In recent years, natural-looking lashes and brows have become increasingly popular, moving away from dramatic extensions and invasive procedures. Consumers are seeking affordable products that can boost the health and growth of their natural brows and lashes. Brands have an opportunity to meet this demand with safe, high-performance formulas. But today’s savvy shoppers want proof – they are looking for science-backed products with ingredients that deliver real results. Brands that can provide validated claims, quality formulas leveraging the latest skin and hair care tech, and sustainable business practices will come out ahead. Read on and look at the key trends shaping the brows and lashes product market, and how brands can align themselves with the needs of modern consumers who value natural beauty, product performance, and ethical brands.
Table of Contents:
1. The rise of natural brows & lashes
2. The power of proof
3. Benefit-driven formulas
4. Medical grade quality
5. Sustainable and ethical
6. Final words
The rise of natural brows & lashes
The trend towards natural-looking brows and lashes has accelerated in recent years. Whereas heavy, sculpted brows and false lashes were once popular, people are now embracing a more low-maintenance, understated aesthetic. Social media has played a role, with influencers and celebrities popularizing a softer, fluffier brow look and minimal mascara-only lashes. At the same time, the high cost and upkeep of brow laminations, microblading, lash extensions, and frequent false lash use has led many to seek affordable at-home products for natural enhancement.
This shift aligns with a wider interest in clean, ethical beauty and self-care. Consumers want to move away from invasive procedures and embrace their natural features. Brands have an opportunity to develop products that gently boost brow and lash health, thickness, and length. Serums with active ingredients like peptides and biotin that condition brows and lashes are gaining popularity as are natural brow gels and mascaras that add subtle definition and length. By providing safe, effective alternatives to dramatic procedures, brands can align themselves with this fresh, effortless beauty ideal.
The power of proof
Today’s consumers are savvy – they want to see proof that a product delivers on its claims before they buy. This is especially true for brows and lashes items, where dramatic before-and-after transformations are promised. Brands that can back up their claims with scientific data and evidence will have a competitive edge.
Clinical trials are the gold standard. When a third party scientifically evaluates a formula and finds it effective, it builds consumer trust. For example, lash serum brand Vegamour commissioned an independent study that verified their product improves lash density and fullness. Studies should be rigorous, with adequate sample sizes and control groups for valid statistical analysis.
If clinical trials are not feasible, brands can still provide proof through other means. Before-and-after imagery can be powerful, but it must be high quality and realistic. Showing diverse consumers and unretouched photos enhances authenticity. Peer-reviewed articles on key active ingredients also demonstrate a scientific basis for products.
Finally, detailed explanations of the research process – the story behind the science – appeals to today’s educated beauty shoppers. Transparency about how formulas were developed and tested reassures consumers that proof was a priority. Brands who can back up claims with multiple types of credible evidence stand apart from the competition.
Benefit-driven formulas
Consumers are increasingly looking for multitasking products that provide layered benefits beyond the core function. This creates an opportunity for brands to incorporate ingredients and technologies from skin and hair care into brows and lashes formulas.
For example, lash and brow serums can harness the power of peptides, amino acids, biotin, and botanical extracts – ingredients known to strengthen hair and stimulate growth. Drawing from skin care, formulas may also include hydrating and conditioning elements like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and oils to nourish brows and lashes.
Cross-category inspiration also allows for innovative hybrid products. A lash primer that conditions like a serum while prepping lashes for mascara. A tinted brow gel with hair-thickening actives. Dual-sided liners with lash-enhancing brushes.
These multifunctional products deliver added value for time-pressed, budget-conscious consumers seeking efficiency. They also tap into the trend of “skinimalist” routines, with fewer but higher-performing steps.
Brands can educate consumers about the cross-category benefits by using familiar language from hair and skin care. Describing how formulas “nourish fragile lashes” or “strengthen thinning brows” helps connect the dots. Clear communication paired with innovative formulas provides that coveted lightbulb moment – the realization that this product does far more than meets the eye.
Medical grade quality
There is a growing consumer preference for cosmetic products developed by doctors, scientists, and dermatologists. This medical-grade appeal now extends to brows and lashes. Brands with legitimate medical credentials and rigorous safety testing have an advantage.
Ophthalmologist-formulated products inspire particular trust given the sensitive eye area. Consumers want reassurance that lash and brow formulas have been thoroughly tested for irritation and toxicity. Partnering with eye doctors, using ophthalmologist-approved ingredients, and conducting additional clinical testing communicates safety.
Emphasizing safety is prudent given increasing concerns about eye wellness. With more exposure to screens and pollution, people want products supporting overall eye health. Formulas with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory botanicals appeal to this holistic beauty mindset.
Medical-grade also signals professional-quality results. Clinical studies showing efficacy and real patient photos convey a formula’s transformative potential. A clean, clinical brand aesthetic reminiscent of doctor’s offices enhances the legitimacy.
Counterintuitively, a clinical approach also provides a human touch lacking in influencer-fronted brands. By emphasizing the doctors behind the products, brands remind consumers that real experts developed these formulas with patients’ best interests in mind.
Ultimately, the rise of physician-dispensed, ophthalmologist-approved cosmeceuticals reflects broader consumer preferences for science-backed, clinically tested products from trusted experts.
Sustainable and ethical
Today’s consumers demand that their beauty products reflect their values. Brands wanting to appeal to eco-conscious shoppers need to prioritize sustainability and ethical practices.
For brows and lashes, this means using natural, biodegradable formulas free of toxic synthetics. Plant-based ingredients like peptides, aloe vera, and castor oil are excellent choices. Compostable, recyclable, or recycled packaging is also expected. Refillable options reduce waste.
Transparency is equally important. Tracing ingredients back to their origin reassures consumers about ethics. Certifications like B-Corp, Leaping Bunny, and EWG Verified provide third-party validation. As do fairness commitments like paying living wages.
Brand storytelling should emphasize values like compassion, inclusivity, and diversity. Feature inspirational founders, ethical supply chains, and charitable initiatives. Collaborations with nonprofits boost credibility.
Ultimately, brands must back up their claims with meaningful action – consumers quickly detect greenwashing. Authenticity, radical transparency, and continuous improvement on ethics will appeal to conscientious shoppers.
The brands that resonate most today go beyond simply delivering a good product. They also deliver peace of mind that purchases align with building a kinder, greener world.
Final words
Today’s brows and lashes product brands have an exciting opportunity to align themselves with the evolving ethos of modern beauty consumers. By harnessing new science to safely enhance natural features, prioritizing ethics and inclusivity, and validating efficacy with proof, brands can become part of this new movement. Ultimately, the most successful brands will balance delivering natural, low-maintenance results that consumers want with the values-driven practices they demand. Brands that can master this balance are poised to become the defining brows and lashes brands of the future.
