From haircare brands tapping Big Data to smartphone apps that match make-up to skin tones, the global beauty industry is already dabbling in the future. And it seems that innovation is concentrated in the skincare sector above all, as people adopt an ageless attitude in their changing societies. But this desire isn't about looking younger; it's about ageing better, according to trend forecasting agency The Future Laboratory, which comprises researchers, journalists, analysts and macro-forecasters. And they should know, since they have become the leading experts in predicting the new directions that will emerge in the worlds of retail, hospitality, lifestyle, design, fashion, business and beauty.
The agency, which works with brands like Chanel and L'Oréal, foresees the rise of the Flat Age Society, to use their term, as a central driver in the future of luxury beauty, already hinted at today by the recent vogue for featuring older women on the catwalk, in advertising campaigns and on fashion blogs. As a Flat Age Society replaces our obsession with youth, skincare is gradually becoming about products that promote wellness rather than anti-ageing formulas. This new attitude is more discreet than in the past, and has led to the mixing of high-impact ingredients with a respect for the skin's natural functions.
The reason why we have more sophisticated skincare knowledge, according to Mila Moursi, Hollywood beautician to the stars, is because we now need to balance extreme science with natural products, especially since high-tech treatments have become so intensive. "Concentrations are higher because we have better high-tech delivery systems within products. That means we can transform the skin quicker but need to temper these new aggressive actives with gentle healing treats." The rise of nourishing face oils, now a must-have for the discerningly skin-aware, proves her point. As does the success of Lars Fredriksson's new brand, Verso.
Fredriksson takes pride in his innovative use of oil as a carrier for the first daylight-safe application of Retinol 8. "The organic oil's anti-inflammatory properties are perfect alongside our Retinol 8 technology. My vision is to give a total experience, with high-tech and results-driven formulas in simplistic and timeless packaging," he says. Verso epitomises how emerging brands employ the industry's tried and tested combination of nature and science in new ways. It also speaks to a modern woman who is as demanding as she is discreet.
Slow-burning trends have also appeared that are gradually re-shaping the luxury industry, as well as shorter-term obsessions in the beauty world. In the past two years, for example, make-up that references outer space has emerged. According to The Future Laboratory, 12,000 people signed up to the waiting list for YSL's Fusion Foundation when it launched last summer. It uses space-age technology, more specifically a material with a honeycomb surface used originally as a technique for trapping fine particles in outer space, because it can absorb four times its weight in sebum, which is why it promises to keep skin matte come rain, shine, humidity or heat.
Equally sensational right now is the use of precious jewels in ultra-high-end skincare. Dr Goldfaden, for instance, uses ruby crystals in his Goldfaden MD face scrub, while 111Skin released its new Celestial Black Diamond Cream last year. The latter was such a hit with Arab customers in London that it will be stocked at Harvey Nichols Dubai as of June. Diamonds aside, 111Skin, both a luxury brand and medical clinic, is one of a handful of companies developing 'boosters', which layer within an existing skincare routine. 111Skin's boosters respond to changing environments as lifestyles modernise, for people who live in overly polluted environments and for those who travel frequently.
Today, it seems that high-end beauty buyers no longer perceive a divide between product treatments, surgical procedures, lifestyle tactics and natural supplements; they are looking to compose their own combined package. The next frontier in this hybrid attitude will emerge from biotech. Research firm Canadean found that 59 per cent of those surveyed would be willing to give blood, skin and hair samples to enable product personalisation. Dr Bays Brown explains that he worked with a biotech company to create bioengineered growth factors before founding his cult line RéVive to develop the first peptides, which stimulate collagen production, a term now familiar across the beauty industry. "Our research has allowed us to identify the active fragment which has more effect. Now we're working in a similar way to develop new ingredients that will change skin health in the future."
Before he gets there, however, the beauty industry may be revolutionised by a new concept that's taking skin health to the next level. Regius Professor at Imperial College London, Christofer Toumazou, has developed a microchip that can perform a DNA test in 30 minutes. Applying this technology, he launched the brand Geneu, a Future Laboratory favourite, that uses DNA-specific accuracy to deliver the ultimate custom-fit skincare. At Geneu's consulting rooms in London's Mayfair, every client's DNA is tested for natural antioxidant protection and natural collagen depletion. This then gets analysed by a computer, which recommends two bespoke serums, one with your best-suited amount of antioxidants and another with your ideal amount of collagen-boosting peptides.
The reason this is revolutionary, explains Geneu's scientific advisor Dr Maria Karvela, is that putting the wrong quantity of active ingredients onto the skin can actually kill its natural processes. "I've seen one in-vitro research trial that reveals using one-size-fits-all products, without testing whether their ingredient levels suit your skin, can destroy it," she asserts, adding, "now we have this technology people can be more informed about caring for their skin". Just as The Future Laboratory predicted futuristic brands would, founder Professor Chris Toumazou emphasises, "Rather than being anti-ageing, Geneu is about your skin's all-round health".
