Cosmetic formulations are evolving under dual pressure: regulatory and formulary. This year’s beauty trends are not just about color palettes or makeup techniques shared on social media. They reflect structural changes in how products are designed, packaged, and claimed.
Anti-greenwashing regulation and beauty claims: what changes in September 2026
The Directive (EU) 2024/825 comes into effect on September 27, 2026. It prohibits claims such as “eco,” “green,” “sustainable,” “climate neutral,” or “carbon neutral” if they are based solely on carbon offsetting or are not supported by verifiable evidence on the same medium (packaging, website, technical sheet).
Homegrown labels created by brands without a recognized certification scheme also become illegal. Penalties can reach up to 4% of annual revenue.
In practice, this means that a large portion of beauty products marketed as “clean” or “green” will need to revise their communication. Brands that published vague environmental claims on blogbeaute.fr or other platforms will have to document each claim with consumer-accessible data.
For consumers, this is a useful filter. A cream that claims “natural” without tangible proof can no longer be marketed under this positioning in the EU. We recommend checking now if your favorite products have third-party certification (Ecocert, Cosmos, NATRUE) rather than just a proprietary logo.
Refillable packaging: PPWR obligations applicable from August 2026
The Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR) came into force in February 2025, but its core obligations apply from August 12, 2026. The text imposes a reduction in packaging waste, reuse targets, and prioritizes refillable and reusable packaging systems.
This trend is not cosmetic in a figurative sense. It forces brands to rethink the very design of the container. A perfume bottle or powder case must now incorporate refilling as a design option from the specifications stage.
Several high-end fragrance houses already offer bottles with screw or cartridge systems. In the makeup segment, modular cases are gaining ground: the same case accommodates refills of lipstick, blush, or foundation depending on the season.
Criteria to check before adopting a refillable product
- Is the refill system actually available in stores or only online, which negates part of the logistical benefit?
- Does the price of the refill represent a real saving compared to the complete product, or is it a disguised extra cost due to the initial packaging?
- Is the original container designed to last through several cycles without degradation (closure mechanism, sealing, compatibility with successive formulas)?
Modular makeup and skinimalist trend: two distinct technical approaches
Modular makeup and skinimalism respond to opposing formulary logics. The former multiplies combinations from interchangeable components. The latter reduces the number of products by concentrating active ingredients.
Skinimalism pushes laboratories to formulate multifunctional products. A serum that hydrates, smooths, and evens out skin tone replaces three references. The technical difficulty lies in the stability of the formula: combining an exfoliating active with a moisturizing agent in the same galenic vehicle without loss of efficacy remains a formulation challenge.
Modular makeup, on the other hand, offers palettes or cases where each color or texture can be replaced independently. The advantage for the skin: you avoid having to buy a complete product for just one finished color. The advantage for the makeup routine: you can adapt your palette to the season without accumulating products.
Differentiating marketing trends from real innovation
We observe that some products labeled “modular” are limited to a detachable packaging without real interchangeability of formulas. A good test: check if the refills of brand A are compatible only with their case, or if an open standard is emerging. For now, each brand locks its own refill system, which limits the environmental impact of the concept.
Fragrances and olfactory trends: the rise of gourmand profiles and oud
Research data confirms a marked increase in interest for oud perfumes and gourmand eaux de parfum this year. These are not passing trends: they reflect a shift in preferences towards denser and more persistent compositions.
Oud, long confined to Middle Eastern perfumery, is now integrated into Western compositions with woody-amber accords. Gourmand eaux de parfum play on notes of vanilla, caramel, or tonka bean that extend longevity on the skin.
For consumers building their olfactory signature, the technique of layering (the superposition of several perfumes or scented products) allows for personalized sillage. The condition: choose products whose olfactory bases are compatible, which requires knowing the family of your main fragrance.
- Citrus profiles layer well with light floral notes
- Oriental bases (oud, amber) support gourmand accords without saturation
- Fresh compositions with a marine or green dominance combine poorly with very sweet bases
The market for personalized perfumery is also progressing thanks to olfactory diagnostic tools in stores, which guide choices not by “family” but by emotional profile or usage context.
The year 2026 marks not so much an aesthetic renewal as a regulatory and technical turning point. The beauty trends that will endure are those that survive the anti-greenwashing directive, adapt to the constraints of the PPWR on packaging, and offer genuine galenic innovation rather than a marketing repositioning.