Bath and body products are some of the most consistent performers in the beauty marketplace—and often create lifelong loyalty among customers. With an understanding that wellness is an up-and-coming industry in and of itself, updating the formulas and marketing for classic bath and body formulas can allow businesses to take advantage of cross-industry popularity with a new generation of consumers who increasingly value wellness and efficacy in their everyday routines.

In this blog, we’ll explore key trends in the wellness-infused bath and body space, and provide insights into how you can take advantage of these trends in your own business.

Key Trend 1: SustainabathingBacked by the idea of seed-to-skin formulas, this trend recognizes the consumer demand for clean, sustainable ingredients and formulas, prioritizing natural ingredients, low-impact sourcing methods, and investing in  regenerative farming practices. This concept applies to formulation, but can be carried through to packaging with plastic-free and dye methods that offer lower water consumption.

Brands like Lush have been offering this trend to their customers for years, but in 2024 and beyond, we will start to see more brands moving in this direction to keep up with customer’s climate concerns. To take advantage of the trend, we can help you source sustainable ingredients, come up with innovative low-impact packaging solutions, and even create a marketing campaign that signals to your customers that you talk the talk and walk the walk. 

Key Trend 2: At-Home Spa ExperiencesDriven by the recently trending “Everything Shower,” more and more consumers are turning their daily routines into opportunities for deeper self-care. This offers businesses an opportunity to add elements of “extra” to familiar formulas—for example, infusing functional aromas instead of synthetic fragrances allowing consumers to create an aromatherapy shower experience—goes a long way, but there is also opportunity to create new and unique products, like shower steam bombs, that signal to customers that they are investing even more in their own wellbeing.

Over the past few years, we have seen the emergence of high-end body washes, like Bathing Culture, take off due to their unique fragrances and smart, effective formulas. Similarly, brands like Ardent Goods are offering Shower Aromatics Kits, designed to turn every shower into an experience. To take advantage of this trend, consider ways to take your product above and beyond what is expected, whether through clever packaging, powerful fragrance, infused wellness ingredients, or a new and unique experience that customers want to return to week after week.

Key Trend 3: Body BarriersIn the beauty space, we’ve seen a rise in consumers concerned with the health of their skin barrier—and now, it’s crossing over into body care, as well. Expecting more than just a traditional body lotion, consumers are seeking intensely hydrating, barrier-fortifying products and moving away from old-school formulas that may strip and damage skin. Think: ultra-rich formulas with smart, science-backed ingredients, that still boast the same familiar use case as their old bottle of body lotion.

We’ve seen iconic powerhouses like Fenty Beauty step up to the plate with their Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream, which contains a whopping 25% rich butter and a medley of skin-conditioning oils, and we expect to see this trend trickle into drugstore body brands as soon as this year, too. To get in on this trend, our formulation experts can help you select key ingredients that will catch your customer’s eye—and support a long-lasting glow that’ll practically market itself.

To upgrade your bath and body products with a healthy dose of wellness, reach out to our team today. We’re experts in the leading industry trends and ingredients, and we can help you bring your vision to life for a new generation of customers.