As a beauty consumer, it’s important to understand the right products for your skin and what they contain. When choosing a new skincare range, or products in a range to complement an existing skincare regime, don’t just look at the price only, innovation and the use of the latest technology in cosmetology, quality and versatility are just a few additional aspects to consider.
Staying on trend
One of the top trends for 2018 is that beauty is seen as an extension of health and wellness. Products with harmful ingredients are avoided while those with natural active ingredients that are good for both the skin and the body seem to be the legitimate ones to go for.
Versatility
Most people are looking for products that offer more than just one benefit. With busy lifestyles and less time to spend on beauty regimes, skincare products that can be used for a multitude of skin concerns are selling like hot cakes. “A beauty product should rebalance and moisturise, as well as help combat the effects of ageing, for instance,” explains acclaimed scientist Mirjana Brlečić, the brain behind Nikel Cosmetics, a natural skincare range from Croatia, recently launched in South Africa.
Rooibos 3-in-1 facial cleanser.
Efficacy
Active-ingredient concentration, the overall formulation, and pH all play a vital role in the effectiveness of the skincare product. Strict regulations have been placed as a protocol for ingredient list, thus meaning ingredients must be listed from highest to lowest concentration. When choosing your products, verify whether the active ingredients that are advertised are actually present and will be effective in the product.
Ingredients
The demand for natural ingredients is increasing rapidly. This is because people have become very aware of the harmful effects synthetic chemicals can have on their skin.
Quality
How that product has been manufactured reflects directly on its ingredients, and as a result, it should adhere to the European Union (EU) Regulations. The EU regulations set out guidelines for sourcing raw materials from reputable suppliers’ up until the final product. These guidelines ensure products are manufactured to the highest and most consistent standards.
Quantity
When purchasing high-quality skincare products, less is more. Brlečić says “a good-quality product should use the highest concentration of active ingredients, so the end user has to apply only a small amount. To get an idea of the true value of the product you’re looking to purchase, take note of the application instructions to estimate how much of the product needs to be used and how often.”
Clean labeling
Clean labeling is a rising trend among food consumers who are about recognisable natural ingredient – and this trend is expanding into the beauty industry. Everyone wants to know what they are putting on their skin and that there will be no harmful effects, hence the ingredients list is the first place consumers look to see what ingredients the product contains, and the more natural the ingredients, the better.
Packaging
The big trend in beauty packaging is ‘Instagrammable packaging’. With social media playing a huge role in people’s lives, products that have packaging that photographs well, with a clean or colourful look and feel, will get noticed. Standing out from the rest is necessary for this increasingly saturated market.
Well packaged Nikel hidris facial cream. Picture: Supplied.
Technology
Beauty houses are constantly finding new and innovative ways to advance skincare. UV damage protector has become the biggest thing that every beauty house wants to invest in. They have realised that using traditional age-old ingredients with the help of the latest science and technology in cosmetology, can do just that.
Beauty without cruelty
Ethical skincare is very much on trend, informed consumers are no longer happy to use products that contain animal by-products or that are tested on animals. The EU Regulations stipulate that no animal testing is allowed on either the raw materials or the final product.
Ajeless Africa products which are without animal cruelty.