Every year, on a quarterly basis, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), considered to be “the definitive record of the English language,” adds hundreds of words to its massive 600,000+ entries, based on “increased and accepted usage.”

One of the words added in June was “newness,” defined as “the fact of not having existed before; the quality of being recently made, invented, introduced, bought, etc.”

It resonated with me because during this unprecedented year, we’ve seen so much resourcefulness—“newness” in the beauty industry—from the very way business is conducted, to consumer shifts in cosmetics and skin care, to innovative packaging materials and, of course, online shopping habits.

“Sustainability,” previously defined by the OED as “to be capable of enduring,” has become a key tenet in today’s beauty industry—where nearly everything from Innovation to Decoration—seems to hold this principle at its core. In this month’s feature story on Innovative Packaging, many of the latest innovations revolve around sustainable components.

In our look at the latest in Decorative Techniques, suppliers and brands discuss both advances and tradeoffs that must be met to fulfill green mindsets—and demand.

In Beauty, we’ve also added a new lexicon this year—including “mask-ne” (acne due to mask wearing); “make-care” (makeup + skin care formulations); “smize” (smiling eyes); “recyclable-ready” (just throw it straight into the recyclable plastics bin); and “cleanformance” (performance with safe ingredients). See our latest skin care feature.

“Water-saving,” though not yet listed in most dictionaries, has extended the sustainability conversation—whether for its use (or lack thereof) in formulations—or in relation to practices at manufacturing plants.

Check out how some brands are pursuing a conscientious use of H2O at “Beauty Brand Execs Speak on the Challenges of Water Usage.”

Refillables and compostables are gaining acceptance, as recyclables are becoming almost commonplace, but checking with your local recycling facility regarding disposal is key to effectiveness.

After all, we don’t want to be the subject of another noun added to the dictionary in June: garbageologist—“an anthropologist or archaeologist who studies a community or society through systematic analysis of what is thrown away as garbage.”

We hope you enjoy BP’s December 2020 Issue — our last one of the year.

Stay well and safe.