During the Openstreams Foundation’s Global Beauty Industry Summit’s The Aging Forum at the United Nation’s Headquarters in New York City on Dec. 12, skincare education and longevity research took center stage regarding the future of the beauty industry.

On the topic of Gen Z skincare, Cosmetic Executive Women’s Andrea Nagel broached the topic of Sephora Kids and how younger age groups are damaging their skin barrier with unnecessary exfoliators. To educate this age group on proper skin care, she suggests brands tap into digital tools like AI-based skincare assessments to help them determine their skin type and its needs so that the most relevant ingredients are prescribed.

Packaging is also an important component to consumer education among this demographic, she said. Gen Z-centric skin care brand Bubble, for example, illustrates the age use for certain products on their packaging in addition to leveraging TikTok to educate preteens on the proper products for their developing skin. Salicylic acid, for instance, should not be used on children who are not showing signs of hormonal skin conditions like acne, which would merit use of that particular ingredient.

Retailers, she said, should ponder limiting or merchandising certain items in specific ways to deter naïve users from reaching for items that could be potentially harmful.

Apotek Hjärtat, which has about 390 pharmacies in Sweden, is restricting sales of “advanced skin care” products (including the ingredients AHA acid, BHA acid, vitamin A, vitamin C and enzyme peeling) to customers under 15 unless they have parental consent or a relevant skin condition. The move was prompted from reports of a skincare boom among Swedish children under the age of 13 who are tempted to use these products from watching beauty videos on social media platforms on Instagram and TikTok. Nagel cited companies like Dove, Cult Beauty and Madison Reed who do not use generative AI to doctor images in their messaging.

“The more people are exposed to what is real, the better I think the mental health of the entire consumer demographic is,” said Nagel.

Dr. Wang suggested employing tools such as AI to help moderate what is on social networks to make them a healthier environment.

Longevity Initiatives

Estée Lauder’s Longevity Collective, a curated group of scientists, researchers and thought leaders, is working to bring forward the latest insights and findings to inform Estée Lauder’s ongoing commitment to longevity research.

Recently, LVMH Recherche announced a strategic research partnership with Integrated Biosciences to discover novel chemical entities that target aging at the molecular level. The multi-year partnership will leverage Integrated Biosciences’ synthetic biology and artificial intelligence (AI)-based platform for science-backed skin youth and beauty products.

Zheng said L’Oréal partnered with the Center for Microbiome Innovation, a research institute at the University of California in San Diego, to investigate 13 studies with more than 10 million microbiome sequencing data points to probe the connection between the facial microbiome and aging.

“We have discovered three specific strains of commensal bacterias that correlate not with chronological age, but with the severity of your facial wrinkles and also correlated with skin barrier function,” she said, adding that they are determining how to leverage this type of discovery and develop more precise products for the consumer.

Quality of Life’s Impact on Beauty

Since quality of life plays a role in personal satisfaction and better health, Zheng said special consideration is also being given to the aging population with motion disabilities.

Lancôme’s launched of Hapta, a smart device to assist consumers with motion disability, gives users the power to apply makeup precisely. This device is useful for those suffering from arthritis to Parkinson’s maintain a sense of independence and dignity.

On the subject of physical health, Melis de Rey, general manager of beauty, baby & beauty technology, US Stores of Amazon (United States), said the retail giant launched Amazon Clinic, an online primary care hub offering round-the-clock treatment access for common concerns.

“In the US, health care is ripe for innovation and we believe as a company we can offer that innovation,” said de Rey.

When asked what makes someone young, the panelists agreed inner and outer wellness is key.

“Lifestyle at the core. Eating well, sleeping well, staying connected with others and having a purposeful life,” said Palmarini. “These are the four principles that are the base of the longevity projectory. They belong to you. It’s part of your daily life. There is not a business model for prevention.”