Beauty platform BeautyMatter has revealed defining beauty trends for 2025 from one of the largest beauty expos in Europe, Cosmoprof.

BeautyMatter interviewed 39 brands from 18 countries across skincare and haircare categories, capturing a compelling picture of 2025's most talked-about trends.

Trends:

Sustainability Is the Standard - But Now It’s Smarter

• Natural and organic are no longer differentiators, they’re expectations. What’s changing is how brands execute sustainability in a more sophisticated, systems-based way.
• This broader sense of responsibility is driving both product development and communication strategies, especially in regions like Scandinavia, France, and Australia, where greenwashing concerns are high. 

Neurocosmetics and Skin Science - The Rise of High-Function Beauty

• 2025 is seeing science take centre stage, not just in formulating results, but for wellness and mood.
• There is a growing demand for skin boosters, derma-functional actives, and a desire to move beyond surface-level care.

From Fast Beauty to Rituals and Holistic Wellness

• The 10-step skincare routine has been replaced with intentional simplicity, rituals, and sensorial experiences that care for more than just the skin.
• Several brands are investing in multifunctional formats, like Iehana’s 3-in-1 shampoo bar that simplifies routines for busy lifestyles - signalling a wider shift toward fewer steps, more impact.

The Skin Microbiome Goes Mainstream

• The skin’s microbiome is no longer niche science, it’s quickly becoming a consumer expectation.
• This trend ties in tightly with the clean beauty movement, but with a more precise, targeted delivery approach. It's no longer just about what’s left out of a product, but what's actively in it and how it supports skin health over time.

Sun Protection as the New Skincare

• With climate anxiety on the rise, SPF is no longer just for the beach.
• Brands are redefining suncare by blending SPF into everyday skincare products and promoting simpler, more wearable sun protection solutions.

Storytelling That Sticks - Culture, Credibility, and Real People

• More brands are embracing story-rich positioning and real user-generated content (UGC) as the core of their strategy.
• UGC is becoming increasingly vital, especially for niche or early-stage brands. Brands like Suntribe, People Haircare, and Sense Cosmetics are building loyal communities by showcasing employees, real customers, and even product rituals, offering authenticity that traditional influencer marketing can’t match.

For the full report, visit beautymatter.com.