Hectic lifestyles are catching up with us. Working around the clock, constantly connecting through blue light-emitting devices, dietary decline and physical and mental stress have all taken their toll on not just our skin but our health in general. We’ve even invented a new word to separate quantity of life from quality of life—i.e., lifespan vs. healthspan. Not to mention the fact that in some cases, the very mitochondria powering us are losing steam.
There’s good news, though. These negative effects haven’t gone unnoticed, and what was once an undercurrent toward health, fitness and wellness has become a bigger wave. According to Womensmarketing.com, the next trillion dollar global industry will be health and wellness; dominated by beauty and anti-aging products at $679 billion; fitness and mind/body exercise at $390 billion; and healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss products at $277 billion.
The cosmetics and personal care industry has experienced this movement first-hand, and responded to consumer demand with gym-compatible cosmetics, i.e., sweatproof, portable, etc.; sunscreen enhanced makeup; infrared and blue light protection; and nutritive, pampering skin care; among others. Probably the best example is the facial mask market. As reported by Global Cosmetic Industry, within just five years (2011–2016), this market swelled with an astonishing CAGR of 29%.
This consumer driver for health and wellness will no doubt flow into the New Year and beyond. As such, this issue takes inspiration from the spa world. Here, we unfold the mysteries of facial masks, shrink pores at their core, replace PE microbeads with natural abrasives, and look to the steamy future of spa and wellness. We also dive into CRISPR, CAS-9 and epigenetics; these ultra-targeted technologies are spilling over into the cosmetics scene and definitely areas to explore.
We hope you enjoy this issue, and from all of us at Cosmetics & Toiletries to you and yours, we wish you the very best holiday season and success in the New Year.
Rachel L. Grabenhofer
Cosmetics & Toiletries Managing Editor
