Cosmetic Trends in Colombia / 2015

Cosmetic Trends in Colombia.

This book contains the results of an investigation on the Cosmetics and Cleaning Sector, in Bogotá and its surroundings (Colombia), carried out by a group of design students from the Universidad de Los Andes.

The purpose of this book is to show current trends highlighting the local. These are shown from three main concepts which are not only determined by the aesthetic potential, but by the possibilities of designing from the sensitivity of the sector. The local companies already positioned as well as the growing micro-enterprises were taken as references, all with the aim of generating proposals from the design to help the development of Colombian cosmetics.

Dressing Table For Hands

There is a tendency in the sector to look for the most authentic products in appearance, fragrance, texture and color. The sensory dimension of cosmetics is capable of transferring the user to other contexts, to different landscapes representing always a beneficial escape.

1. Philosophical Stones: Soaps that attract the eye with their mixture of bright colors, that rarely correspond to the expected base ingredients, making it the surprise factor. The fundamental charm of this "precious stones", is the curiosity that seeks to unveil the mystery of the transformation of matter in the benefits that each soap entails.

2. Palpable Relief: Despite the vanity, everything is about checking the effect of the products, with your eyes closed. The palpable relief it's associated with the intention to regenerate through skin care and the search of well-being.

3. From the Mouth to the Skin: Both in the shopping experience and the use of cosmetic products the sensory approaches lead in multiple cases to the association with the edible.

From Hands to Hands

This trend focuses on the productive part from where it is intended to encourage small farmers to produce raw materials for the production of cosmetics from which they can also benefit. It is motivated through self-consumption, the exchange between the farmers and the small industry. In addition, the particularities of the creators are highlighted, whose singularity is closely related to the recursive character of the Colombian. This chain has an emotional value, due to the care that there is in each step of the process, making the users feel that someone has chosen for them the best.

1. Mirror to the Essentials: Both the experience of purchase and use of local cosmetics is able to reflect from the origin of raw materials and their traditional properties, the treatment of each element, the necessary knowledge, the care of each hand through which the products pass through until you reach the consumer. The trend is in transparency, in honest information, in sharing familiarly the cultural elements that enrich the sector, generating awareness of how to invest in one's well-being and the environment that is shared.

2. Refinement of the Artisan: As awareness of the possibilities of taking advantage of one's own resources to supply cosmetic needs arises, creative, manual, authentic and original ways come to light, which are validated through the Colombian's own recursiveness. Nothing characterizes the craftsmanship more than the delicacy and attention to detail, the originality and uniqueness of each product and its provenance processes. (...)

The use of industrial equipment is minimized and avoided, even in laboratories, where the main intention is to make commercial production (but sustainable) the artisanal production.

3. Homemade Nostalgia: In accordance with the awareness of sustainability, present in the whole cosmetics scene in Bogotá and surrounding areas, the use of materials is also responsible. It seeks to promote recycling through biodegradable materials or second-use feasible. The type of reuse that emerges, the characterization retailer and particularly friendly, is both authentically Colombian and especially warm and familiar.

4. Giving Wellness: The connotation of giving away cosmetics is also especially valuable: it shows a concern for the other person and for their well-being, and the intention to choose something totally intended for someone in particular. Among the options of the local market stands out the constant gift kits, predetermined or easily assembled.

Distilling Legacies

Despite the urbanized environment, due to the biodiverse nature of Colombia, it is possible to coexist with the ecosystem, having at hand all kinds of plants, fruits and flowers used in the production of cosmetics and in the proper treatment of the body. But the diversity of the territory is not only natural, it is also cultural. The experiences of contact with products and processes are also diversified, giving consumers the opportunity to approach traditional knowledge and awareness of their own, body and environment. Its essential character is returned to the tradition, to the proper values of nature and its spiritual benefits, but without decontextualization the city or the present.

1. Culture of Secrets: Within the lifestyle of the citizens of Bogota, the change from traditional medicine to cosmetics is observed. It is recovered through the healing properties of herbs, the indigenous tradition of the use of nature to treat problems of all kinds, taking a substantial distance from vanity, focusing cosmetic products on the care of the body, as a vehicle of the spirit.

2. Close Nature:One of the great surprises that the foreigner takes in Colombia and specifically in Bogotá is the closeness to nature and biodiversity. From the mountains on the horizon and the towering trees to the middle of the platform, it is surprising how even the most urban landscapes are related to the forms of plant life. Within the local, nature, for its easy access is part of daily life and cultural training includes familiarity with the benefits of a variety of products of the earth.

In local cosmetic, it's important to highlight the use of herbs as bases for natural products: herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables that are part of traditions with a long history. Calendula, aloe, rue and avocado are raw materials that are constantly repeated within the exploration in Bogota cosmetics. Regardless of its form, the daily fruits of the earth, whether in creams, oils, soaps or essences, are ingredients so appreciated from the local that determine the most trends.

En la cosmética local en general resalta el hecho de utilizar como bases productos de la naturaleza: hierbas, flores, frutas y verduras que hacen parte de tradiciones con una larga historia. Caléndula, sábila, ruda y aguacate son materias primas que se repiten constantemente dentro de la exploración en cosmética bogotana. Sin importar su forma, los cotidianos frutos de la tierra, ya sea en cremas, aceites, jabones o esencias, son ingredientes tan apreciados desde lo local que determinan la mayoría de tendencias.