2025 Beauty Ingredient Trend Preview: What’s Next?

??Read the full report .

This past year in beauty has been defined by emerging technologies targeting skin longevity , exosomal ingredients (check out our “Beauty 2025 ” trend report for more) and an escalation in biotechnology innovation.

Looking ahead at 2025, a number of these trends and more will likely shape product innovation for years to come. Many of these are evolutions of existing or emerging ingredients and claims, pointing to a clear trajectory of growth.

Highlights include:

• Minimalist beauty: formulations that reduce or eliminate elements such as water and conventional preservation, supported by multifunctional ingredients, in addition to products that do more, offering higher value to choosy shoppers
• Pro inspiration: ingredients that mimic professional treatments with less invasive solutions
• Microbiome opportunities: with rising interest in barrier strength and sensitive skin solutions, microbiome balance is increasingly a focus of product development
• Clean efficacy: safe, sustainable ingredients with proven effectiveness
• Biotech: lab-grown innovations that offer improved or even novel functions and claims
• Future-proofing beauty: technologies that expand claims from rejuvenation to prejuvenation, particularly for young consumers already concerned about the signs of aging

This is just a fraction of the themes we expect to see in the year to come (and beyond). Here, we offer a look at recent launches and challenges and the innovation opportunities they offer the beauty industry.

Kojic Acid’s Boom Threatened by Regulations

Kojic acid, itself seen as a skin brightening alternative to hydroquinone, is facing restricted use levels (1%) in face and hand products sold the European Union and United Kingdom, effective April 2025.

The restrictions come amid a boom in popularity for the ingredient. In September 2024, Spate reporteda that kojic acid ’s effectiveness in combating hyperpigmentation could make it “the next big hyperpigmentation-fighting trend.”

The ingredient is reportedly searched alongside glycolic acid, mulberry extract (beloved for its low-irritation profile), arbutin and, of course, hydroquinone.

The rise of interest in kojic acid, paired with impending regulations, could open opportunities for materials such as soybean extract, niacinamide and vitamin C, as well as the other materials previously mentioned.

Among the key product formats appearing in Google searches over the last 12 months, per Google Trends, are bar soap (popularized by the Valtic brand), facial moisturizers and powders.

In addition to the ingredient searches flagged by Spate, turmeric is often paired with kojic acid searches, perhaps due to its association with brightening effects, in addition to its efficacy in addressing acne-prone skin and skin aging. Mucin, a generally popular ingredient from the K-beauty world, also appears in kojic acid searches.

Brands associated with kojic acid include Valtic, as previously mentioned, alongside Phor Essentials, which produces Turmeric Kojic Acid Exfoliating Cleansing Pads, and Koji White’s Kojic Acid Skin Brightening Body Wash.

Meet the Next Generation of Peptides

Google searches for peptides hit an all time high in the autumn of 2024, driven by queries for brands such as CosRX, which manufactures a six-peptide serum, as well as The Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide + HA Serum facial moisturizer, Rhode’s peptide-driven lip and facial moisturizer products, and Maelove’s Peptide Squad Collagen Renewal Serum.

Interest in peptides has likely only just begun, with innovation in the space set to advance with the launch of new biotech materials.

For instance, Evolved by Nature’s Activated Silk 33B-? (INCI: soluble fibroin) water-soluble barrier peptide is designed to reduce the appearance of redness in as little as 1 week, while also reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, per the company.

The material works by spurring the natural production of claudin-1, which supports the epidermal barrier function, thereby reducing TEWL in as soon as 1 week, per Evolved by Nature.

Furthermore, because the Natrue 100% natural technology is soluble in water, it can be formulated into products that ceramides and petrolatum cannot. The ingredient is also biodegradable and generated from upcycled materials, according to the company.

“Everyone has been talking about skin barrier for a few years now,” says Carolina Denman, Evolved by Nature’s director, North America applications R&D and natural ingredients, “but it’s always been the foundation of true and natural skin care because, very simply, a healthy barrier keeps moisture in your skin and keeps free radicals and other environmental hazards out.”

She adds, “Everyone has also been talking about peptides, and our naturally derived peptides do what other ingredients cannot do. Activated Silk 33B-? turns skin on to perform its own skin care—when the peptide interacts with the skin it supports the natural production of claudin, the foundational protein for tight junctions, which is a sign of a healthy barrier.”

Denman continues, "Another benefit of our naturally derived peptides is that they are water soluble, which means 33B is stable and effective in so many formulations where other barrier ingredients like ceramides and petrolatum cannot go. Especially rinse-off formulations. Hand wash. Face wash. Body wash. You rinse the suds off and the peptides stay on the skin doing the work. Nobody else has a barrier ingredient that does that."

Evolved by Nature has also developed Activated Silk 27P-? (INCI: soluble fibroin), a collagen type 1 peptide that supports natural collagen type 1 production to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and enhance the elasticity and firm appearance of the skin, all while boosting the performance of other ingredients, including vitamin C.

The technology can be used in aqueous formulations and is non-irritating and biodegradable.

“This peptide is able to interact with skin to support the natural production of type 1 collagen, the foundational form of collagen that retinol and vitamin C need to be effective,” says Svetlana Marukian, VP, R&D, The Molecule Library, Evolved by Nature. “So, from one perspective, 27P-? outperforms the legacy collagen ingredients, but this peptide also boosts the effectiveness of those ingredients. And 27P-? has a much higher stability than, say, vitamin C, which is vulnerable to oxidation and other degrading factors under so many exposures. And 27P-? is totally gentle and safe for use compared to harsher ingredients like retinols.”

??Read the full report , including:

• Growth Factors for Enhanced Anti-aging Efficacy
• Decoupling ‘Vegan’ and ‘Sustainable
• Expanding Microbiome Claims to Menopausal Sexual Wellness & Odor Control
• Finding Oxidative Balance
• Lifting x Thickening: Multifunctional Beauty
• Next-level Sensory Effects
• A New Generation of Alternatives for Retninol, Phenoxyethanol, D5 and Conventional Rheology Modifiers