Whole Foods Outlines 5 Consumer Trends

One of the five trends outlined was nighttime hairstyling to help consumers reclaim time in the morning with products that work to help achieve hair goals.
One of the five trends outlined was nighttime hairstyling to help consumers reclaim time in the morning with products that work to help achieve hair goals.
Photo 4970710 © Ioana Grecu | Dreamstime.com

Experts on Whole Foods Market’s trends council unveiled their annual list of top five beauty trends for the yearceramides, prickly pear, translucent zinc sunscreen, overnight hairstyling and jelly-textured skin care–along with a list of corresponding products.

Related: Spate: US Consumer Trends on Sunscreen, Lip Gloss and Scalp Serum

Whole Foods Market’s top five beauty and self-care trend predictions for 2022:

  1. Ceramides: Ceramides distribute key fluids and nutrients that help support skin moisturization and elasticity. Because of their benefits, they’re popping up in products from brands such as ACURE, which uses a vegetable-derived lipid concentrate in a facial lotion and more.
  2. Prickly pear: Prickly pear fruit contains amino acids as well as vitamins E and K, which help enhance the appearance of glowing skin. Prickly pear is seen mostly in oils, serums and masks that utilize its fruit-scented, skin moisturizing properties.
  3. Clear sunscreen: Consumers no longer want to apply a thick white paste to their face. Because of this, brands are looking to formulate products that eliminate the white cast by favoring translucent non-nano zinc that reportedly leaves a less visible residue. Recommended sunscreen products that do this are Undefined Beauty’s R&R Sun Serum; cocokind’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Lotion SPF 32; Mad Hippie’s Hydrating Facial SPF 25+; DERMA E’s Vitamin C Weightless Moisturizer SPF 45; and ACURE’s Radically Rejuvenating Day Cream SPF 30.
  4. Nighttime hairstyling: Hair care brands are helping consumers reclaim time with products that work to help achieve hair goals. Specifically, there’s an assortment of treatments and styling accessories designed to be used overnight. It is advised to apply nighttime hair products before bed to maintain style and texture. Keep an eye out for sleep caps, scrunchies, leave-in conditioners and masques that bring out natural textures to hair. 
  5. Jelly forms: What is noted to be the trendiest texture of 2022 are skin-loving jellies. Brands are enhancing ingredients and revamping formulas to produc water-based products that moisturize without the mess and come with extra oil.

Beauty Bags in Stores March 18

In addition, Whole Foods Market’s Beauty Bags will be available in limited quantities in stores only starting Friday, March 18. This year, shoppers can choose from two different curated assortments:

  • Bright Ideas bag: This bag features skin-loving products packed with ingredients such as vitamin C, which support glowing skin; and
  • Glow & Go bag: This bag features moisturizing products with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid. 

Valued at more than $120 and retailing for $25 each, the Beauty Bags are filled with mixes of mini and full-sized products from brands such as Karuna, Acure, Mad Hippie, evanhealy, HiBAR and Facetory. Each assortment comes in a Queen Alaffia cosmetic bag, handprinted by artisans in Togo, West Africa.

Recently: NPD Group: Consumers Looking to Clinical Brands, Skinimalism

Whole Foods has noted that it has banned more than 180 ingredients, including parabens, phthalates, microbeads and triclosan from all beauty and body care products it sells. Additionally, Whole Foods Market requires third-party certification for organic label claims on personal care products as there are no mandatory government standards for “organic” claims on body care products.

“Consumers continue to invest in beauty as we’ve adjusted to a new normal, and we’re seeing a focus on conscious and at-home beauty treatments,” said Jen Coccaro, vice president of whole body merchandising at Whole Foods Market. “Our customers are keeping a close eye on ingredients as they experiment with new items and come to us for our standards that go beyond typical 'clean beauty' claims and ban more than 180 ingredients.”

More in Consumers/Market