The public relations firm said the trend for natural cosmetics would evolve over the year ahead with the emphasis turning to ingredients that offer targeted benefits.
Pierce Mattie PR said being green or natural would no longer be sufficient.
Fruits feature highly
Among the ingredients tipped for success in 2009 were a number of fruits that go beyond the natural and offer various beauty benefits.
Blueberry, for example, is expected to find its way into more and more skin care products on account of the vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids and fatty acids that it contains.
Other fruits mentioned by Pierce Mattie PR are rarely chosen for the fruit bowl but are becoming popular choices for cosmetic formulators.
These include acai, goji berries, acerola and baobab. They all have specific properties that make them suitable for different cosmetic applications.
For example, acerola is packed with vitamin C and is expected to turn up mostly in skin care products that target redness and inflammation.
Fruits are not the only foods tipped to make a big impact in cosmetics next year. The Indian spice turmeric is moving from curry to cosmetics where its medicinal properties make it suitable for several applications including hair care, sunscreen and anti-acne.
Pierce Mattie PR also tipped argan oil for growth, which has already become a popular anti-aging ingredient, and myrrh, a resin that is expected to gain in popularity as Ayurveda takes off in the US.
Rise of cosmeceutical ingredients
The growing popularity of cosmeceutical products is also set to influence ingredient trends going into 2009.
One of the science-rich ingredients picked out by Pierce Mattie PR was Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3, which the firm said would be marketed as a temporary alternative to cosmetic procedures. Probiotics are also expected to become more than just a buzzword and take their place in clinical like products.