When the chips, and sales, were down at the beginning of the pandemic, C-suite executives looked to their formulation departments to find answers to that most basic of questions: What do we do now? Cosmetic chemists answered by pivoting away from creams and lotions to developing hand sanitizers. That move kept production lines going and products flowing.
 
“The cosmetic chemist is driving the industry, especially in 2020 when we needed to get new products out,” said Cara Eaton of Croda Inc. “Cosmetic chemists did a great job keeping brands relevant with consumers.”
 
Eaton and other industry executives participated in a Digital Age of Beauty webinar produced by the New York Chapter of the Society of Cosmetics as part of its At-Home Live series. The panel, moderated by Jim Weatherall of SpecialChem, also included executives from Google, NPD, Geltor and Perfect Corp.
 
Alex Lorestani, CEO of Geltor, agreed with Eaton, noting that today’s cosmetic chemists have their fingers on the pulse of the industry.
 
“They bring the best ingredients to market in innovative products,” he added. 
 
Google’s Millicent Branca said the brands winning over consumers are those that are hyper-focused on meeting the specific needs of customers. In contrast, brands that jump on the latest ingredient can be perceived as disingenuous.
 
“Chemists are invaluable right now, with so many ingredients out there,” she noted. 
 

Branca said that the consumer is more sophisticated and educated than ever and will gravitate toward brands that educate them even more. Jennifer Famiano of The NPD Group called 2020 a return to science. 
 
“Who is more educated than chemists?” she asked. “Look at Ron Robinson with BeautyStat. We have cosmetic chemists going to the other side and creating their own brands. They ARE rock stars.”
 
 
Times They Are a Changin’
 
Cosmetic chemists aren’t the only ones in the spotlight. E-commerce sites and apps are making headlines too. According to Kristi Vannatter, Perfect Corp., with so many consumers turning to online options during the pandemic, successful beauty companies will be those that help consumers find the right product at the right time, no matter where they are located. At the same time, personalization will continue to be a driving force in product development. 
 
Lorestani said he expects transparency will continue to influence beauty producers and consumers and there are online tools available now that make access to information easier than ever.
 
“Customers are so sophisticated; they want to see products work on people who look like them. We have become a review culture,” observed Branca.
 
But at the same time, the Google executive said she is most excited about the innovation taking place. She recalled how Glossier and Drunk Elephant were born during The Great Recession. Today, during the pandemic, personalization is top of mind, along with sexual wellness thanks to the popularity of sites like Maude, said Branca.
 
As one might suspect, Perfect Corp.’s Vannatter said virtual reality in the beauty space is here to stay. As a result, beauty brands will have so many new opportunities to reach consumers via social channels, You Tube, Snap Chat…and whatever else debuts in the months and years ahead.
 
“Virtual is grabbing the consumer at a young age,” noted Vannatter. “We don’t think traditional retail is going away, but you need omnichannel with a lot of touch points.”
 
 
The Comeback?
 
With the popularity of chemists on the rise, and demand for science-based information increasing, Weatherall asked if ingredients that have fallen out of favor, such as parabens, will find their way back into the cosmetic chemist’s toolbox.

Eaton said the beauty industry should make an effort to help consumers understand myriad safety, health and efficacy studies that ingredients and formulations undergo before they reach the marketplace.

Famiano pointed out that Vaseline is trending on TikTok, along with slugging, the K-Beauty skin care trend that includes coating one’s face in petrolatum to prevent transepidermal water loss.
 
That’s nothing new to chemists or dermatologists, of course. After all, the late Dr. Albert Kligman often exclaimed, “Vaseline is the best damn moisturizer we have!”
 
On the topic of comebacks, who could have foreseen the dramatic recovery for the fine fragrance sector? Perfume sales tumbled at the start of the pandemic, but recovered nicely as the year wore on. According to NPD, fragrance sales rose 40% in June and showed strength for the rest of 2020.
 
“Fragrance was the standout this year; something we didn’t expect,” Famiano admitted. 
 
Once lockdowns lifted, and brick & mortar reopened, fragrance sales soared. Panelists agreed that consumers are willing to purchase fragrance online, but returns remain high. Perfect Corp. may have a solution. The company is working on an app that measures the eyes, facial shape and other facial attributes which can be correlated to fragrance note preferences. The ultimate goal is to recommend fragrances based on the user’s facial attributes, according to Vannatter.
 
No beauty industry panel would be complete without a segment devoted to chemophobia. Panelists tried to identify when the problem started, with some suggesting it can be linked to the European Union’s banning of 1,800 chemicals in formulations versus just a handful in the US.
 
Actually, chemophobia got its start with Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, which was first published in 1962. The book documented the adverse environmental effects caused by some pesticides. Unfortunately, it became a handbook for the anti-chemical movement. Hopefully, as more cosmetic chemists achieve rock star status, being smart in the lab will become “dope” with the next generation.