The beauty industry is at an interesting inflection point when it comes to the topics of longevity and anti-aging. The goal now is no longer simply covering up signs of aging with short-term solutions, but rather addressing the signs at a cellular level. By targeting the biological mechanisms in the skin that cause typical signs of aging, formulators can get to the root of the problem.
And consumers are driving this shift as well. According to Neutrogena’s Skin Rewind Survey, 95% of women surveyed are seeking anti-aging solutions. Nearly 2 out of 3 respondents listed fine lines and wrinkles as top signs of aging, but only 42% said they currently use specialized anti-aging solutions1.
The global anti-aging product market is expected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 7% over the next five years, according to ResearchAndMarkets2. There is a clear demand for products that address aging in a healthy way, and cosmetics brands are leveraging that opportunity. New technologies that address the cellular signs of aging are set to continue this growth in the future, with consumers becoming more and more aware of science-backed beauty and brands continuing to innovate with actives.
C&T solicited our experts across the industry to learn about what they are seeing in the longevity and well-aging space.
- Nathalie Chevrot, global skin care category director, advanced actives, Symrise
- Justine Cotton, global marketing, Ashland
- Dr. Bhuvana Kannan, director, Hyperganic Group
- Claire Liu, market and digital manager, Seppic
- Amandine Scandolera, head of biological evaluation, Givaudan Active Beauty
What current trends are you seeing in longevity and well-aging in the beauty and personal care industry?
Nathalie Chevrot [NC]: The beauty industry is moving beyond traditional anti‑aging toward a longevity and healthspan‑driven approach. Rather than focusing solely on correcting visible signs of aging, brands are increasingly aiming to support skin function over time, with an emphasis on regeneration, resilience and long‑term vitality.
This shift is accompanied by growing interest in biologically inspired ingredients that align with how skin naturally maintains balance and performance. Consumers are looking for solutions that offer regenerative properties, and that are both science‑backed, and naturally derived, combining credibility, sustainability and long‑term benefits. As a result, concepts such as well‑aging, skin resilience and cellular vitality are becoming central to innovation strategies across premium skincare.
Dr. Bhuvana Kannan [BK]: I see a transition in the mindset of consumers. The move is from "stop aging" to "support aging," which is healthy transition in my opinion. Consumers are clearly supporting "science-led" longevity skincare and, as a result, brands are adopting more of biological optimization than just cosmetics.
For instance, instead of exfoliating or stripping, products are now designed to help skin repair itself better. Skin is no longer treated as a surface, but as an ecosystem. Therefore, there is big trend towards microbiome balance, meaning we are moving from “kill and correct” to “balance and support”. Intentions are changing from rejenuvation to preventative measures and embracing the ageing factor but also understanding the skin system to work with it inside out.
Claire Liu [CL]: We are witnessing a major paradigm shift: the industry is moving away from "anti-aging," a reactive approach to visible signs, toward "skin longevity," a proactive strategy targeting the biological root causes of aging. This trend is anchored in the 12 hallmarks of aging described by Carlos López-Otín3, where the focus is on cellular health rather than surface aesthetics. We see growing interest in mechanisms such as cellular senescence, mitochondrial vitality, and the maintenance of proteostasis to preserve skin’s functional integrity over time.
Svitlana at Adobe Stock
What future directions might these trends take? Where is there potential?
Justine Cotton [JC]: Mitochondria emerge as the core control center of skin aging, linking energy metabolism, repair, inflammation and resilience. Large brands (e.g., Lancôme x Timeline) are investing heavily in mitochondria-targeted skincare, positioning it as the next performance frontier.
In addition, we are seeing that single-mechanism actives are losing appeal. Longevity ingredients are now expected to act on multiple aging pathways at once; that's why the mitochondria, which is a key driver of many aging mechanisms, is a hot topic of interest.
[BK]: Looking ahead, longevity in beauty is moving toward a more precise and biology-driven approach. Instead of broad anti-aging claims, we will see products designed to target specific pathways like inflammation, cellular energy and microbiome balance, often supported by measurable biomarkers.
There is strong potential in multifunctional ingredients that deliver effective results at low concentrations, simplifying formulations while supporting sustainability. Personalization will also become more advanced, with routines shaped by skin diagnostics, lifestyle and even microbiome data, allowing products to adapt over time.
Another key direction is the merging of topical skincare with internal wellness, where nutrition and skin health are treated as one connected system. At the same time, sustainability will become a core performance factor, driving innovation in waste-to-value ingredients and responsible sourcing. Overall, the future lies in creating smarter, adaptive solutions that work with the skin’s biology, focusing on maintaining long-term health rather than correcting visible signs of aging.
How are consumer trends and insights shaping these trends?
[JC]: Consumers and brands increasingly expect quantifiable proof and biological age metrics, not just claims to act at the source.Consumers are
Arif at Adobe Stock
This mirrors macro trends in wellness, nutrition and preventive health. Consumers are now actors of their health and skin span by finding solutions to biohack their conditions.
[CL]: Consumers, particularly "skintellectuals," now demand science-based beauty". They prioritize transparency and tangible biological proof over marketing claims. Insights show a shift toward holistic health, where skin vitality is seen as a reflection of overall cellular wellness. This drives the need for active ingredients backed by robust clinical data and clearly elucidated biological mechanisms.
What are the main challenges in this space? Where are there opportunities to innovate?
[CL]: The primary challenge is translating complex molecular biology, like the hallmarks of aging, into visible clinical benefits that consumers can perceive. However, a major emerging risk is "longevity washing," where the category could be diluted by marketing labels that lack substantial scientific grounding. To maintain consumer trust, the industry must establish clear standards based on biological targets and clinical validation.
The real opportunity to innovate lies in moving beyond buzzwords to provide robust, transparent evidence of impact. Brands that can demonstrate exactly which mechanism they are addressing with high-level proof will lead the market. This commitment to scientific rigor is precisely what guides our choice of technologies.
Amandine Scandolera [AS]: The science of aging has significantly evolved over the past decades, moving from anti-aging to well-aging, and now embracing longevity. At the same time, the cosmetic industry is shifting its focus from skin beauty to skin health.
Consumers’ growing knowledge and expectations, combined with cutting-edge technological advances, continuously push scientific boundaries and help us decode the deeper mechanisms of skin ageing. We now clearly understand that the ageing process cannot be stopped—but we can rebalance dysregulated biological pathways to decelerate it. This marks a new era of skin longevity.
While much remains to be discovered, we are currently exploring sophisticated biological networks to better understand and potentially reverse aspects of skin ageing, promoting long-term skin resilience. This insight enables us to design preventive and corrective cosmetic solutions with one main challenge: keeping the skin healthier for longer.
What technologies will enable these directions, and how?
[NC]: Technologies that bridge biological inspiration, advanced processes and formulation science will play a key role in enabling longevity‑focused skincare. In particular, plant-based extracellular vesicles (exosomes) are gaining attention for their ability to reflect nature’s own communication systems, while remaining compatible with cosmetic requirements when properly developed.
[AS]: We reinvented our product design approach to target deeper mechanisms of skin aging. To achieve this, we needed to develop molecules that act at the cellular level—able to penetrate skin cells and precisely regulate intracellular pathways.
References
- Neutrogena Skin Rewind Survey, https://www.kenvue.com/pt-br/en-in/locations/india/neutrogena-unveils-findings-from-skin-rewind-survey
- Anti-Aging Products Market Research Report, https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/6176591/anti-aging-products-market-research-report?utm_source=GNE&utm_medium=PressRelease&utm_code=g624z5&utm_campaign=2110109+-+Anti-Aging+Products+Research+Report+2025%3a+A+%2478.34+Billion+Market+by+2030%2c+Fueled+by+Advancements+in+Clean+Beauty%2c+Preventive+Skincare%2c+and+Targeted+Product+Innovation&utm_exec=chdomspi
- Carlos López-Otín, Maria A. Blasco, Linda Partridge, Manuel Serrano, Guido Kroemer, “Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe”,Cell, Volume 186, Issue 2, 2023, ISSN 0092-8674, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.11.001
