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Around the same time, a popularmakeupbrand announced it was launching aface cleanser.
Channing Smith
I rolled my eyes at the email.
Why does this brandagain, not known for skin careneed a face wash?
Who asked for this?
This allowed them to focus on the formulas quality, ingredients, and efficacy.
It was night and day from the product-development process from previous jobs.
So why do brands have this constant push for new launches?
Unsurprisingly, it all comes down to making money.
When you have a new launch, you get this boost in sales.
It is undeniable, saysCharlotte Palermino, cofounder ofDieux Skin.
Beauty is the new fast fashion in a lot of ways.
And its these types of [celebrity] brands that are driving it.
On the other hand, theres the social media of it all.
When a new product comes out, fans have a reason to talk about the brand all over again.
Theyre really excited when they have something new or different that they can offer their followers.
They essentially offer it in the same way as a retailer, explains Hassan.
You end up developing so many more products so you can feed this cycle, says Hassan.
Eye shadow palettes, leave-in conditioners, fragrances, body lotionsthe options are truly endless.
Recent topics have included giving up exfoliation, an interview aboutdermorexia, and a reader poll about pubic hair.
Skin care, she thinks, got a boost as it became more and more conflated withhealth and wellness.
Its all about health, she says.
Beauty is the new fast fashion in a lot of ways.
But celebrities arent the only ones overproducing and underdelivering.
Glossier set a new standard.
Celebrity or otherwise, Palermino says, youre only as good as your products.
And despite the overflow of products, there is still plenty of innovation to be had in skin care.
(Thats why most beauty buffs are currently importing their sunscreen from places like France or Korea.)
But as the industry reaches a tipping point, a lot of what is technically new isnt necessarily groundbreaking.
The hope is that the next product we try is better than the last one we tried.
And unfortunately it isnt.
Thats such a red flag for us, when a brand says, Our products work for everyone.
No brand is everything to everyone.
So where do we go from here?
We see people entering the market earlier and earlier than ever before, says Hassan.
But trying to keep up with the Glossiers and Drunk Elephants of the industry serves no one.
As for Palermino, she points to other indies likeKrave BeautyandDr.
Idrissas beauty brands pushing the industry forward.
For Dieux, she keeps the focus on one to two hero launches per year.
Were going after the person who wants to actually have better skin results.
That is where we want to go.
But maybemaybe!just because a brand has the means to launch something new doesnt mean theyshould.
