International beauty majors L’Oréal and Johnson & Johnson have launched smart beauty innovations in lipstick, brow care and skin supplements at this year’s CES tech tradeshow.
There have been huge waves of innovation, collaboration and change in the beauty category this past year. Here, CosmeticsDesign-Europe takes a look back at our most-read stories in 2022.
A flurry of patents were filed in 2022 from industry heavyweights, including L’Oréal, Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive and Shiseido. Here, CosmeticsDesign-Europe rounds up our coverage of the year’s patent-worthy innovations.
Entrepreneur and women’s safety campaigner Joy Hoover has developed a lipstick with tech that can protect women from assault by identifying the presence of date rape drugs.
Introducing digital product passports will be a strong move in tackling greenwashing in various industries, including cosmetics, but will also open up plenty of opportunities to differentiate and engage with consumers, says a digital expert.
The skin microbiome remains a highly competitive and innovative field, and advances in technology to better map microorganisms of groups and individuals is going to fast shape the category moving forward, says the CEO of a specialised venture capital...
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from October 2022 shows interest in why beauty ‘tweakments’ could be cause for concern, Unilever’s big breakthrough plans in deodorants and an expert brainstorm on the future of beauty tech.
A South Korean study has tested magnesium microneedle patches on the delicate undereye area and found that it could significantly improve wrinkles in 12 weeks.
Unilever-owned Dove has unveiled a global campaign designed to drive diversity in virtual beauty, collaborating with game developers and a gaming charity to catalyse change and improve female representation in the gaming world.
Building communities and taking a ‘virtual first’ approach will be key to future success in the beauty metaverse, but brands will also need to play outside that space to engage other consumers looking to embrace tech, say industry experts.
Highly personalised beauty continues to soar and advances in specific digital technologies will empower and inform innovators, offering significant promise in areas like consumer wellness and mental health, says an expert.
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from September 2022 shows interest in L’Oréal’s thinking on the potential for live bacteria when targeting the skin microbiome, consumer perceptions around skin glow, big brands brainstorming the future...
Makeup trends over the next three years will be shaped by a rush of post-pandemic creativity and increasing engagement in virtual realities and tech, says WGSN.
Non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as Botox and dermal fillers are rising in popularity, but practitioners and the wider beauty industry must be aware of the long-term impacts to body image these can create on a societal level, say researchers.
Getting your skin analysed from static selfies is set to become a thing of the past as beauty tech firms move to develop new technology to analyse skin and even hair with videos taken with your smartphone.
South Korean beauty major Amorepacific has developed highly personalised bath bombs by measuring consumers’ real-time emotional responses to fragrances and colour, designing formulas with algorithms to match individual moods.
Temporary retail spaces offer beauty brands opportunity to build hype and drive community post-pandemic – both key in an increasingly competitive UK market, says Mintel.
Human skin microbiology specialist Labskin has developed a pigmented skin model in partnership with Bradford University that it says represents a breakthrough for cosmetics and health research and could even lead to new discoveries.
International beauty major Shiseido has advanced scientific understanding on facial sagging via digital research tools and experiments, defining ring collagen as central to face skin morphology and detailing how to reconstruct this network as people aged.
L’Oréal announced the acquisition of physician-dispensed brand Skinbetter Science, which will become part of the multinational’s Active Cosmetics Division.
Leading executives from Sephora, Shiseido and Orveon will join forces to brainstorm the future of beauty tech – discussing opportunities and challenges today and revealing their five-year vision.
Beauty businesses must focus on pushing creativity and building communities on Instagram to spur engagement and drive growth, according to executives of the platform.
Whilst excitement for the metaverse continues to build, this year is only the start of things to come as the space is set take over a decade to fully evolve, say Meta executives.
Beauty tech investments have largely focused on digital and e-commerce, but consumers are looking for technology in-store as well to improve the overall shopping experience, providing significant opportunity for brands and retailers, according to Mintel.
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from August 2022 shows interest in why consumers take collagen supplements, Colgate-Palmolive’s patent on an AI oral health care device, WGSN research on consumer thinking around preservatives, and...
Taiwan-based Perfect Corp has launched new AI tech that enables beauty brands to make personalised product recommendations tailored to consumers’ personality traits.
Technology in beauty is continuing its meteoric rise at supersonic pace, but as consumers look for more innovative and immersive stories, stores, tools and apps, how can beauty stay smart in this space?
Special Edition: BEAUTY 4.0 – THE MAKING OF DIGITAL, TECH-LED CATEGORY
The influencer evolution race is on, with computer-generated alternatives fiercely engaging and exciting audiences within the blurred realms of reality and digital. And there's great promise, as consumers start to dismiss traditional influencer models,...
Beauty brands that hope to utilise TikTok as an effective marketing tool cannot rely on the “same bag of tricks” they have employed with other social media platforms.
Getting the stamp of approval from TikTok can generate a lot of success for beauty brands, but one insider cautions companies not to fall into the trap of letting TikTok dictate their product development.
Personal care giant Colgate-Palmolive has developed a mouth guard shaped smart device designed to measure oral health properties using a series of multispectral sensors.
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from July 2022 shows interest in Unilever’s take on the skin microbiome, WGSN’s trend predictions for skinimalism, L’Oréal’s AR makeup app and the future of the beauty metaverse.
The arrival of TikTok Shop in South East Asia could possibly accelerate the regional growth of social commerce and open the region’s beauty brands to a wider international audience.
The Long Read: Everything beauty needs to consider in the Metaverse
The lucrative potential of virtual beauty products, the complexities of crypto transactions and the sustainable and social challenges surrounding the metaverse must be front of mind as innovation in this fragmented space evolves, say industry experts.
International beauty major L'Oréal has developed a digital makeup software offering virtual cosmetics and makeup artist recommendations for highly personalised augmented reality (AR) ‘looks’ to be used across online video streaming services and image...
Beauty tech is a fascinating and innovative space spurring a wealth of innovation across products, tools and services, and there’s plenty to watch in smart personalisation, self-expression and immersive platforms.
A round-up of CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s most-read news from June 2022 shows interest in Colgate-Palmolive’s strategy to continue premium oral care innovation, scientific findings on sugar beet to balance skin microbiota and big-brand patents from Unilever...
Beauty brands are being tipped to join the non-fungible token (NFT) bandwagon to forge closer bonds with their most loyal customers, something that is becoming increasingly difficult to do today, according to a Web 3 expert.
US beauty manufacturer Clinique has partnered with content and software company Daz 3D to develop and release its first make-up non-fungible token (NFT) campaign.
International beauty major Coty has developed a system that enables dynamic and more representative digital colour adjustments for virtual makeup try-ons, either via video stream or augmented reality (AR).
Biotechnology continues to fast-evolve, presenting great opportunities for the beauty industry to advance in new molecules, improved processes and evidence-based actives, says Givaudan Active Beauty.
The beauty industry has waded through a tough two years but come out stronger and more resilient as it edges deeper into a very different consumer landscape, says the executive editor of market insights firm Beautystreams.
![L'Oréal has unveiled two prototype smart makeup application devices - one for lipstick and another for brows - both designed to make the category more inclusive and accessible [Getty Images]](jpg/l-oreal-and-johnson-johnson-launch-smart-inclusive-beauty-devices-at-ces-tech-tradeshow-2025.jpg)
![Unilever, L'Oréal, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Beiersdorf, Coty and Shiseido all filed important patents in 2022 [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-patents-2022-from-unilever-l-oreal-colgate-palmolive-and-more-focus-on-uv-protection-hair-care-and-technology-2.jpg)
![Each stick covertly holds two test strips that can detect presence of Benzodiazepines – commonly used in date rape drugs like Rohypnol, Ativan, Xanax, and Klonopin – with just one drop of any beverage, alcoholic or not. The lipstick also features a Bluetooth connected 'safety' button to send alerts and messages [Getty Images]](jpg/lipstick-startup-esoes-launches-smart-lipstick-with-date-rape-drug-detection-and-bluetooth-safety-button-2.jpg)
![Consumers and retailers are demanding greater transparency and ways to prove product authenticity, green claims and wider supply chain stories [Getty Images]](jpg/eu-digital-product-passports-good-for-green-beauty-future-says-map-emulsion-and-sorga-founder-2.jpg)
![The future of skin microbiome innovation certainly lies in tech-forward innovation, with microbiome mapping and personalisation at the fore [Getty Images]](jpg/skin-microbiome-innovation-seeing-tech-personalisation-and-south-korea-lead-the-way-says-seventure-partners-2.jpg)
![South Korean study has tested magnesium microneedle patches on the delicate undereye area. [Getty Images]](jpg/microneedle-patches-found-to-significantly-improve-undereye-wrinkles-in-12-weeks-study-2.jpg)
![The collaborative campaign is being spearheaded by a new education program designed to help game creators reflect real-life diversity and avoid contributing to stereotypes and biases in design [Image: Unilever/Dove]](jpg/dove-launches-real-beauty-in-gaming-campaign-to-push-diversity-in-games-and-educate-game-creators-2.jpg)
![The next five years will see plenty of change in beauty tech - a fast-evolving space with significant opportunities gaining momentum worldwide [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-tech-future-trends-2022-2027-include-metaverse-evolution-community-virtual-influencers-and-transparency-2.jpg)
![Beauty brands big and small are being urged to experiment with Web3 concepts such as NFTs and the Metaverse. [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-in-the-metaverse-web3-expert-encourages-beauty-brands-to-make-first-small-steps-into-the-future-2.jpg)
![The fast developments and wider access of these three digital technologies mean beauty companies can start developing smarter and more meaningful personalised offerings [Getty Images]](jpg/personalised-beauty-future-promise-with-genomics-microbiome-analysis-and-biomarker-sensing-says-sagentia-innovation-2.jpg)
![Colour cosmetic consumers will expect more from immersive and virtual worlds, turning to tech to help purchase decisions [Getty Images]](jpg/future-of-makeup-2025-wgsn-report-spotlights-post-pandemic-creativity-beauty-tech-and-metaverse-2.jpg)
![The democratisation of injectables in beauty has seen huge focus on the role of practitioners, but little focus on the lasting impact these procedures have on body image and ideals in society [Getty Images]](jpg/botox-and-fillers-market-must-consider-sociological-impact-long-term-on-identifies-and-body-image-say-researchers-2.jpg)
![Beauty tech firms move to develop new technology to analyse skin and even hair with videos taken with your smartphone. [Getty Images]](jpg/skin-ai-analysis-video-selfies-will-enable-beauty-companies-to-offer-more-accurate-smartphone-enabled-skin-analysis-2.jpg)
![Earlier this year at CEW 2022, Amorepacific unveiled its concept 'Mind-linked bathbot' technology that used neuroscience tools to design bath bombs to align with real-time consumer emotional needs [Getty Images]](jpg/amorepacific-says-neurosciences-key-to-personalised-beauty-details-mind-linked-bathbot-tech-as-example-2.jpg)
![And the brighter and more Instagram-worthy, the better, as UK beauty market competition heats up [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-pop-ups-can-build-hype-and-community-in-competitive-uk-market-says-mintel-2.jpg)
![The latest skin model opens up a variety of research opportunities in cosmetics, dermatology and beyond [Image: Labskin/Deepverge]](jpg/labskin-pigmented-3d-lab-grown-skin-model-research-and-npd-opportunities-cast-2.jpg)
![Shiseido has mapped out a ring collagen network present in facial skin that is crucial to morphology as a person ages [Getty Images]](jpg/shiseido-identifies-ring-collagen-network-as-central-to-ageing-signs-in-facial-skin-2.jpg)
![Sephora says it is incorporating digital technology with the human touch via its first Asia ‘next-gen’ store. [Sephora]](jpg/sephora-s-next-gen-site-mixes-high-tech-tools-with-the-human-touch-2.jpg)
![How will beauty retail evolve? What might products look like? And how will brands bring everything together online and in-store? [Getty Images]](jpg/cosmeticsdesign-beauty-tech-webinar-with-sephora-shiseido-orveon-and-experts-brainstorm-future-2.jpg)
![Content creators on Instagram should be closely looked at as part of future beauty brand growth plans on the platform [Getty Images]](jpg/instagram-reels-lives-and-video-key-to-creativity-community-and-growth-say-execs-2.jpg)
![Many precursors of the metaverse already exist - the likes of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) - but the true potential remains some years off [Getty Images]](jpg/meta-and-instagram-talk-metaverse-beauty-potential-over-next-10-15-years-3.jpg)
![A large number of UK adults who buy beauty and grooming products say in-store technology would help the overall shopping experience [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-tech-in-store-holds-great-promise-for-consumer-experience-and-shopping-journey-says-mintel-2.jpg)
![Perfect Corp has launched new AI tech that makes personalised product recommendations tailored to personality traits. [Getty Images]](jpg/ai-powered-personalised-beauty-brands-investing-in-ai-and-ar-are-growing-in-double-digits-2.jpg)
![Global beauty brands and retailers continue to invest fast in tech-led innovation, from metaverse experiences through to at-home fragrance blending [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-tech-cosmeticsdesign-webinar-with-sephora-shiseido-orveon-mintel-and-the-virtual-events-group-2.jpg)
![As the digital world continues to evolve, so too do opportunities in working with virtual influencers and computer-generated humans [Getty Images]](jpg/virtual-influencers-super-exciting-space-says-wgsn-with-beauty-diversity-and-engagement-promise-2.jpg)
![Insider cautions cosmetic companies not to fall into the trap of letting TikTok dictate their product development. [GettyImages]](jpg/tiktok-beauty-pitfalls-of-allowing-tiktok-to-dictate-product-development-2.jpg)
![Diagnostic data from the device can then be displayed directly via a consumer app or communicated through a virtual assistant, with recommendations on oral hygiene routines and products [Getty Images]](jpg/colgate-palmolive-patents-oral-health-smart-device-to-track-hygiene-at-home-2.jpg)
![TikTok Shop in South East Asia could possibly accelerate the regional growth of social commerce. [Getty Images]](jpg/what-the-presence-of-tiktok-shop-in-sea-means-for-beauty-and-social-commerce-2.jpg)
![Everyone is talking about the metaverse, but what should beauty brands and retailers be thinking about? [Getty Images]](jpg/metaverse-trends-in-beauty-include-nfts-virtual-makeup-social-responsibility-and-sustainability-say-experts-2.jpg)
![The digital makeup artist app enables users to create Augmented Reality (AR) images and filters of themselves that can be posted across online platforms or used during video streaming services like Microsoft Teams or Google Hangouts [Getty Images]](jpg/l-oreal-patents-makeup-artist-virtual-makeup-app-for-augmented-reality-images-and-video-streaming-2.jpg)
![There are huge numbers of brands and manufacturers offering super-smart beauty products, tools and services as technology continues to evolve rapidly [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-tech-2022-trends-see-tinder-style-apps-jewellery-nfts-and-printable-temporary-tattoos-2.jpg)
![Unilever's prestige hair care brand, Living Proof, makes a C-suite change by appointing Katie Glowski as Chief Sales Officer. [Living Proof]](jpg/living-proof-welcomes-new-chief-sales-officer-katie-glowski-2.jpg)
![Beauty brands are being tipped to join the non-fungible token (NFT) bandwagon to forge closer bonds with their most loyal customers. [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-nfts-brands-can-use-nfts-to-reinforce-connection-with-super-fans-2.jpg)
![The technology enables users to try on more realistic colour cosmetics in an Augmented Reality (AR) setting or via video stream [Getty Images]](jpg/coty-patent-on-virtual-makeup-try-on-tech-for-augmented-reality-and-video-streaming-2.jpg)
![Biotechnology can be leveraged for plenty of beauty applications, from creating new molecules through to improving existing processes [Getty Images]](jpg/biotech-beauty-holds-huge-promise-to-create-new-molecules-and-improve-processes-says-givaudan-active-beauty-2.jpg)
![Despite a very different post-pandemic landscape, there are key consumer and planetary needs driving trends in beauty [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-trends-after-covid-19-feature-fun-sensory-personalised-and-eco-friendly-says-beautystreams-2.jpg)
![Consumers across the UK and Europe use beauty and personal care products as a means to boost self-esteem and confidence and this needs to be communicated more [Getty Images]](jpg/cosmetic-toiletry-and-perfumery-association-ctpa-talks-2023-sustainability-and-essentiality-importance-4.jpg)
![L'Oréal has unveiled two prototype smart makeup application devices - one for lipstick and another for brows - both designed to make the category more inclusive and accessible [Getty Images]](jpg/l-oreal-and-johnson-johnson-launch-smart-inclusive-beauty-devices-at-ces-tech-tradeshow-2026.jpg)
![The beta-glucans and polyphenols in mushrooms are particularly interesting for the cosmeceutical and nutraceutical spaces [Getty Images]](jpg/mushrooms-offer-cosmeceutical-nutraceutical-promise-around-skin-health-immunity-and-wellness-finds-review-2.jpg)
![Beauty for 'taboo' topics like acne, menopause and sexual wellness will be one important trend to watch in 2023 [Getty Images]](jpg/nielseniq-beauty-trends-2023-highlight-retail-shift-taboo-beauty-and-at-home-salon-treatments-as-key-2.jpg)
![A team at the University of Tours researched natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) and the potential to use these in cosmetic creams and gels [Getty Images]](jpg/university-of-tours-france-research-on-nades-extracts-from-microalgae-for-multifunctional-cosmetics-promise-2.jpg)
![As the sustainable beauty space booms, building and maintaining trust with consumers will be key for brands [Getty Images]](jpg/sustainable-beauty-executives-say-brands-must-rethink-marketing-to-include-certification-value-for-money-and-education-efforts-2.jpg)
![The British Beauty Council will be supporting industry members in 2023 amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis, political uncertainties and continued need to drive sustainable change [Getty Images]](jpg/british-beauty-council-2022-report-outlines-challenges-ahead-for-beauty-industry-and-2023-goals-2.jpg)
![Leading beauty and personal care brands on three emerging markets it is keeping an eye on. [Getty Images]](jpg/all-eyes-on-three-emerging-markets-to-watch-for-beauty-and-personal-care-growth-in-2024.jpg)
![The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at last month's COP15 should provide a stronger means for implementation of finance and strategies to protect biodiversity [Getty Images]](jpg/un-biodiversity-conference-cop15-in-montreal-results-in-historic-deal-to-protect-people-and-planet-2.jpg)
![Campomanesia leaves are just one plant extract identified as offering UV protective properties because of an array of active constituents in this part of the plant [Getty Images]](jpg/botanicals-likely-to-be-the-future-of-sunscreens-review-2.jpg)
