Good vibes: The rise of mood boosting ingredients

Published: 29-Jun-2022

From scalp soothers to CBD solutions and hand-healing emollients, we discover the latest ingredients on the market to help your customers achieve a sense of wellbeing

Consumer depression through the pandemic and lockdowns was a recurring theme at in-cosmetics Global 2022. People had been denied personal contact with friends and family, and were concerned about catching Covid-19, or even being vaccinated against its worst effects.

Many had reduced their usage of make-up and perfume, or stopped using it altogether.

Moreover, when venturing beyond the security of their homes, they had to wear face masks and apply sanitising hand gels, often resulting in face mask rash and dry hands. Now that life for most is returning to near-normal there is an opportunity for mood-lifting cosmetics.

Besides the obvious ones of applying make-up and perfume, there are pampering products and ingredients that are claimed to enhance the mood of the user.

Be kind, unwind

The overall effect of the pandemic and associated restrictions was a general increase in anxiety and stress.

Stress and anxiety are physiological responses: stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension that can come from any event or thought that causes frustration, anger, or nervousness; anxiety is a feeling of fear, worry or unease.

In a brochure about its IBR-Chill, Lucas Meyer published data about stress levels felt by people around the world. It also reported how 42% of British women believe that the pandemic had caused them to age by at least five years.

Stress activates skin immune cells, which produce stress hormones resulting in a vicious cycle of stress-induced inflammatory events.

The visible appearance of stress has been labelled ‘Covid face’.

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