Industry News: LIFELONG CARE: The Changing Face of Beauty in the Age of Longevity

In recent years, there has been a notable shift toward prioritizing longevity and health-span, or the period of life spent in good health, as key areas of focus, not only within the scientific community but also across industries, including beauty. This shift is driven by a growing recognition of the importance of not just extending lifespan, but also enhancing the quality of life and promoting overall well-being through a variety of lifestyle changes.

Researchers have recently turned their attention to regions known as blue zones, where populations exhibit exceptional longevity and a reduced incidence of age-related diseases. These blue zones, such as Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California have attracted significant interest due to their unique demographics and lifestyles. By studying these populations, researchers look to uncover the distinct factors, or set of factors, that promote such remarkable longevity and overall health and vitality.

Interest in longevity and lifelong care is growing, and the beauty and wellness industries are growingly recognizing the importance of integrating these insights into their practices and communications to resonate with consumers who are increasingly attentive to their health. In recent industry news, beauty giants Estée Lauder Companies and L'Oréal have both invested in longevity-related initiatives. Recently announcing its new Skin Longevity platform, the Estée Lauder Companies has invested in the formation of a longevity expert collective across multiple disciplines to educate and empower consumers to rethink how they approach skincare and lifestyle. Meanwhile, L'Oréal Groupe's venture capital fund, BOLD (Business Opportunities for L'Oréal Development), announced in January their investment in Swiss consumer health company Timeline, a biotech focusing on aging and longevity. The multidimensional and multi-industry impact of research into longevity comes at a time when consumers are eager for solutions that support their overall health, beyond just meeting cosmetic needs.

While health and wellness are generally a priority for consumers across generations, younger demographics like Generation Z place significantly more importance on their health and show above-average interest in addressing mental and physical well-being compared to other age groups. According to McKinsey & Company, in the United States alone, the wellness market is estimated at US $480 billion, growing at 5 to 10% per year, with 82% of American consumers now considering wellness as a top priority in their everyday lives. The trend stretches across continents with similar findings in the United Kingdom and China (73% and 87%, respectively). When it comes to beauty, these younger consumers are seeking products and services that not only address cosmetic concerns but also support their overall health and vitality. This shift has led to the development of beauty offerings that combine cosmetic, mental, and physical benefits all into one, incorporating elements such as natural ingredients, sustainable practices, and personalized approaches to health and beauty.

By incorporating insights from blue zones and other research into their practices, beauty and wellness companies can help empower individuals to care for their health in a multidimensional way while simultaneously changing the stigma around age: consumers now aspire to age gracefully and healthily. Ultimately, the integration of insights from longevity research into the beauty industry represents a significant step towards a more health- conscious and destigmatized approach to beauty and age. By recognizing the interconnectedness of physical, mental, and emotional well-being, the industry can better meet the evolving needs and aspirations of consumers in their pursuit of a longer, healthier life.

Longevity and Beauty: A Shifting Perspective on Aging Prompts a Positive Re-Evaluation of Beauty Standards

Traditionally, the beauty industry has largely equated beauty with youthfulness, often promoting products and treatments aimed at erasing or concealing signs of aging. However, as our understanding of health and well- being evolves, the perception around aging is steadily shifting.

Rather than viewing aging as something to be feared, there is a growing acceptance of aging as a natural part of the human experience and an increasing emphasis on healthy aging. As society moves toward a more accepting stance on age, such a change brings forth positive outlooks on overall quality of life. According to recent studies, there is a strong association between positive perception of aging and overall quality of life, thus concluding that "promoting a positive perception of aging and a self-care attitude would help to enhance older adults' quality of life" and should be included in the messages that companies send out to their consumers.

Such a shift in perspectives has profound implications for the beauty industry, as it challenges traditional notions of beauty and prompts a re-evaluation of beauty standards. Instead of striving to recapture youthfulness, the movement tends toward embracing aging. As preventive care takes its place into consumers' daily routines, the focus has shifted to a holistic view of aging. Consumers seek to look and feel good from the inside out, and subsequently age gracefully.

There is a myriad of factors that contribute to optimal internal health for a healthy external appearance. A study published in the National Library of Medicine that focuses on gut- brain-skin interconnectedness has shown that the intestinal microbiota is highly responsible for skin health 4 and skin longevity. Such findings are prompting a shifting approach to skin health and aging: instead of focusing solely on anti-aging solutions that treat one's external appearance, there is a greater emphasis on products and services that support inner health and vitality. Skin care formulations may incorporate ingredients that nourish and rejuvenate the skin from within, rather than simply masking the signs of aging, and supplements aimed at re-balancing gut health may communicate its benefits to include skin health.

Hormones: Celebrating Them as the Life Companions That They Are

It would be impossible to discuss lifelong care without addressing hormones. Hormones, or the body's chemical messengers, play a huge part in one's physiological and mental well-being. Frequently seen as unwelcome troublemakers, hormones are an essential part of life's journey. Bringing about physiological, mental, and emotional changes, hormones and their periodic imbalances have long been perceived negatively and have not been openly talked about until very recently. Ranging across the entirety of life's journeys from puberty, pregnancy, post-partum, menopause, andropause, and everything in between, hormonal changes affect everyone from early life to elderly years.

As the lifelong care movement continues to settle itself in consumers' mindsets, hormonal changes are taking center stage and are being more openly discussed, and celebrated, than ever before. The movement extends to the appreciation and celebration of the intricate balance of hormones and their importance in maintaining overall well-being. Once considered unmentionable taboos, hormones are beginning to be perceived as welcome companions for life.

By embracing and celebrating hormonal balance, the beauty and wellness industries are encouraged to promote a more holistic approach to beauty and well-being that recognizes the interconnectedness of aging and hormonal health with overall vitality. With growing demand for health-conscious alternatives, we can expect to see significant changes in the industry over the next five years such as a greater emphasis on personalized approaches to beauty and wellness, that take into account individual differences in aging processes and health needs. As part of this movement, it is expected that beauty brands and wellness companies will increasingly play a role in raising awareness about specific health-related topics and shine a light on often overlooked conditions, illnesses, disabilities, and beyond. As consumers continue to invest their time and money in health-conscious brands, products, and practices, they will also demand for companies to understand their unique needs and address natural life changes in an authentic way. We can expect more beauty companies to tap into specific health concerns when formulating new product lines, addressing beauty and wellness on a deeper level than ever before; and create spaces for consumers to connect about shared concerns. Overall, the beauty industry's shift toward journey-inclusive practices represents a positive step towards promoting health and well-being for people of all ages, across life's stages.

Longevity: An Approach to be Considered as Early as Pre-Teen Years

While longevity may seem like a concept of interest for older generations, one's lifespan and health-span, or the length of time during which one is healthy, begins in the early years. Diet, lifestyle, physical activity, intellectual and social stimulation, and stress levels are all factors that contribute to one's health-span. In fact, about 20% of how long the average person lives is dictated by genes, while about 80% is influenced by lifestyle and environment. As beauty is being increasingly regarded with an inside-out approach, with a strong consideration of physical and mental health to enhance outer beauty, the approach to longevity from an early age is essential.

Although such factors are some of the most essential contributors to one's health-span, it is important to consider skin care as a tool that also impacts the longevity of our largest organ: our skin. The growing influence of social media on younger generations as young as Gen Alpha, or those born from 2010 onwards, illustrates the tangible need, and white space opportunity, for pre-teen and teen-specific skin care offers. As witnessed online, "Sephora kids" — or pre-teens who take to the beauty retailer to purchase premium skin care — seek to mimic the skin care routines of older adults, using retinol or vitamin serum-based routines seen on social media. The skin care needs of a pre-teen are real but sparser than of adults: at most, pre-teens and teens can care for their skin with a gentle cleanser, a lightweight moisturizer, and sunscreen. While skin types may vary amongst teens, some ingredients like salicylic acid or mild AHAs may also be beneficial for those with acne-prone skin, while those with dry or sensitive skin can look out for hyaluronic acid, glycerin and vitamin B5.

In this newest wave of skin care craze, it is important for brands to leverage the growing interest from pre-teens and offer age-appropriate solutions. There is significant white space in the skin care realm where offers for pre-teens could help close the gap with this younger generation who is highly interested in the category and has a considerable amount of purchasing power. Indeed, today Gen Alpha has an additional US $300 billion in spending power through parental influence, an opportunity to be explored by teen-dedicated beauty brands.

Beyond the business opportunity in teen skin care, this presents an education opportunity as well, as brands can utilize their voice to help educate younger generations on what types of products and actives to prioritize at what age, how to use them, and help them establish a healthy relationship with skin care early on.

This article references insights "Lifetime Care: Beautiful Changes in the Age of Longevity," published by MakeUp in New York on September 3, 2024.