This article was originally published in The Future of Beauty Trend Report. Receive your copy here
Sometimes a beauty trend comes along that reflects the cultural, societal, economic and political shifts that are happening in the world, and in 2026, the concept of ‘resilience’ will play out across beauty.
“We’re entering another year of uncertainty and polarisation, and it feels like we’re in a very dystopic time,” says Emma Chiu, Global Director at futures and innovation think-tank VML Intelligence. “We have noticed a lot of fashion shows where the themes and the make-up have revolved around apocalypse or dystopia, and from that, there will be a trend looking at resilience – care during these harsh and difficult times, where we use products almost like another layer of armour on ourselves. Brands can think about resilience in beauty products during these really testing and difficult times.”
Brands can think about resilience in beauty products during these really testing and difficult times - Emma Chiu, Global Director, VML Intelligence
Against a backdrop of the global volatility and increasingly harsh environmental factors, resilience, as a trend, taps into many different need states for consumers, both physical and emotional. This is why as a beauty trend it is gaining momentum across sectors in different ways, including skin care, hair care and make-up.
“Resilience feels like the natural next step in how we talk about performance,” says Sam Murton, beauty industry consultant and strategic advisor. “In a more cautious economy, people want to know their skin care, make-up or hair care will do the job – and keep doing it. It’s about durability, not just transformation. It’s performance that holds up under real-life conditions.
“Resilience also brings in the science – but in a way that’s more relatable. It connects with bigger themes like longevity and barrier health, but it’s easier for people to connect with. It feels credible.”
Mintel’s Director of Insights of Beauty and Personal Care, Andrew McDougall, notes that this also ties into Mintel’s 2026 prediction ‘Metabolic Beauty’, and says that there is “a decisive shift from masking signs of ageing to building long-term resilience through deep, cellular repair. This means focusing on mechanisms that strengthen the barrier, calm inflammation, and improve collagen quality so skin bounces back faster from daily stressors.”
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