From maximalist makeup to beauty as self care: Boots explores six emerging cosmetic trends

Chemist retail chain Boots has launched a report outlining six emerging trends that it predicts to shape the beauty landscape across skincare, cosmetics and haircare.

Boots sells 500 beauty brands both in-store and online, and has launched 68 new brands in the last two years including Kylie Skin and Kylie Cosmetics, Kiehl's, Drunk Elephant and Makeup Revolution. It is also looking to extend its haircare offering after recently launching professional haircare ranges from Andrew Fitzsimons and Adam Reed.

Based on its customer insights and in-house expertise Boots expects growing demand in 2022 for:

1) Expert skincare

As skincare expertise is more democratised by Instagram and TikTok customers are increasingly turning into experts and focusing on skin health as much as skincare. Boots shared that its facial skincare delivered a 41% sales increase year-on-year, outpacing other categories.

It has also seen science-based brands seeing the biggest growth, with TheInkeyList, CeraVe and La Roche Posay reporting growth of 96%, 54% and 49% respectively. Skincare tools have also seen a 1,531% sales increase, "demonstrating a growing thirst for at-home skincare expertise and techniques," Boots stated. Its in-house brand No7 also recently launched a free personalised skin diagnostics service to make expertise more accessible to consumers. 

2) Beauty routines as self-care

The chemist chain has reported that 45% of 16-34 year olds "indulge" in beauty routines to reduce stress and anxiety and has seen an increasing demand for aromatherapy-based products as consumers are looking to use beauty to boost their mood.

Jenna Whittingham-Ward, Head of Beauty at Boots commented that consumers are looking to "hack their dopamine levels by elevating their daily beauty regimes, with moodboosting scents, textures and colours."

3) Affordable beauty amid cost of living pressures

Boots says that it has responded to consumer demand for more affordable beauty products by launching 170 products for £5 and lower, and now offers more than 1,000 of its essential own-brand products for £2 and under. It said one clear sign for this trend was the rise in popularity of ‘beauty dupes’, with searches for #makeupdupes totalling 252.4M views on TikTok to date.

4) Inclusive terminology and products

Boots has extended its range of skin tone shades for its No7 cosmetics line and has started to rebrand "feminine hygiene products" as "period products" online and is looking to implement this change in-store. Both these initiatives are part of Boots' commitment to
become the most inclusive beauty hall on the high street. It added that product quality would not be compromised with this trend and that sustainability remained front-of-mind for Gen Z customers especially.

5) Scalp-focused haircare for both men and women

During the last three months Boots' Online Doctor Hair Loss Clinic has seen appointments increase by over a third, and has seen search terms containing the word "scalp" increase by 170%.

6) Maximalist makeup

Following the pandemic lockdowns Boots says it has observed customers looking for celebration and escapism through their makeup, with more maximalist makeup becoming popular.

Hannah Stern, Boots Beauty Trainer commented: “If there’s one word to describe our approach to cosmetics this year, it would be ‘freedom’. Makeup is back in a big way, and I’ve noticed a huge shift in how we apply cosmetics in the past few months."