8 Scientific Beauty Trends for 2025

John Jiménez and Adriana Castañeda • Belcorp

Global cosmetics sales will reach $758 billion by the end 2025 and grow an average of 4.6% a year from 2025 to 2033. The opportunity for innovation in our industry is enormous and it is fascinating to see how science supports many of these objectives.

What does the future hold when it comes to scientific beauty  trends? The accelerated pace of life and constant generational changes create different needs and habits where the consumer adapts and establishes new realities. However, it is scientific advances that will frame the new normalities and resolution of global challenges.

Nature magazine chose ChatGPT among its scientists of the year in 2023. The move ushered in an era where artificial intelligence, augmented reality and the use of data determine the future of technological advances.

“In the next five years we are going to see the convergence of all technologies escalating,” warns Stephen Ibaraki, founder of AI For Good.

In other words, AI stops being a singular protagonist to be a supporting actor in the new film.

Recently, the journal Nature Medicine asked experts to recount the details of trials that will have a potential impact on shaping medicine during 2025. With this information, editors compiled a list of 11 ongoing projects, with projected findings for 2025 and 2026 and that address different topics, from advanced therapies such as gene editing for inherited diseases to solutions that will mitigate the impact of heat on vulnerable communities.

Inspired by these projects, we introduce our projection on cosmetic technological development supported by these global research advances.

1. Precision Nutrition for Health

Explores factors about how genetics, microbiome and medical history affect individual responses to different foods. In the coming years, nutrition will be a personalized need where everyone, according to their characteristics, will have a specific plan to age healthily and address longevity from a regenerative perspective. A report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2024) concluded that people following diets tailored to their genetic profile experienced 33% better results compared to general guidelines. Cosmetic solutions that address skin and scalp nutrition will be of high relevance, involving technologies that provide vitamins, essential lipids and microbiome balance to enhance visible effects, and thus delay the appearance of aging. Predicting the effects of certain active ingredients, compared to particular characteristics, through tools such as machine learning, will identify the behavior of the skin in each individual and its effectiveness.

2. Gene Therapies for Specific Diseases

The development of polynucleotides, DNA analysis and study of factors that can affect it, continues to consolidate into a trend of technological solutions. The increase in production of specific proteins and the restriction of oxidative factors will be key points to optimize and recover the functioning of cells and tissues. Genetics continues to deepen and specialize each time with solutions that are closer to the consumer in a safe way and provide specific answers to each need.

According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, it is expected that this year, 90% of cancer patients will receive treatments based on their genomic profile. Moreover, it is estimated that more than 50 common medications will have dosing guidelines based on genetic testing. This will allow physicians to personalize treatment regimens, minimizing adverse effects and maximizing therapeutic efficacy. These advances will inspire the development of skincare technologies based on gene therapies for specific biochemical processes.

3. Optimization of Mind-Body Connections

Neurofeedback, which allows for optimizing brain performance; transcranial electrical stimulation, used to improve neuronal connectivity; and photobiomodulation, which uses low-intensity light to promote cell regeneration and improve brain function, are procedures that are on the rise. These tools not only strengthen cognitive abilities, but also help balance mental and physical health, offering a comprehensive experience for longevity.

According to the University of California, Berkeley (2024), exposure to circadian lighting improves sleep quality and cognitive function by 25%. Similarly, a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology (2023) showed that biophilic environments – which incorporate natural elements into architecture—reduce cortisol levels and increase productivity by 15%. These innovations show how spaces can become active allies in our health and longevity. In 2025, the cosmetics industry will strive to enhance consumers’ mind-body connections through new biochemical mechanisms, haptic advances in packaging materials, and new textures and aromas.

4. Heat, a New Source of Diseases

With the increase in global warming and very pronounced climate change, a greater number of populations are affected. The University of Heidelberg in Germany is investigating a new proposal through a controlled trial in Burkina Faso. Researchers are evaluating the impact of “cool” roofs on the health and wellbeing of communities vulnerable to extreme heat. According to researchers, these roofs reflect solar radiation, reduce interior temperature and relieve thermal stress.

The future of sun protection will continue to constantly evolve, driven by technological advances in areas such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials science and artificial intelligence. They seek to improve the effectiveness of products against the harmful effects of the sun, as well as make the most personalized and accessible protection. New natural and biotechnological ingredients for detecting sun damage, sensors and applications for daily use, textiles that adapt to the intensity of the sun and the effects of heat on the skin, as well as longer lasting effectiveness, will be the next innovations that we will be experimenting with in this category. The goal is protection against the harmful effects of the sun and the harmful effects of heat.

5. Chatbot for Diagnoses and New Realities

The cyberphysical world includes augmented reality and virtual reality, as well as the digital twin’s concept. It will be possible to project digital objects onto physical objects and generate a mixed reality. This advancement will allow the holographic sessions, where a person is digitally represented within a physical environment, in which countless sensors embedded therein will update and ensure the digital representation in real time. We will see new mobile applications that guarantee a correct diagnosis in an agile and focused way according to the characteristics of each consumer. These technologies not only improve preventative care, but also democratize access to health knowledge, allowing people to proactively manage their wellbeing.

6. Aging vs Longevity

Japan is the country with the oldest population in the world. Approximately 28% of the Japanese population is 65 years old or older, and this figure is expected to continue growing in the coming decades due to the extreme longevity of the population and low birth rates. In addition, it has one of the longest life expectancies in the world, around 84 years. By 2050, 16% of the world’s population is expected to be over 65 years of age, and this proportion will continue to increase in the coming decades. These projections open perspectives and opportunities for cosmetic solutions for a segment of the senior population, under the concept of slow aging. Senior cosmetics is then presented as one of the great market opportunities for our industry.

7. Inclusion in a Globalized World

In 2024, the focus on inclusive cosmetics advanced toward a more accessible world for people with various disabilities, such as blindness, autism and deafness. Solutions range from adapting tactile products and packaging for blind people, to sensory and fragrance-free products for autistic people, to beauty tutorials in sign language for deaf people. Technology, such as mobile apps and chatbots, is improving accessibility, allowing more people to enjoy the cosmetic experience without barriers. These innovations represent an important step toward inclusion and diversity in the cosmetics industry and accelerate its growth in the coming years. We will no longer only talk about sensitive skin, but also cosmetics designed for consumers with some type of sensory problem.

8. Synthetic Biology

This interdisciplinary field combines biology, engineering, chemistry and computer science to design and build new biological systems or modify existing ones to obtain specific functions. Some applications of synthetic biology we are looking at include:

• Gene therapy: Synthetic biology will help develop more effective and safer gene therapies to treat genetic diseases.
• Synthetic vaccines: Synthetic biology is expected to play an important role in the development of synthetic vaccines to combat infectious diseases.
• Cancer: Synthetic biology will lead to personalized therapies for cancer, using genetically modified cells to attack cancer cells.
• Biodegradable materials: Will help produce biodegradable and sustainable materials.
• Biomarkers: Synthetic biology is expected to play an important role in the development of biomarkers to diagnose and monitor diseases. The concept of biomarkers will begin to gain relevance in skincare.
• Protein production: Is expected to play an important role in the production of proteins for animal and human food. In cosmetics, we will see the launch of new protein structures developed with this tool.

In 2025 we will see a great development of active ingredients, formulation excipients, pigments and colorants, fragrances and packaging materials developed thanks to new advances in synthetic biology.

As Peter Druker said, “the best way to predict the future is to create it.” In the coming years, cosmetics will have the opportunity to create new solutions supported by technological and scientific advances as tools that will enhance experience, diagnosis and personalization.

About the Authors

Adriana Castañeda is currently senior project manager at Belcorp Colombia. She is a pharmacist (National University of Colombia) with specialization studies in marketing and business administration. She has more than 20 years of experience in R&D for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry in several categories, like skincare, suncare, personal care and fragrances, participating in the launch of lines for facial and hair care, as well as specialized products such as Nocturne facial, nominated for the ABIHPEC 2015 award. She has been invited as a judge in the innovation awards in In-Cosmetics Brazil for the past two years.
Contact: acastaneda@belcorp.biz

John Jiménez is currently senior researcher at Belcorp Colombia. He has 25 years of experience in the cosmetics industry. He is a pharmacist with a Master in Sustainable Development and specialization studies in marketing, cosmetic science and neuromarketing. He has 30 publications in scientific journals and a book chapter in cosmetic formulation. He is a recipient of the Maison G de Navarre Prize (IFSCC 2004), Henry Maso Award (IFSCC 2016) and best scientific papers at Colamiqc Ecuador 2009, Colamiqc Brazil 2013 and Farmacosmética Colombia 2014. He was keynote speaker at the IFSCC World Congress in 2023 and other events worldwide, judged innovation awards at In-Cosmetics for several years and was president of Accytec Bogotá from 2017–2019. John is IFSCC magazine co-editor for zone 3.
Contact: johnjimenez@belcorp.biz

Sources:

1. Nature Communications (2022). Mesenchymal stem cells and their role in cartilage repair.
2. Harvard University (2023). Advances in functional heart tissue engineering.
3. Stanford University (2021). Genetic profiling for metabolic health interventions.
4. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2024). Nutrigenomics and personalized diets.
5. Mayo Clinic (2024). Personalized physiotherapy and biomechanical analysis.
6. The Lancet Digital Health (2023). AI-driven wearables for cardiovascular risk prediction.
7. MIT (2023). Neuroplasticity and brain-computer interfaces.
8. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2024). Neurofeedback in stress management.
9. University of California, Berkeley (2024). Circadian lighting and cognitive function.
10. The Journal of Environmental Psychology (2023). Biophilic design and cortisol reduction.