Luxury Brands Go Clean: Well-known luxury labels have been slow to take up the clean beauty gauntlet, leaving smaller indie brands to lead the charge. With the debut of Chanel’s new No. 1 de Chanel collection, that is about to change. The 9-piece collection, centered around anti-aging red camellia extract, is the first clean skincare line and refillable offering from the brand to date. Made with up to 97% ingredients of natural origin, the products are packaged in components that are 30% lighter, reducing the carbon footprint associated with shipping. It shows that Chanel has been paying attention to consumer demand for not just cleaner formulas but also more eco-friendly packaging.
Sexual Wellness Debuts At Big Beauty Retail: As the lines between beauty and wellness continue to blur, Sephora is introducing two new sexual wellness brands online this month: Maude, a line of clean and conscious lubricants, vibrators and body products and Dame, a line of sex toys and accessories. Both brands will be available along with an existing assortment of sexual wellness products from Sephora mainstays like Moon Juice and Flora + Bast.
Probiotics Make Way for Prebiotics & Postbiotics: While probiotic skincare has been a clean beauty cornerstone for years, the bacteria-friendly category is continuing to expand as science discovers more and more about the skin microbiome. Now, brands are marketing products with not just probiotics, but also prebiotics–substances that feed good bacteria–and bacterial byproducts called postbiotics. Skincare veterans like Paula’s Choice and newcomers like Editrix both have offerings that claim to better balance the skin microbiome and counteract skin issues like breakouts, sensitivity, and redness.
European Clean Standards Go Mainstream: For decades, clean beauty diehards have touted European standards as a step above the USFDA’s safety regulations. But for years, products that met European standards were only available from niche brands. Now, mass beauty powerhouse, e.l.f. has announced that its entire line meets EU regulations. While much of the brand’s collection already complied, full compliance required reformulating over 350 SKUs. A brand as widely accessible as e.l.f. making this move marks an important step towards progress for the industry at large, but also signals that clean ingredients alone will no longer be a significant differentiator in the industry.