Your makeup is now skincare!

The rise of skincare in makeup
2020 may have been a year unlike any other, but the beauty industry is known to think quickly on its feet. With reduced foot traffic at retail outposts to contend with, production processes were quickly overhauled to adapt to the new normal. “Makeup is no longer typecast in the role of enhancing cosmetic features, but is now touted as a multitasker,” declares Reena Chhabra, CEO of Nykaa Brands. She adds, “While 2021 might have seen an uptick in skincare-infused makeup, we launched Kay Beauty in 2019 as one of the first few skincare-infused beauty brands, so this trend has been in the making for a while.” She believes that several factors have contributed to the spike in demand, with the pandemic-induced lockdown playing a pivotal role in redefining our relationship with our makeup kits. “Amid widespread quarantines, lockdowns, limits on in-person services, social distancing and mandatory masks, beauty customers are changing their consumption habits and gravitating towards products that offer multiple benefits and uses. The pandemic has made consumers more conscious of their choices, and they now look for products that can help achieve maximum results with minimal effort,” she explains.
For Smita Baisakhia, cosmetologist and head of product development at MyGlamm, the situation posed an interesting reversal of roles. “Today, instead of brands launching products and telling consumers what they need, the tables have been turned. During the lockdown, consumers became comfortable in their skin and are now looking for products that won’t compromise the health and vitality of their skin,” she notes. In a bid to make them heard and involved in the process, the brand has adopted the concept of co-created beauty. “We realised how aware our consumers are about each ingredient present in a product formula, and wanted them to take up a role of greater responsibility. We have been diligently taking inputs on what our consumers need in their makeup products, and the results of our co-creation process have signified an increased demand for skincare benefits in makeup products. The MyGlamm Treat Love Care Foundation, formulated with niosomes and yeast extracts to repair the skin’s epidermal structure, has been derived on the basis of these inputs we’ve heard from our consumers,” she says.
The era of ingredient-savvy consumers
The modern skincare savant of today knows her ascorbic acid from her azelaic acid, and can rattle off hydroxy acids with ease—both alpha and beta. It comes as little surprise then that the same diligence is now being expected of her makeup kit, and experts believe that the pandemic has played its part in extending the skincare memo to the cosmetic industry as well. “During the lockdown, people were more than happy sitting at home with a blob of anti-acne serum on their face,” observes Siddharth Somaiya, founder of Organic Riot. As the restrictions began to ease and the world gradually opened up again, people started re-examining what they were asking from their makeup kits. “In the new normal, people will still use their face as a canvas and makeup as the tool to constantly redefine themselves. But now what people want is the perfect canvas, ie their skin, so the makeup is just a form of expression rather than a tool to conceal,” he adds.As the focus pivoted from makeup to skincare, the colour cosmetics industry had little choice but to follow suit. A quick stroll down the beauty aisle and you’ll now find everyday makeup staples underscored with skincare benefits—think foundation formulas and lip colours laced with nourishing oils or concealers loaded with rejuvenating actives. So, which ingredients have made the successful crossover from the skincare aisle to makeup kits? Dermatologist Dr Jamuna Pai believes that hydration and moisturisation agents are leading the pack. “The most common skincare ingredients you’ll find in makeup are oils that offer hydration while also soothing the skin, such as jojoba oil. Shea butter also appears to be in high demand in makeup as it helps moisturise the skin at a deeper level,” she says. Chhabra seconds the notion, and adds, “We are constantly looking for new-age ingredients that can deliver high performance as well as skincare benefits. With Kay Beauty, we have incorporated newer ingredients in our lineup as well, including grape seed oil, mango butter, lemon peel water, avocado butter and macadamia nut oil, among others.”