The beauty industry is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by scientific advancements and evolving consumer expectations. The convergence of clean beauty, longevity-focused skincare, menopausal care, medical aesthetics, personalized treatments, and microbiome research underscores a shift towards evidence-based, high-performance formulations. As cosmetic science continues to integrate cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices, the industry is poised to offer more effective, safer, and ethically responsible products, aligning with the future of cosmetics innovation.
The cosmetics industry is evolving from anti-ageing claims to a positive ageing approach, emphasizing health over youth. Brands focus on renewal and glow, aligning with consumer desires for well-being and lifestyle quality. This shift supports the ageing process, offering emotional and sensory benefits through skincare. With the ageing population expected to exceed 1.5 billion by 2050, demand for such products is rising, significantly influencing market growth.
Longevity and Long-Term Skin Health
The increasing focus on environmental factors, including pollution and the exposome, is driving the development of new skincare evaluation protocols. The demand for specific claims such as antioxidant efficacy is now expanding towards more advanced biomarker-based studies. This paradigm shift underscores a transition from purely aesthetic skincare to a more comprehensive approach that prioritizes long-term skin health. In 2024, emerging claims such as “regenerating,” “firming,” and “repairing” have gained prominence, following the enduring demand for “anti-aging” products. This evolution parallels the rise of clinical testing methodologies that embrace the “well-aging” concept—an approach centered on maintaining skin health, natural beauty, and overall well-being, rather than merely combating signs of aging. Consumers increasingly favor products that offer sustainable, long-term benefits, reflecting a more balanced and scientifically grounded perspective on aging.
Innovations in Postmenopausal Skincare
The development of skincare formulations tailored specifically for menopausal women reflects an increased awareness of their unique dermatological and physiological needs. This transition signifies a broader societal transformation, wherein menopause is no longer a taboo but an integral factor in brand development strategies. The decline in estrogen levels induces significant skin changes, including reduced density and elasticity, increased dryness, slower cellular renewal, and diminished collagen and hyaluronic acid production. In response, the cosmetic industry is formulating targeted products designed to enhance hydration, mitigate inflammation, and counteract oxidative stress to reinforce the skin barrier. Furthermore, menopausal skincare is adopting a holistic approach that integrates topical treatments with nutraceuticals to promote overall well-being. This convergence of external and internal care highlights a commitment to scientifically driven, comprehensive solutions that address both the aesthetic and functional aspects of aging skin.
Medicalization of Skincare
Consumers are increasingly seeking skincare with clinically proven efficacy, merging cosmetics and medical aesthetics. The rise of non-invasive treatments like botulinum toxin and laser therapies influences cosmetic advancements, particularly in pre- and post-procedural care with regenerative formulations. Dermocosmetics now undergo rigorous in vitro, ex-vivo, and clinical testing to ensure efficacy and safety. This shift demands pharmaceutical-grade standards and transparent communication of scientifically validated results in the cosmetic industry.
Personalization and Advanced Diagnostics
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge skin diagnostic technologies—such as 3D imaging, spectroscopy, and biometric analysis—has enabled highly personalized skincare solutions. Dermatology-inspired product lines are leveraging microbiome profiling, genetic screening, and DNA-based diagnostics to develop bespoke treatment protocols. This precision-driven approach allows consumers to receive tailored formulations that address their unique skin conditions, optimizing therapeutic outcomes and reinforcing consumer trust in science-backed beauty solutions.
The Expanding Field of Microbiome Research
Scientific interest in the microbiome has intensified, emphasizing its pivotal role in skin health. The microbiota comprises diverse microorganisms on the skin, while the microbiome includes these organisms, their genetic material, and host interactions. This perspective underscores the microbiome’s role in skin homeostasis and immune modulation. Advances in research are fostering skincare innovations with prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics to bolster cutaneous resilience.
Biomarkers and omics analysis
In 2025, advancements in skin biomarker analysis through advanced skin sampling are revolutionizing cosmetic science, enabling a deeper understanding of cutaneous physiology and product efficacy at the molecular level. Cutting-edge multi-omics studies allow for comprehensive profiling of skin conditions facilitating their identification of molecular signatures. The innovations in omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) and in non-invasive optical techniques such as LC-OCT, Raman spectroscopy, electron or confocal microscopy are driving the evaluation of the performance of highly targeted skincare with unparalleled precision.
The Exposome Process Beyond the Senescence Mechanisms
Skin ageing is influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including exposomes like sun exposure and pollution, and the biological clock governed by genetics. Ageing signs such as skin thinning and dryness vary by phototype. UV rays induce dermal damage through oxidative stress. Longevity treatments enhance circulation, stimulate collagen, and redefine contours using moisturizing and exfoliating ingredients. These treatments impact skin physiology, particularly epidermis-dermis-hypodermis exchanges. Modern lifestyles drive the integration of advanced technologies like genomics and AI in developing targeted skincare solutions, meeting regulatory standards and consumer needs.
The Studies of Skin Age Perception
Taking a closer look at the realm of anti-ageing products, they constitute the most abundant and precisely targeted category within cosmetic offerings. These products, apart from varying in regulatory status across different regions, generally claim multiple effects on various mechanisms:
- They aim at specific targets such as skin relief, collagen, cellular communication, and the dermo-epidermal junction.
- These treatments address localized areas like crow’s feet, lion’s wrinkles, and the contours of the face.
- They also target different skin depths, whether it’s the epidermis, dermal-epidermal junction, or the dermis itself.
Additionally, these products are interconnected within diverse mechanisms involving cells and biochemistry, encompassing microbiota, keratinocytes, fibroblasts, melanocytes, and nervous receptors.
Beyond the conventional improvements in skin surface and structure, skincare tailored for mature skin also promises enhancements in emotional well-being and sensorial properties. Nevertheless, the visible signs of ageing continue to be meticulously studied as tangible proof of product efficacy.
These products pledge to restore tissue elasticity, redefine facial contours, and enhance plumpness and volume. The significance of specific signs of ageing varies among different ethnicities. For instance, in Asian populations, skin tone, dullness, and hyperpigmentation are commonly considered signs of ageing, whereas among Caucasians, wrinkles around the eyes and forehead hold more importance. Additionally, sagging around the mouth and jawline tends to be observed earlier in some ethnicities.
The spectrum of anti-ageing claims is expansive, encompassing notions like firmness, radiance, anti-sagging, energizing effects, barrier function improvement, increased cellular renewal, and the reduction of senescence spots.
The signs of skin ageing can be categorized into several aspects:
- Skin color and pigmentation issues like redness, tone, radiance, age spots, and dark circles under the eyes.
- Skin topography & relief concern including crow’s feet, furrow lines, upper lip and under-eye wrinkles, and skin roughness.
- Skin structure variations encompassing thickness, the dermal-epidermal junction, and barrier function.
- Volume-related changes in the face, nasolabial sagging or smile lines, puffiness, and eyelids.
- Biomechanical properties such as firmness and elasticity.
These delineations help capture the multifaceted nature of skin ageing and the diverse range of concerns addressed by anti-ageing skincare products.
In recent years, scientists have increasingly highlighted the relationship between the skin and the brain as one that is constant, profound, and complex. This relationship manifests itself in multiple, bidirectional interactions through biochemical, electrical, or neuronal signals in response to a variety of psychological and external environments, including stress and emotions. In immune processes, the skin works closely with the brain to modulate the responses and information transmitted.
The Various Ways to Objectivate anti-ageing claims
Cosmetic brands have a valuable opportunity to substantiate pro-ageing effects through rigorous biometrological and scientific measures. Conducting efficacy studies aligns with regulations in different global regions, with European cosmetics adhering to common Product Information File (P.I.F) guidelines.
To support product claims, adherence to six common criteria is essential (Legal compliance, Truthfulness, Evidential support, Honesty and Security, Fairness and equity, Informed decision-making), although specific norms exist for sensory analysis and sun protection index (cf. ISO). Guidelines such as EEMCO and Good Clinical Practices provide frameworks for human testing, ensuring consumer protection against misleading claims and upholding the industry’s credibility.
In the realm of “Longevity”, the concept of ‘anti-ageing’ gives way to ‘pro-age’ or ‘plain age,’ considering skin condition holistically. Evaluating product properties involves a sensory, sometimes neurosensory, and holistic approach. The impact on quality of life, sensations, and feelings is measured, with investigators selecting tests from five main categories: consumer tests, sensory or emotional analysis, biometrological studies, and clinical scores. Protocol designs often combine two or three categories to assess a product comprehensively.
Various devices facilitating quantitative, semi-quantitative, or imaging assessments are available for different skincare targets, offering multiple validation methods for product performance. Researchers design multi-parametric protocols based on specific skin effects being studied.
Regardless of study scale, biometrological techniques prioritize precise data acquisition, optimal repositioning, high resolution, quick capture time, and automated rotation systems for accuracy. It’s crucial for investigators to collaborate closely with Contract Research Organizations (CROs) to meticulously design protocols, define inclusion criteria, establish measurement timelines, treatment conditions, and select optimal devices. Investing time in briefing these essential elements is never wasted; it ensures the integrity and reliability of the study outcomes.
Anne Charpentier, Skinobs
