The bodycare category has been booming since the pandemic, but now it’s evolving beyond a ‘skincare-as-selfcare’ mindset, and into something much more functional and targeted. Traditionally the preserve of ‘medical’ over-the-counter brands, previously ‘taboo’ concerns such as body acne, keratosis pilaris (chicken skin), dermatitis, and pubic care will be tackled head-on and given the same treatment that facial skincare concerns have been getting for years.
“I think the interesting thing with this movement is that it’s been completely bottom-up,” says culture and trends analyst Alex Bee. “Built on the foundation of ‘body positivity’, which has now, quite rightly, morphed into body acceptance, consumers themselves have been demanding that brands start to talk openly about the stuff they actually care about.” Bee predicts an increase in products catering to concerns such as bacne, bloating, oral healthcare, and razor bumps. “Almost every project I’ve worked on this year has an element of these previously ‘taboo’ topics,” she adds. “I would actually say that this is less of a trend, and more of a macro behavioural shift, meaning that it’s not going away any time soon.”
Melissa Kenny, senior communications lead at Zitsticka (a brand oriented towards destigmatising ‘taboo’ skincare concerns) agrees. “Bacne, gut health, and period skin—are for sure discussed publicly online with greater transparency than they once were,” she says. “The connectedness and community fostered in online spaces has bred more and more ‘oversharing’. People want to learn from their peers and give and get advice.” Of course, people have always had these concerns, but the openness with which they’re now discussed has given brands the opportunity to hone in on each individual one, meaning that there’s set to be a lot of innovation in the bodycare space going beyond the basics of exfoliation and moisturising.
Tagged: skin