growing interplay of technology and emotion in art and design.

FUTURE POST-NATUREL : DEEP ENGAGEMENT

The future will require new intelligence to create sustainable designs that combine efficiency, aesthetics, and pleasure, while keeping sustainability as a core mission. In this context, technology must be used with intention and functionality, focusing on outcomes that benefit both people and the environment. This vision of the future will require combining efficiency, aesthetics, and pleasure, while keeping sustainability as a core mission. Brands should be encouraged by growing consumer support for synthetic products—20% of US consumers agree that lab-grown natural identical ingredients are effective and safe (22%). (2)

Innovative solutions are redefining how we source, create, and use resources in a variety of areas. The textile industry, one of the world's leading polluters of drinking water, is at the forefront of eco-innovation. British brand Normal Phenomena of Life is pioneering "grown-to-order" lifestyle products, combining the expertise of a design research lab and a biotech company. The first launch includes clothing dyed with bacteria, prints made with algae ink, and objects made with bio-concrete engineered by microbes.
Similarly, in the world of beauty, science and technology are enabling the development of sustainable and vegan solutions that offer an alternative to chemical products. Always at the forefront of innovation, The Unseen Beauty has developed The ABSORPTION collection, which features Algae Black™ , the world's first non-toxic and sustainable black pigment for beauty products.

THE POINT OF VIEW OF COSMETICS IC

Brands must embrace radical innovation that delivers efficiency, sensory delight, and sustainability.

Imagine modular textures and scents that adapt to climatic or thermal conditions, as well as multi-layered experiences that appeal to touch, smell, and sight.

The fusion of technology and the body is being pushed to the extreme by billionaire biohackers, but despite the science-fiction ramifications, "longevity" is quickly becoming a mainstream pursuit. This should inspire brands to develop new products, treatments, and rituals that promote hyper-health. By taking inspiration from advances in sustainable sourcing and production in the fashion and textile industries, the beauty sector can move toward a more responsible future.

For additional information, email the team at contact@inspiration-creation.com or visit our website www.inspiration-creation.com .

Sources:

(1). Accenture - The reinvention of beauty - 2023

(2). Mintel- Beauty and Personal Care Trends - 2023