Bernado Fleming, director, Trends & Foresight, IFF

The beauty & personal care market is fiercely competitive. Consumer preferences constantly evolve. To stay ahead, successful brands must go beyond simply following trends – they must anticipate them.  

Using its proprietary trend and foresight platform, Panoptic, IFF identified key drivers shaping the industry in 2025. Designed to deliver people-centric insights into the latest market dynamics, consumer behaviors, and technological advances, IFF’s Panoptic helps brands make strategic decisions to exceed customer expectations by aligning with their values and lifestyles. 

Below are IFF’s top trends poised to shape the year ahead in beauty & personal care formulation.  

Escape the Ordinary with Immersive Experiences 

Life can be stressful. More and more consumers look to escape the daily grind of a world in crisis. To help break away from the everyday and enjoy the moment, consumers want products and experiences offering escapism, adventure and a sense of newness. This isn’t just about looking for distractions—it’s about exciting, heartwarming experiences that foster deeper emotional connections.   

Despite tough finances, many consumers are seeking comfort in self-gifting. And they’re looking for creative, affordable treats. There’s a growing appetite for immersive multi-sensory experiences, indulgent self-care, and affordable luxuries. Research shows that 61% of people globally desire experiences that evoke intense emotions. Searches for “immersive experiences” have surged 144% on TikTok during the past two years.* Brands can capitalize on this trend in many ways – from offering small surprises through packaging and personalized messages, to immersive pop-up events and limited-edition collections that evoke nostalgia or excitement. Brands can also enhance real-life experiences with innovative digital experiences that blur the lines between reality and imagination. Research reveals that 86% of people who purchased in-game virtual items also went on to buy the corresponding physical product. 

Consume Consciously Through Mindful Choices

Consumers are increasingly aware that long-term health and well-being are not isolated concepts. The focus is shifting towards a pro-aging mindset, with many individuals adopting personalized routines catering to their precise needs. Simply living longer isn’t enough; people want to live better. As such, they seek high-performance products to match factors such as their skin type, lifestyle, environmental concerns and more. They’re also researching ingredients to make informed choices that enhance their overall well-being.  

At the same time, economic pressures mean consumers are reconsidering what is truly valuable to them. While two-thirds of consumers feel the pinch, 80% still plan to maintain or increase their spending on personal wellness.* But they’re being conscious and cautious. Rather than complex and expensive products, they’re looking for simple solutions with real results that fit seamlessly into their lives. And it’s not just about affordability; safety, availability, ingredient quality, ethics, sustainability, and durability all play a role, too. In light of this, brands may consider personalization at scale with tailored solutions and streamline product offerings, focusing on simple and effective solutions.  

Embrace the Era of Responsible Living

Consumers are more conscious of their environmental impact and expect brands to share this commitment. Globally, 61% are inclined to purchase brands that mirror their values, compared to just 30% for those that don’t.* At the same time, they’re not willing to compromise on performance. For brands, this means greater demand for transparency as well as trusted sources for products and solutions.   

As consumers rethink how and where products are made, ethical boundaries and ideas of what is ‘natural’ are expanding. Consumers are redefining the relationship between nature and technology, identifying that tech can draw inspiration from nature to augment and enhance the natural world. Here, innovations in bioscience are paving the way for products that meet sustainability goals and deliver exceptional performance. For brands, innovating with upcycled ingredients can appeal to consumers interested in unique and sustainable options, while exploring solutions powered by bioscience can allow them to create high-performance products in ways that can be more sustainable than traditional methods.  

To explore IFF’s beauty & personal care trends for 2025 in more detail, click here.

*Sources: JWT, Tik Tok, Accenture, Boston Consulting Group and Ipsos