Skin care

Greek consumers bought makeup, face creams and body care products this year, a trend that is expected to continue during the holiday season, when people flock to stores for their Christmas shopping.

One of the most popular words used today by a girl in elementary or middle school is the word “skincare”. This particular word is omnipresent during breaks or conversations among groups of young girls belonging to Generation A, that is, those born after 2010, who are crazy about acquiring, exchanging, and of course, using beauty products.

The biggest color trend in fashion this autumn is undoubtedly chocolate brown. This dark, rich shade has appeared in myriad runways for the Fall/Winter 2024 season, from Bottega Veneta and Miu Miu to Ferragamo and Courreges, and has made numerous standout appearances in the street-style set during Fashion Weeks.

With tourism growing and Greek consumers turning to products they didn't use during the pandemic, the domestic cosmetics market appears to be gaining ground.

"Sales growth to a degree is inflationary. However, especially in the case of select products, we lost the consumers we were going to lose during the economic crisis," said a senior Galerie de Beaute chain executive.

The age of cosmetic and makeup usage has seen a drop with the influence of social media trends, causing adverse effects on the skin barrier observed as early as 18 years of age, experts warn.

Greek startup Coffe-eco is developing cosmetics and packaging (containers) from espresso grounds, having discovered an extraction method that utilizes the antioxidant actions and nutrients of many people's favorite daily drink.

Greek startup Coffee-eco, based in the western city of Patra, produces sunscreen, lip balm, face scrub, and anti-aging and moisturizing creams from coffee residue.

The effort got the attention of coffee chain Coffee Island, which has invested €400,000 in the startup, allowing it to set up a factory in Patra's industrial zone to produce its AuraSkin line of cosmetics.

The Greek agency for pharmaceuticals, EOF, has announced a ban on the distribution and sale of Tork Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizer, a product marketed as an antiseptic hand gel. According to the announcement, the product has not been approved by EOF, despite being promoted as an effective antiseptic.

Slovenian spa resorts harbour much optimism ahead of the May Day holidays, saying that bookings so far are promising and that more are expected just before the holidays. Most of the guests will be from Slovenia, but the number of foreign visitors has been increasing this year.

The Health Ministry has determined that 70 percent of cosmetic products, including mosquito repellent and disinfectants, are unsafe and against the legislation.