Dr. Patricia Farris discusses skincare industry trends, including consumer demand for “clean beauty,” sustainability, and resources for consumer and dermatologist ingredient education.
Patricia Farris, MD, Board-Certified Dermatologist, Sanova Dermatology, Metairie, La.
“…some of the skincare trends that we’re seeing in the consumer market …clean beauty and sustainability, at-home skin technology, some that have come from TikTok like ‘skinimalism’ (meaning just using a few products or very simple regimen), skin cycling—which is a regimen designed to minimize irritation and maintain barrier function while using retinoids and hydroxy acids. This was put forward by Dr. Whitney Bowe; and others like personalized skincare, skincare by the ages (menopausal skincare is very popular), and even body care. So we’re seeing some interesting trends,” said Patricia Farris, MD, who presented “Cosmeceutical Trends in 2023” at Music City SCALE 2024 symposium.
“I spent some time discussing clean beauty because I think this is something that a lot of dermatologists don’t realize there is a lot of consumer demand for …and exactly what the clean beauty trend is.”
Clean beauty “promises” include skincare that is safer for both consumers and the environment, said Dr. Farris.
“This trend is fueled primarily by younger consumers, our Millennials or Gen Zs. And in the COVID era, during 2021, this category grew by 33%. So people became very interested, in health and wellness during COVID. And we see this as a trend in skincare as well.”
Clean beauty has become ubiquitous among retailers, from Sephora to Target to QVC and HSN, said Dr. Farris.
“There are a lot of skincare companies that are doing a great job in the clean beauty space and some of these dermatologists are familiar with, for example, Skinfix, which is a problem-solution clean beauty line that many dermatologists utilize in their practices, but there are many others as well.”
However, regulating agencies including the FDA have yet to define “clean beauty” and that’s a problem, she said.
“If you look at every retailer, for example, they have different ‘forbidden’ chemicals on their list. So we just don’t have the standardization of what is being eliminated and no consensus as to what should be eliminated based on safety studies. So that makes it hard to feel comfortable with as dermatologists.”
Another problem is the notion that all “natural” products are safe and that synthetic products are not, said Dr. Farris.
“We as dermatologists know that this isn’t true. There’s plenty of natural things that can cause irritant contact dermatitis. Essential oils, for example, of various botanicals can be problematic.”
Part of the issue is the source that consumers get their information from.
The Environmental Working Group “…is a group of researchers and scientists who evaluate ingredients and data around products, but they are lacking the dermatologic expertise that we have at the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), formerly known as Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).”
PCPC safety data and reviews are available at www.cosmeticsinfo.org, and this is a far better resource for both patients and dermatologists, said Dr. Farris.
“It’s also important to understand that some of the chemicals—the clean beauty industry has vilified, so to speak—include things that we as dermatologists use frequently.”
Refined petrolatum, for example, is used to treat atopic dermatitis, barrier repair problems, and extremely dry skin, she said.
“We have lots of experience and long-term safety with petrolatum. There are other things like triclosan… and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the PFAS products, which are often referred to as the “forever chemicals.” Those, of course, I think we would all agree upon should not be in skincare products.”
According to Dr. Farris, consumer perception can influence skincare manufacturer’s ingredient choices.
“When consumers start that slow drumbeat of wanting to get away from a certain compound, the beauty companies will move away from them. The cosmetic companies have by and large moved away from parabens.”
Endocrine disrupting compounds are other ingredients that have captured consumers’ attention, she said. However, Dr. Farris said she differentiates endocrine disruptors from endocrine active compounds.
“There are a plethora of endocrine active compounds and some of these are found in cosmetics. But according to the World Health Organization, in order to be called an endocrine disruptor, these compounds must have adverse effects on either the organism or its prodigy.”
While problems can result from those endocrine disruptors that are estrogenic, anti-estrogenic, androgenic, or anti-androgenic, most compounds found in cosmetics are simply acting as endocrine actives, said Dr. Farris.
This means “…that the substance has endocrine activity, but it either lacks the potency, or the exposure to it is so low that it doesn’t cause negative health effects.”
Resveratrol is an example of an estrogen active compound. It is a phytoestrogen, said Dr. Farris. So is lavender oil and tea tree oil.
“Those are also endocrine active compounds, but unless we can link that compound to some adverse health effects, it technically should not be called an endocrine disruptor.”
According to the PCPC website, cosmetics do not contain any true endocrine disrupting compounds based on the fact that there is a very low exposure level, and there are no negative health effects, said Dr. Farris.
Sustainable Beauty
“There are a lot of companies doing a lot to improve sustainability because we do know that skincare products account for about 20 billion units a year of plastic and glass containers. So it’s a huge problem.”
In 2018 microbeads were banned by the FDA because of the negative impact they had on the environment, said Dr. Farris.
“Single use products have become very popular like makeup wipes, patches and stickers for acne, and these definitely cause problems with regards to sustainability. So some companies have moved to biodegradable versions.”
According to Dr. Farris, the demand for palm oil is another negative impact, which has resulted in deforestation.
“The clean beauty companies in general do a very good job at looking at these and sourcing their products accordingly.”
Major consumer companies are following suit and using reusable or recycled packaging or replacing plastic with cardboard, said Dr. Farris.
“So this is becoming top of mind with cosmetic companies which is great for the environment.”