Beauty gifts over the holiday season will look different this year due to the movement toward more holistic wellness. The people on your customers’ holiday wish list are more concerned with the sustainability of their beauty products than ever before, and health and wellness are on the minds of everyone.
Here are some insights into what customers seek for beauty products and packaging this holiday season.
Table of Contents
Health and wellness trends 2022
Simplicity and sustainability
Rooted in nature
Celebratory
Boost your inventory this holiday season
Health and wellness trends 2022
The global luxury bath & body market is expected to reach $28.65 billion by 2030, with many products focusing on personal care and regular self-care routines. In 2020, the personal care market accounted for 48% of the beauty and personal care segment, and this is expected to continue as customers prioritize personal care.
Body lotions and creams are expected to continue to be the biggest portion of the bath & body market and maintain a 35% market share until 2030. Bodycare routines spiked during lockdown measures, with 33% of adults using body and hand care products more frequently than before. These routines will continue to help people feel in control of their physical and mental health in the coming years, particularly as they take time for themselves over the holiday season.
Sustainability and environmentally friendly products are also a priority of many consumers. The global market for natural, organic cosmetics and personal care products is projected to increase from $30 billion in 2021 to $50.5 billion in 2027.
Despite the hardships people experienced in 2020, consumer spending exceeded expectations over the holiday season. The National Retail Federation reported retail sales grew 8.3%, with the US spending $789.4 billion on gifts. This trend continued in 2021, with retail sales over the holiday season growing 14.1% over 2020 and spending reaching $886.7 billion.
There are a few specific trends that should be top of mind regarding the holiday season, which this article will explore in the following sections.
Simplicity and sustainability
With wellness and self-care becoming more of a priority, people are choosing simple products that deliver micro-wellness moments over seasonal ones that are often one-off.
In 2022, micro-wellness products will be coveted stocking presents, offering small moments of positive well-being at an affordable price. These include products that boost circulation when working from home, refreshing facial mists and masks, and leave-on skincare and hair care.
Multi-functionality is also a key focus for consumers as they limit the number of items in their homes for physical and mental space. Multi-functionality also reduces waste and aligns with many consumers’ value of sustainability.
Prioritize full-sized products, focus on the essentials, and consider refillable products to appeal to the conscious consumer. This could also include reusable products like a face roller for oil control or massage.
Of course, seasonal products don’t have to be just for gift giving; many people are looking for products to help them relax and take care of themselves during the holiday season as well. Such products include simple everyday cosmetics that customers may not usually purchase for themselves.
When it comes to simple and sustainable products, the packaging is also something to consider. Focus on e-commerce packs that help people send small wellness moments in one great package. Let secondary packaging take a backseat to reduce waste. If secondary packaging is necessary, consider reusable options and recyclable or compostable materials for lower impact.
Ensure that products are easily embedded into consumers’ daily routines and that primary packages aren’t overly festive.
Rooted in nature
The holidays and the changing of the seasons are a time for people to reconnect with nature, and consumers will seek products that aid them in this process. For the 2022 holiday season, this means tapping into the winter solstice through seasonal ingredients while inspiring consumers to adopt sunrise and sunset rituals that respect the power of the sun and moon.
Look to forest bathing for inspiration and offer seasonally scented products that harness the power of nature—to reduce anxiety, for example. Natural fragranced perfumes are also great.
Furthermore, as we enter the darker months of the year for many people and flu season, people reach for vitamin D-enhanced beauty products to boost mood and healing herbs in bath soaks for aches and pains.
When thinking about packing that is rooted in nature, consider sustainability and look to classic flora and fauna for print inspiration.
Celebratory
While self-care beauty routines have had a significant impact on consumers’ mental and physical wellness, there are times we simply want to escape from our day-to-day and celebrate. According to Google Trends, searches for “Christmas make-up” reached an all-time high in 2020.
Celebratory make-up, used from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, is a yearly focus for consumers of all ages looking to have fun and experiment over the holiday season. Holiday make-up collections should inspire a sense of wonderment, merging fantastical traditions with a futuristic twist influenced by the metaverse. Color cosmetics will help consumers transform their faces, enabling a sense of escapism when celebrating. Some excellent color-changing products include glitter, lipstick, and eye shadow.
Take sustainability into account by creating products that can also be suitable for daily use, such as multi-tonal highlighters and contour palettes. And don’t forget those beautiful lashes.
Consider innovative packaging that’s interesting and light-catching but not extensively branded so it can be reused.
Boost your inventory this holiday season
The holiday season is a time for celebration, rest and sharing. To be competitive, brands must incorporate beauty trends that align with their consumers’ shifting preferences and buying patterns.
This would mean focusing on environmentally friendly, sustainable and organic products that are multifunctional, products that embrace the natural elements of the holiday season, and products that boost customers’ feelings of luxury and celebration during the holidays. By capitalizing on these trends, brands can ensure they’re well set up for the coming holidays!
