Penny Coy, vice president of merchandising at Ulta Beauty, took time to chat with Happi.com about top trending launches in skincare for the season and how her company is meeting consumer demands for the latest and greatest scents. Coy is on the pulse of all things skincare at the leading beauty retailer. Read on to learn more!
 
Happi: What are Ulta Beauty shoppers looking for in their skincare for 2023?
 
PC: At Ulta Beauty, we continue to see strong engagement in skincare, especially as consumers become more educated on the products and solutions that meet their specific beauty wants and needs. While there’s positive momentum across the category, we’re seeing guests lean towards brands with ingredients that are efficacious and can easily be layered into their skincare routines. Ingredients like niacinamide, vitamin c and hyaluronic acid continue to dominate the space, with our guests loving The Ordinary’s affordable, yet potent options, along with products that help remedy acne breakouts like pimple patches from Peace Out Skincare or Hero Cosmetics. 
 
Today’s beauty consumers also have a deeper appreciation for sustainable beauty products with ingredients that are both good for skin and the planet. This budding awareness is helping drive growth within our Conscious Beauty offerings, which now includes 300 brands certified in at least one of our five values-based pillars.
 
Perhaps one of the biggest growth factors in skincare is being driven by Gen Z, who are developing their own skincare routines earlier than any other generation before them. With so many resources, tools and experts at their fingertips through social platforms like TikTok, they are willing to invest in their skincare routines and use products and tools that promote skin health, while still embracing their skin’s natural texture, freckles and imperfections.

 
 
Happi:  Any big skincare launches you'd like to mention for Spring 2023?
 
PC: This spring, we are delighted to introduce DTC brand, Beautycounter, to our skincare and cosmetics assortment, available online and select stores. As conscious beauty continues to be a priority for us and our guests, we’re excited to evolve our assortment with brands like Beautycounter who share our passion for this space and provide more transparency and choice to the beauty community.
 
We’re also proud to expand our Luxury at Ulta Beauty assortment and offer Lancome’s Absolue collection, a highly efficacious line that helps revitalize skin for firmness, elasticity and hydration, along with Dior Beauty’s beloved skincare options.
 
Lastly, we have added Beautystat Cosmetics’ latest innovation; Universal C Skin Refiner Vitamin C Serum with SPF 50, a multitasking product then helps brighten dark spots while protecting. Our robust skincare offerings will continue to grow this year and we are excited to introduce new and existing guests to diverse options across all price points and skincare needs. 
 
 
Happi: Any future trends to look out for in skincare? 
 
PC: Many of our beauty enthusiasts see a direct link between beauty and wellness, often using their daily skincare routines as a form of selfcare and a tool to unwind. We expect these lines will continue to blur and are already seeing more skincare products promote beauty from within in the form of vitamins, powders, collagen and more, further expanding on the ingestibles and supplement category.  
 
We are also seeing pre-menopausal and menopausal skincare come to the forefront. In the past, this segment has been largely overlooked but, as the topic is becoming destigmatized, the narrative is shifting to address the needs of this important consumer base. We are exploring this space further and, this past year, we started offering Womaness, which is a modern menopause brand whose mission is to change the conversation around menopause and the women experiencing it. We’ll continue to expand in this area as we want women in this stage of life to be able to easily shop for the products that they need – and deserve!

Looking for more skincare news? Take a deeper dive into seasonal launches here.

For more insight from Penny Coy, click here.