Spate, the New York-based cosmetics and beauty trend-spotting agency, in collaboration with Grant Industries, has conducted a study to find out which ingredients are trending in the cosmetics industry.
The report found that there is one skincare ingredient that is attracting consumer interest: tretinoin.
Tretinoin is used to treat acne and fine wrinkles and improve fine lines. However, as Lena McCaffrey, director of sales and business development at Grant Industries added, it is also positioning itself as an ingredient that also helps fight the signs of ageing and has considerable influence in the beauty arena. Spate says brands can take advantage of this opportunity by integrating tretinoin into their formulas or by introducing other solutions that match the efficacy and thus meet a latent consumer need.
Despite the nascent entry of tretinoin, ingredients such as vitamin C, retinol and bakuchiol remain the most sought-after and sought-after components by US consumers. Other ingredients that have grown in search volume by users are glycolic acid, niacinamide, salicylic acid and ceramides. Glycolic acid is also a major player in body care. Glycolic acid is making a strong entry into this category and is being incorporated into products such as body scrubs.
Ron Robinson, cosmetic formulation specialist and CEO and founder of BeautyStat, explained that there are two ingredients with even greater antioxidant power than vitamin C: malassezin and astaxanthin.
Ketoconazole: the star ingredient in hair care
According to Spate, ketoconazole has become a sought-after and interesting ingredient in shampoos that treat hair loss. Consumers are looking for shampoos containing this ingredient, especially at Walmart and Amazon, as we are talking about a US audience. As Spate notes, brands have the opportunity to capitalise on this trend by incorporating ketoconazole into hair care products, especially those designed to address hair loss, and by combining it with other effective ingredients.