The clean beauty movement has experienced tremendous growth over the last few years as consumers become increasingly aware of what they’re putting on their skin. Clean beauty, in essence, refers to products made without harmful ingredients, emphasizing transparency, sustainability, and ethical practices. While the movement started as a niche interest, it has evolved into a mainstream phenomenon, pushing traditional beauty brands to adapt or risk being left behind.
In 2024, the clean beauty industry continues to shape and define the future of personal care and cosmetics. Here’s a comprehensive look at the top trends in clean beauty that you need to know.
1. Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing
Consumers are becoming more mindful of the environmental impact of their purchases, and clean beauty brands are stepping up by ensuring sustainable and ethical sourcing of ingredients. One of the most significant shifts in 2024 is the move toward regenerative agriculture. This method focuses on improving soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem restoration. Beauty brands are looking beyond simply using natural ingredients—they want to ensure that these ingredients are harvested in ways that benefit the environment and support local communities.
Brands like Biossance and Tata Harper have made sustainable sourcing a cornerstone of their production processes. These companies partner with ethical suppliers who respect the environment and workers, and they prioritize ingredients that are renewable and responsibly cultivated.
Moreover, the push for fair-trade certifications and transparent supply chains is increasing. Brands are now required to be more open about where their ingredients come from, how they are harvested, and the labor conditions involved. As a result, companies like SheaMoisture are celebrated for supporting communities in countries like Ghana by ensuring ethical trade practices for shea butter.
2. Waterless Beauty Products
With rising concerns about water scarcity, waterless beauty is gaining popularity as one of the most innovative trends in the industry. Water is traditionally the base for many beauty products, but as it becomes a more precious resource, brands are shifting toward creating formulations that use little to no water.
Waterless beauty comes in various forms, from concentrated serums to powdered cleansers and solid shampoos. These products not only conserve water but are also more potent because they are not diluted. They also require less packaging, reducing plastic waste.
Brands like Lush, Ethique, and BYBI are leading the charge with innovative waterless products. Lush’s solid shampoo bars, for example, have become a popular alternative to traditional liquid shampoos, offering the same cleansing power with zero waste. This trend is appealing to both eco-conscious consumers and those looking for effective, concentrated skincare solutions.
3. Biotechnology in Beauty
Biotechnology is revolutionizing the beauty industry by creating high-performance ingredients in labs, reducing the need for natural resource extraction. This is particularly important for endangered or rare ingredients that are difficult to source sustainably.
Biotech beauty focuses on creating lab-grown alternatives to traditional natural ingredients. For example, instead of harvesting squalane from sharks or olives, biotechnology allows brands to produce it sustainably using sugarcane. This approach helps reduce the beauty industry’s environmental footprint while maintaining product efficacy.
Brands like Biossance and Givaudan Active Beauty are pioneers in using biotechnology to create clean, sustainable ingredients. Biossance, for instance, produces its squalane through fermentation, making it one of the most sustainable and effective moisturizers on the market.
Biotech beauty also holds promise for creating custom ingredients tailored to specific skin concerns. This personalization will become a significant trend, allowing consumers to receive products that meet their unique needs.
4. Transparency and Ingredient Safety
Transparency is at the heart of the clean beauty movement, and it’s becoming increasingly critical in 2024. Consumers are no longer satisfied with vague claims of being “natural” or “organic.” They want to know exactly what’s in their products and how those ingredients affect their skin and health.
Clean beauty brands are responding by offering full ingredient transparency, often displaying not only the ingredients but also their sources and benefits. Furthermore, many brands are creating resources to help consumers understand the safety and efficacy of each ingredient.
Retailers like Credo Beauty and The Detox Market have led the charge by establishing strict ingredient standards and blacklists, ensuring that any brand they carry is free from harmful chemicals such as parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances. This trend reflects a broader shift in consumer demand for accountability and clarity in labeling.
Apps like Think Dirty and EWG’s Skin Deep have made it easier for consumers to check the safety of their beauty products. These tools allow users to scan product barcodes and assess the safety of ingredients, giving them more control over their skincare choices.
5. Vegan and Cruelty-Free Products
Vegan and cruelty-free products are no longer niche; they’ve become central to the clean beauty movement. With increasing concerns about animal welfare and the environmental impact of animal-derived ingredients, more brands are opting for plant-based alternatives.
Cruelty-free certifications, such as Leaping Bunny and PETA, have become essential in helping consumers identify ethical products. Additionally, vegan formulations—free from animal-derived ingredients like beeswax, lanolin, and carmine—are gaining traction.
Brands like Herbivore Botanicals and Pacifica are well-known for their commitment to vegan, cruelty-free products. This shift is driven not only by ethical considerations but also by the growing demand for plant-based ingredients that are both effective and gentle on the skin.
Moreover, with the rise of biotechnology and lab-created ingredients, it has become easier for brands to replace traditional animal-derived ingredients with vegan alternatives that mimic their properties without the ethical concerns.
6. Minimalist Beauty and Skinimalism
The minimalist approach to beauty is a growing trend, especially in the clean beauty space, where the focus is shifting toward fewer, high-quality ingredients. This movement, often referred to as “skinimalism,” advocates for a streamlined skincare routine that prioritizes quality over quantity.
Consumers are moving away from complex, multi-step skincare routines that involve numerous products and instead opting for simplified regimens that use multifunctional products. The idea is to allow the skin to breathe and heal naturally, without being overwhelmed by harsh chemicals or an excess of products.
Brands like Drunk Elephant and Ilia Beauty are capitalizing on this trend by offering multifunctional skincare and makeup products that simplify routines. Drunk Elephant’s focus on “skin-compatible” ingredients that work in harmony with the skin’s natural barrier is a perfect example of this minimalist philosophy.
The rise of skinimalism also aligns with the broader trend toward slow beauty, where the focus is on long-term skin health rather than quick fixes. Consumers are learning to embrace their natural skin texture, and as a result, there’s less emphasis on achieving perfection through heavy makeup or aggressive treatments.
7. Upcycled Beauty
Sustainability continues to be a driving force in clean beauty, and one of the most exciting trends in 2024 is upcycled beauty. This refers to the use of by-products or waste materials from other industries to create beauty products. By repurposing ingredients that would otherwise go to waste, brands are contributing to a circular economy and reducing their environmental impact.
For instance, coffee grounds, fruit peels, and other plant-based by-products are being transformed into potent skincare ingredients. The beauty industry is discovering that these waste materials are often rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, making them perfect for use in skincare.
Brands like UpCircle Beauty and Full Circle are pioneers in this space, using upcycled ingredients like leftover coffee grounds and fruit seeds to create effective, eco-friendly beauty products. This trend not only supports environmental sustainability but also adds a new layer of innovation to product development.
8. Microbiome-Friendly Skincare
As we learn more about the skin’s microbiome—the ecosystem of bacteria and microorganisms that live on the skin—skincare brands are developing products that support and protect it. A healthy microbiome is essential for maintaining the skin’s barrier function, preventing irritation, and reducing the risk of skin conditions like eczema, acne, and rosacea.
Microbiome-friendly skincare is designed to balance the skin’s natural flora rather than stripping it away with harsh cleansers or chemicals. Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics are key ingredients in this trend, helping to nourish and support the skin’s microbiome.
Brands like Aurelia Probiotic Skincare and Gallinée are leading the way by formulating products specifically designed to maintain a healthy skin microbiome. These products often contain natural ingredients like fermented extracts, probiotics, and gentle cleansers that work in harmony with the skin’s natural defenses.
9. Blue Beauty: Protecting the Oceans
While sustainability has been a key focus in clean beauty for years, 2024 has seen a particular emphasis on protecting our oceans. The blue beauty movement seeks to reduce the beauty industry’s impact on marine ecosystems by promoting ocean-safe ingredients and packaging.
Many beauty products contain chemicals that are harmful to marine life, such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, commonly found in sunscreens. These chemicals have been shown to damage coral reefs and aquatic organisms. The blue beauty movement advocates for reef-safe sunscreens and other products that do not harm marine environments.
Additionally, blue beauty brands are taking steps to reduce plastic waste, which is one of the biggest contributors to ocean pollution. Brands like One Ocean Beauty and REN Clean Skincare are committed to using ocean-safe ingredients and sustainable packaging solutions, such as biodegradable or refillable containers.
10. Personalized Beauty
As consumers seek more tailored solutions to their skincare concerns, personalized beauty is becoming a major trend in the clean beauty space. Advances in technology, such as AI and machine learning, allow brands to create customized skincare regimens based on individual skin types