We’re entering a new cultural phase, where trends emerge from the most unexpected sources and where niche references challenge conventional thinking - and aesthetics. Consumers are trying to survive the metacrisis in any way they can - and are being driven toward the less-traveled path to happiness.
Comfort is found in unconventional places and ugly ingredients and uncanny visuals offer a strangely seductive counterpoint to the overly-sanitized side of skincare.
Our latest inspiration book, Beauty’s New Manifesto: Skincare & Wellness Inspiration from the US, explores the rise of Counter-Culture. Below is a snapshot of one facet of this territory: Trash Beauty, which proposes how the discarded and rejected are becoming valued commodities.
1- Upstreaming Waste
The perception of waste shifts from a thing of ugliness to a critical ingredient. Searches for Upcycling are experiencing a +4.4% increase YoY while searches for Recyclable are averaging at 534.5K a month (Source: Spate). The fashion industry leads beauty in this trend, as brands invest in sustainable material alternatives, and forge a new luxury narrative centered on circularity.
Sustainable brand Pangaia has developed a denim jacket made from 100% recycled cotton. The jacked is made from NuCycl - a trademarked lyocell fiber that contains a mix of pre-and post-consumer textile waste.
2 - Unlikely Heroes
In skincare, the upcycling of food waste has accelerated in recent years as byproducts from the food and drink industry have found their way into the ingredient listings of luxury products.
UK natural skincare brand Haeckels has created a new product range using the coffee bean waste discarded by WatchHouse - a British coffee brand. The Oat Milk Moisturizing Lotion is formulated using coffee beans, avocado seeds and oat milk.
3- Mud, Mud, Mud
As consumers become more comfortable with messy ingredients and textures, dirty wellness experiences are rising as they are onboarded to the mineral-rich benefits of mud. On TikTok, videos of #mudbaths have over 159.2M views.
A new UK-based restaurant pop-up, Dish The Dirt, hopes to further destigmatize soil by making it the focus of immersive, multi-sensory dining experiences. The meal is designed to connect diners with food and soil in a sensorial, innovative manner to underscore the importance of soil nutrition and regeneration.
The CIC Take:
It’s an exciting time for Beauty, as we see individual expression take precedence over homogeneity and we see the impact of more avant-garde, confrontational and challenging influences. Brands have an opportunity to be bold here and excite consumers with unusual, waste ingredients and visceral textures that add a new dimension to their storytelling while also upholding sustainable values.
For a more detailed analysis of Trash Beauty, and the 6 X3 other trends impacting skincare, contact us today to find out how to get hold of our report: Beauty’s New Manifesto: Skincare Inspiration from the US.
Photo credit: Unsplash Amanda Souza