#1 Beauty Trend of 2018: Bespoke Beauty

One of the fastest growing trends of late are personalized beauty products, a.k.a bespoke beauty. The reason why it’s all the rage is pretty obvious: customized products allow us to hand-pick ingredients we prefer over others as well as ones that are more effective for our specific needs. Even though this new trend has only recently began making headlines, promising to be the biggest beauty trend of 2018, the bespoke beauty is hardly a new concept. As consumers, we’ve been customizing goods for years, even without realizing it. This can be anything from a highly specific order at your local coffee shop, building your own salad, or creating your own pizza at your favorite restaurant. When companies give us free-range to be both the creator and consumer at the same time, the results can be magical, but they can also be a disaster. That’s why it’s good to have a guide whether your crafting your own meal or beauty products.

Bespoke beauty isn’t a new trend in beauty either; aromatherapists have been customizing products from fragrances to skin remedies for centuries. Although, thanks to technology the new craze of personalized beauty products is becoming way more advanced than the 6000 year old practice of aromatherapy. Brands are now delivering their customized treats at a faster rate due to the ease of creating online stores and the presence of chat-bots. That means anyone, regardless of busy schedules, location, and budget can have their own personalized routine because the technology makes it easier and faster than ever.

Like aromatherapy, bespoke beauty embraces fragrance, makeup, skin and hair care, but it doesn’t specifically rely on plant-based medicine. Companies can still use patented formulas that are synthetic, giving them an edge over other brands that can’t claim credit for an ingredient like lavender that’s existed for thousands of years. Of course, not all companies are going to be delivering the same results. You’ll need to do your research to make sure you choose a brand that supports your beauty goals. The good news is that with so many companies embracing bespoke beauty, there’s definitely a company out there to suit everyone’s needs, the tough part is finding the best one for your needs and budget.  Don’t be surprised if you find bespoke beauty as overwhelming as the options in-stores. You’ll find out quickly that there are an abundance of sellers on Etsy as well as all over the internet.

The question on everyone’s minds, particularly the skeptics and nay-sayers, is how are these customized products able to be more efficient that the standard over the counter beauty products we’re so used to buying in stores. To be fair, the efficacy varies from company to company. Ideally, a personalized item will be formulated by a well-seasoned professional that bases the ingredients on the specific needs and body chemistry of each individual. The next question is, who can benefit from the bespoke beauty trend? Literally, everyone. When something is specifically made for your skin or hair type, it’s likely to be more effective because as we all know, everyone is different. Since our diets play an important role in the health of our hair and skin, it’s also possible for that these products will take into consideration what we’re putting into our bodies creating balance inside and out.

Of course, there are definitely going to be folks that will benefit more from personalized beauty then others though, here’s why you may want to consider getting up on this trend.

Sensitive skin comes in a variety of different forms; you may find outbreaks, redness, and dryness goes with the territory. Treating a skin issue when you have sensitive skin can often lead to bumps and irritation that are usually due to a specific ingredient a formula contains.  Whether it’s balancing oil production, preventing outbreaks, or evening your skin tone, you’ll find out quickly that personalizing your skin routine gives you the best chance against skin irritation because you’ll have a much better idea of which ingredients cause irritation.

It’s no secret that those blessed with tightly packed, dense curls can have difficulty with hair growth and moisture retention, particularly those with afro-textured hair. Even though the black hair industry brings in over six million dollars a year, many of the shampoos available still include  over-drying ingredients like alcohol, salt, and sulfates. Since not all curls are the same, finding the perfect ‘poo or conditioner can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Bespoke beauty is an excellent resource for curls: if you have multiple textures or are transitioning from chemically processed hair to natural, personalizing your hair care products can help you achieve growth and retain moisture all while keeping the drying ingredients out of your hair.

Unfortunately, the term natural gets carelessly tossed around and even applied to the packaging of products that couldn’t be further from natural. If you find yourself being tricked by ‘natural’ products only to find sulfates or Yellow 6 hiding in your new leave-in conditioner, you’ll love the transparency of bespoke beauty — knowledge is power. Whether you’re personalizing your makeup, fragrance, skin or hair care, you can have the luxury of purposeful ingredients in every product. There are plenty of brands to choose from and trust, you’ll have more options than your usual beauty store gives you.

Even natural products are loaded with skin irritants and allergens, when you have an allergy to a specific ingredient that happens to be trending, it can be frustrating to find a product without it. Folks with nut allergies will especially love bespoke beauty, especially with almond oil becoming more and more popular in natural products. Whether you have a nut, gluten, citrus, or coconut allergy, you can definitely weed out the allergens by personalizing your beauty products. It’s pretty much a dream come true for anyone with an allergy to a plant or synthetic ingredient.

Finding your personal scent is always challenging. Shopping for scents in person is obviously the best way to figure out how something smells on your body, but sadly, you won’t be the only one wearing that over-the-counter perfume. If you love the idea of having your own unique scent, bespoke beauty will fill your nose up with confidence. When you find out someone is wearing the same fragrance, you may notice that the smell can vary. That’s because scents tend to smell differently based on our own body chemistry. Thanks to bespoke beauty, you can work with experts to find the perfect aroma that resonates with your senses and lingers exactly how you anticipate. Fortunately, there are plenty of personalized fragrance brands and aromatherapists you can work with to find your next favorite scent.