With Covid-19 we have all had to learn how to do things ourselves, we’ve had to learn to do without and have had to define what is most important to us. There is no doubt that our beauty habits have definitely shifted. Will any of these new behaviors stick? A sea change is defined as a profound or notable transformation. Given the economic downturn and that we have learned to do some of our own beauty grooming it’s very possible that some of the recent trends will become our “new normal”. Some of the most likely beauty sea changes include:
Home Hair Coloring
It’s estimated that there has been a 23% increase in home hair coloring kits and supplies. According to a CNN report that include Nielsen data, hair dye sales are up over 23% and these numbers are increasing as “stay home” policies and/or consumers chose to stay home. Walmart has stated they have had a hard time keeping products in stock. Many women have dyed their hair at home before either to test a color or save some money so the idea of doing a color touch up is not too daunting. I personally used a root touch up kit and found it to be very easy and the color matching was nearly perfect. Searches for “root touch up” have grown by 340.7% to reach 48,703 searches, this number continues to rise over time. Given the economic hardship ahead for so many it is likely that many will continue coloring their own hair, choose to go grey and/or alternate salon visits with a home touch up in-between appointments.
Hair Cuts at Home
Hair trimmer sets are actually hard to find today. A CNN report that included Nielsen data, showed hair clipper sales were up 166%. Women are cutting men’s hair, men are cutting women’s hair and men and women are cutting their own hair. There are numerous videos instructing the proper way to style hair and about twice as many postings of disaster hair cuts. Men’s hair grows so quickly that those doing the trimming are getting better at it over time. Cutting one another’s hair can be an intimate experience. I have a neighbor that used to cut her husband and her sons hair regularly when they were younger. With the pandemic, she has gone back to trimming her husbands hair. He returns the favor by helping her to color her hair. They say it has become a bonding thing for them and that they both kind of like it. When I asked if they’d return to the barber and salon, they both said they would if they can afford it but that they would still do a salon day at home every once in a while as they like spending the extra time together. I found their story downright cute!
Home Pedicure/Manicure
Pampering yourself is a simple and effective way to break up the monotony and get a little bit of the “normal” back into your life. What may have surprised people the most about home spa-ing is that it’s easy, fun, money saving and can be very intimate. Face masks & body oils for long baths have become very popular. Searches for “face mask” grew by 82.9% to reach 70,190 searches. Slipping away for a long, soothing soak in the tub can be enhanced with some organic essential oils like Limited Edition Potions.
Home pedicures are easy to perform. You will need the following: Towel, Basin or bathtub, Epsom Salt or bath salt (1 tsp for basin, 1 cup for bath, 2-3 drops essential oil of your choice, Foot File or pumice stone, Body scrub, foot cream or body cream, cuticle oil or essential oil (even oil will work). Performing your pedicure can be done by following the steps of the items needed in order. Of course, after you have your feet looking good you can polish is desired. If you are isolating with another person or group of people it might be fun to treat each other to a Mani-Pedi. Home manicures are also an easy and cost cutting home spa option. If you want to do your own or have a home manicure party with family member glamour magazine outlines an easy 10 step process. The home spa trend is likely to continue as consumers watch their budgets but still seek some simple indulgence.
A Return to Natural Beauty
With more time at home and less direct physical contact with others there has also been a shift to natural grooming. What do I really mean? I mean people stopping their old routine in leu of doing less or nothing. No, I’m not talking about the people that don’t take showers for days or wear pajamas for weeks on end. I’m talking about more subtle trends like less or no use of the hairdryer, styling tools and styling products. Or less or no makeup and more focus on healthy skin. Less or no nail polish… you get the picture. Much like nature returning to a cleaner state, allowing our bodies to grow and recover naturally is likely a good thing. This break from our daily pattern has allowed for a re-set relative to beauty routines and expectations. I have found myself wondering what it will be like to see a show like the Tonight Show highly produced with guests that are all dressed up and made-up. Somehow that just doesn’t feel right? Given that the no makeup and no makeup make up looks were already hot, there is no doubt this trend will continue. When you have celebrities like Ariana Grande posting her natural curly hair and people like that look best you really have to wonder if less is more.
In summary, I’m not saying everyone will stop going to salons or stop wearing makeup but a portion of the population will. A larger percentage is likely to wear less makeup and be less inclined to follow their old beauty regime. People will make changes out of economic necessity as well as a new found appreciation for a more natural and real world.
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