Longevity in Skincare: Redefining How We Formulate for the Future Health of Skin

For years, “anti-ageing” dominated the language in beauty, often framed as a battle to be fought and won. Recently, more and more we’re seeing that narrative giving way to something more considered: skin longevity.

This is part of a wider cultural and scientific movement that prioritises not simply how long we live, but how well we live, and in beauty, that translates to how long our skin can function at its best. As Head of Product Innovation here at THG LABS, I’m witnessing the change with consumers moving from chasing rapid, dramatic transformations towards embracing slow ageing: a proactive, consistent approach that supports skin health over the long term.

For brands, this presents an opportunity to rethink formulation strategies, align with emerging wellness trends, and claim a leadership position in a high-value, high-loyalty category.

I firmly believe, this movement will define the next decade of skincare, body care and haircare innovation. Here’s why, and my thoughts around how brands can capture its full potential.

Why Longevity is Replacing “Anti-Ageing”                                        

The slow ageing approach sits at the intersection of science, wellness, and cultural change. Several forces are driving it forward:

• Language matters. “Anti-ageing” implies that ageing itself is the problem. Modern consumers, particularly younger demographics, are rejecting this framing in favour of terms like pro-age, prejuvenation, longevity, and skin health span.
• Prevention is better than cure. The rise of preventative health, be it wearable trackers, sleep tech or functional nutrition, has normalised the idea that early, consistent care yields the best long-term outcomes.
• Evidence over hype. Consumers are more knowledgeable and have higher expectations for proof. Quick fixes without credible data no longer hold the same appeal.  
• Whole-body wellness. Skin is now seen as part of a broader system, influenced by sleep, diet, stress, hormones, and environment. Topical care is one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Far from being a rejection of science-led performance, it’s a call for products that work with the skin over time.

Developing Products for Skin Health Span

Longevity formulations are built to preserve and optimise skin function over decades. This requires a layered approach that addresses multiple biological processes at once, with benefits that accumulate over time.

Our Innovation and R&D teams are researching ingredients and developing products designed to tackle the 12 Hallmarks of Aging, below is a diagram which highlights these.

While the average beauty consumer is becoming much more skincare literate, many of these concepts are challenging to communicate- both from a regulatory and scientific point of view. This influences where we place our focus with strategies that will generate the most positive visible results while also being the most relatable and commonly understood by the consumer.

1. Oxidative Stress Management
   Prolonged exposure to free radicals accelerates visible ageing and degrades skin health. Potent antioxidants, like stabilised vitamin C derivatives, astaxanthin, and resveratrol, for example, help limit this long-term damage when used consistently.
   Impaired senescence leads to increase of oxidative stress at a cellular level. Specific actives, often botanical, that help to restore cell senescent processes and limit damage from ‘zombie’ cells are incredibly beneficial in restoring cellular function to a more youthful state.
2. Glycation Prevention
   Glycation causes collagen fibres to stiffen, reducing skin’s elasticity. Actives like Carnosine and Terminalia Chebula have been shown to help inhibit this process, supporting structural integrity over years.
3. Cellular Energy Support
   Skin cells rely on mitochondrial energy to repair and renew. There are many actives which target cellular energy and mitophagy such as Coenzyme Q10, ATP building blocks like Ribose, NAD+ precursors, and certain peptides can all help maintain this capacity, improving skin’s function and resilience over time.
4. Barrier Function Reinforcement
   A healthy skin barrier protects against cumulative environmental stress. Lipid-restoring ceramides, microbiome-balancing postbiotics and key molecules such as niacinamide and hyaluronic acid can help strengthen this defence.

These same principles translate seamlessly to bodycare. Consumers now expect advanced benefits in body formulas, from long-lasting hydration to elasticity support, applying the same science they use on their face to the rest of their skin.

More recently, we have seen actives targeting follicular longevity, improving both the melanin content, structural integrity and density of hair, acting on cell senescence in the scalp.

The Role of Advanced Delivery Systems

In longevity skincare, how you deliver an ingredient is as important as what you deliver. Actives intended for sustained use must remain stable, penetrate effectively, and release in a controlled way.

We employ technologies such as:

• Encapsulation to protect sensitive actives like retinoids and vitamins until they reach their target site.
• Time-release systems to prolong bioavailability and reduce irritation risk.
• Bio-based carriers to support effective penetration.

These systems improve efficacy while helping build trust with consumers who expect long-term performance.

Consumer Trends Reshaping the Category

Understanding the cultural and behavioural shifts behind slow ageing is critical for brand success.

The Longevity Lifestyle Influence

Consumers engaging in biohacking, precision nutrition, and wellness tracking are primed for skincare that aligns with their routines. They see their daily SPF, antioxidant serum, or body lotion as part of the same preventative toolkit as their supplements and workouts.

Cross-Generational Engagement

• Gen Z starts early with prevention-focused skincare.
• Millennials invest in maintenance and early correction.
• Gen X seeks to maintain resilience and recovery.

The slow ageing message resonates differently across these groups, offering multiple entry points for targeted brand communication.

The Rise of High-Performance Bodycare

As product developers and manufacturers we’re experiencing a growing demand for body formulas that rival facial care in sophistication, particularly in elasticity support, tone evenness, and environmental defence. To date, this has been a relatively underdeveloped yet lucrative space for innovation.

Trust and Transparency

Consumers scrutinise labels, clinical results, and supply chain transparency. This is especially true in longevity skincare, where claims promise sustained benefits.

Dermocosmetics and the Longevity Opportunity

The Dermocosmetics category and the Longevity trend are natural allies, sharing many of the same values: science-led development, clinically backed results, and a focus on skin health over time.

How Longevity is influencing Dermocosmetics:

• Expands the scope from targeted problem–solution to preventative daily care.
• Encourages earlier adoption, with consumers seeking dermocosmetic-grade products before visible ageing signs appear.
• Opens new claim territory around resilience, functional optimisation, and maintenance of skin health span.
• Extends dermocosmetic thinking into bodycare, scalp care, and wellness-adjacent categories.

How Dermocosmetics strengthen the Longevity trend:

• Provide the clinical validation longevity products need to gain consumer trust.
• Establish benchmarks for efficacy, safety, and tolerability.
• Leverage dermatological endorsement to communicate the long-term benefits of consistent regimes.
• Build educational bridges between consumers and complex science, making slow ageing routines easier to understand and commit to.

This crossover creates a high-value premium segment that benefits from both the credibility of dermocosmetics and the cultural momentum of longevity. For brands, it offers strong differentiation, multi-generational appeal, and the ability to secure loyalty over years rather than months.

Market Insights: Where the Opportunity Lies

Slow ageing aligns with a global shift towards preventive health. Several commercial insights stand out:

• Premiumisation Through Proof
  Longevity products backed by robust, long term clinicals can command higher price points and stronger brand loyalty.
• White Space in Body Longevity
  Facial longevity is a crowded space; bodycare remains underdeveloped but equally relevant to consumer goals.
• Regional Market Nuances
  • Asia Pacific: In this region, the term slow-aging has greater resonance with consumers than longevity. It’s closely tied to barrier strengthening “pore-lifting" and brightening. It is also very closely linked to lifestyle antidotes to factors like poor sleep and stress, as well as a traditionally preventative approach within medicine and skincare.
  • Europe: Strong association with dermocosmetics and pharmacy-led credibility.
  • North America: Integrated into wellness and lifestyle branding.
• Sustainability Synergy
  Slow ageing naturally supports sustainable consumption patterns. Products designed to be used consistently for long-term benefit complement refillable formats, reduced waste packaging, and more sustainable manufacturing practices. 

Regulatory Considerations for Longevity Claims

The concept of longevity can be powerful but must be communicated within cosmetic regulatory frameworks. Language should be precise and evidence-backed, avoiding any medical positioning.  We need to frame the benefits to visible, cosmetic compliant claims such as ‘appearance of wrinkles are visibly smoothed’, ‘skin appears brighter, more radiant, glossy, more even toned etc.’

Our in-house Regulatory team works hand-in-hand with our R&D and Product teams to ensure that every claim we develop for our partners is both compelling and compliant, reducing risk while enhancing consumer trust. 

The Long View for Brands

Leading a fundamental change in how beauty supports skin health, the shift towards longevity is an invitation for brands to create products that consumers will stay loyal to for years.

At THG LABS, we combine advanced formulation science, cutting-edge delivery systems, and deep market insight to help brands design products that stand the test of time - scientifically, commercially, and culturally.

Where once the future of beauty was about looking younger, we believe the focus should be on skin that functions beautifully for longer. And that’s where the real opportunity lies. To talk to our team about how this can be channelled for your brand, please get in touch.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Kristal Goodman  
Head of Product Innovation, THG LABS  

With over 25 years’ experience in the beauty industry and UK cosmetics manufacturing, Kristal Goodman has cultivated a unique blend of scientific expertise, creative vision, and strategic thinking to spearhead what are recognised as some of the beauty industry’s most much-loved, must-have products.   

In her role as the Head of Product Innovation, Kristal’s influence is best demonstrated in THG LABS dedication to pushing boundaries. She is the driving force behind the integration of upcycled ingredients, advanced biotechnology and other impactful emergent global beauty trends that ensure THG LABS remains at the cutting-edge of beauty innovation. Her knowledge of actives and their benefits is encyclopaedic which fuels her talent for translating ingredient ideas and science into concepts that give each product a formula and a story consumers fall in love with.

A member of THG LABS Eco Leadership Team and a devoted advocate for formulating sustainably, Kristal adopts a holistic approach to product development, believing that truly innovative beauty products are those that address the multifaceted needs of today’s consumers while better respecting the world around us.