Beauty is in its wellness era.

During WWD’s annual Beauty CEO Summit, Unilever‘s president of beauty and well-being Priya Nair discussed how the blurring of lines between beauty and wellness are driving the future of both categories. She pointed to several brands in the Unilever beauty and well-being portfolio, which is a 13.2 billion-euro business, that exist at the intersection of these two categories, like Nutrafol, Vaseline, Liquid I.V., K18, Dermalogica and more. 

“All these brands show up as beauty brands, no matter whether they are ingestibles or topical products,” Nair said. “They all show up as beauty brands with incredible sensorials, aesthetics, truly desirable, timeless brands. They are a part of lifestyle and, most importantly, they talk and approach consumers with this whole body experience. It’s not just superficial. It’s really going much deeper into how consumers feel and affecting their well-being.”

This intersection of categories is especially important amongst younger consumers, as their perception of wellness has shifted toward longevity. 

“If you talk to Gen Z and Millennial consumers today, for them, health is no longer the absence of disease. It is living a better life,” Nair said. “Beauty, well-being [and] nutrition are no longer separate. The categories are blurring [and] intersecting. That’s the dynamic shift that’s taking place, and it is fueled by the digital and social revolution that’s taking place in the world. Consumers now absolutely understand how their bodies work. They know that what’s going on on the inside is affecting how you show up on the outside.” 

Nair pointed to several of Unilever’s brands that are positioned in this way. For example, she discussed how a product like Liquid I.V. can hydrate the body from the inside-out, resulting in glowier, healthier-looking skin. She pointed out how addressing need states like high cortisol and poor sleep are also crucial in preventing premature aging. 

While the categories of health and beauty used to be viewed separately, Nair said it makes sense that the lines are now blurring, as the need states addressed across both are linked. Unilever’s data reflects this sentiment as well. According to a study of 4,000 consumers across the world, “nine in 10 consumers said [they] believe that these spaces are intersectional and absolutely inextricably linked. Eight in 10 consumers said that they were looking for beauty routines that incorporated self care….Ninety-three percent of consumers are looking for the industry to build products that are more intersectional,” according to Nair. 

With this in mind, Nair shared how Unilever brands are addressing these needs, such as Nutrafol’s holistic approach to hair growth or Vaseline’s multiple uses, including as a hydrating salve or as a way to make fragrance last longer when applied to the skin before spritzing. According to Nair, consumers are not only looking for formulas that provide whole body solutions but can be used in myriad ways. 

“Consumers want optimal formulas and ingredients across these categories,” she said. “Hyper-personalization and expression when you think about your whole body, is absolutely what consumers are looking for, including multibenefit products.” 

For Nair, beauty and wellness will continue to intersect more, in turn building a stronger, more holistic self care category. 

“It is in these intersectional spaces that value creation lies,” she said. “These categories will continue to blur. It’s really exciting what we’re seeing here as an industry. Personalization will continue to absolutely dominate, and democratization of this is the journey that we are on in Unilever.”