Skincare & Fermentation: What You Need to Know Part 2
In Part 1 of our series on fermentation in skincare, you got through the basics — what fermentation is and where we see it in skincare. ICMYI — just remember that 1) fermentation is a process in which microorganisms (like yeast and bacteria) allow complex, organic substances to become simpler compounds in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic fermentation) and 2) fermentation takes place in specific conditions, making it useful to food, cosmetic, and biotech product development. Now, let’s tackle the why of its prevalence in skincare.
Skincare & Fermentation: What You Need to Know Part 1
Whether you’ve been on a kombucha or kimchi kick to improve your gut health or love Asian beauty brands, you’re probably aware of fermented ingredients in skincare and why they’re so popular. While the trend is definitely not new, we continue to see products on the market that claim to be special due to fermentation. Some even sound downright good enough to eat — like Drunk Elephant Sweet Biome Fermented Sake Hydrating Spray and Fresh Kombucha Antioxidant Treatment Essence. Curious to learn what’s fueling the trend and how fermented drinks entered both your fridge and skincare routine? Read on for Part 1 of our series on fermentation in skincare, in which we’ll cover some basics.
Beauty Trends: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Headed?
Our very first newsletter covered trends we wanted to see out the door in 2021, including over-exfoliation, derma-rollers, celebrity skincare, micro fridges, and fear-mongering and misinformation within the beauty industry. As we make our way into fall, we wanted to do a recap on...what stuck around, what’s new, and what more can we expect? Let’s revisit what’s been going on since.
Dear Beauty Industry, Let’s Return to Mother Earth
Recently, billionaire Richard Branson beat Jeff Bezos to space, the first in a new race to own space tourism. And just like that, space is cool again. The beauty industry is also smitten with space, exploring it as the final frontier in skincare. That’s right – while we haven’t even solved most skincare issues on Earth, there’s been talk about rocketing off to solve them for the galaxy and beyond.
Is CBD in Skincare All that it’s Cracked Up to Be?
While some of us might be celebrating the legalization of marijuana, one of its non-intoxicating components, CBD, has found its way into our beauty routines. CBD has become the buzziest hero ingredient across beauty and wellness, popping everywhere from smoothies to serums. The beauty biz has been busy lifting CBD’s potential in medical therapies (e.g., chronic pain, anxiety, and certain types of childhood epilepsy) to skincare, bath, and body products.
What’s Up with Waterless Beauty?
We’re feeling a bit like an astronaut lost in skincare space — first waterless, now freeze-dried beauty. While it might sound a little out there, waterless beauty isn’t a new trend — only now, it comes with a better sustainability story and some interesting new innovations.
“Waterless” (or anhydrous or water-free) personal care products and cosmetics are formulated without — you guessed it — water (you’ll typically see this as aqua or just water in the ingredient list). Lipsticks, pressed powders, dry shampoo, soap bars, balms, and cleansing oils are the most familiar examples, while solid formats like shampoo bars are newer to the market.
Trends We Hope Won’t Stick Around in 2021
There’s plenty that happened in 2020 (and even before) that we’d like to forget, including some skincare trends. Like the Marvel universe, the “beautiverse” continued to expand beyond what we can process and filter. That said, there are always inescapable topics taking over our social media and virtual beauty aisles – ones we may not even be interested in but get forced to think about. Like – do I need a skincare fridge? Or, I’ve got vitamin C, retinol, and sunscreen – do I need something with CBD? We compiled some of the worst of the worst, hoping they either won’t stick around in 2021 or make a more deserved comeback.