What do shoppers want from beauty and personal care brands? While the list is large, the central theme is clear: innovation. As the market continues to shift — and buyers continue to change and grow — at a rapid pace, brands must stay informed of the latest beauty and personal care industry trends.
Here are the top consumer trends in beauty and personal care brands, highlighting how the market continues to shift dramatically with changing technologies and buying behaviors.
1. Sustainable and Clean Products
Environmental awareness website TheRoundup reports that 78% of consumers feel that sustainability is important, and 55% of those same shoppers said they would pay more for eco-friendly brands.
Beauty and personal care shoppers understand how their beauty routines impact the planet, which is why they’re looking for accredited brands that meet environmental and ethical standards. Shoppers want to know if products are made out of sustainable, Earth- and body-friendly materials — and they want brands to put this information front and center.
Relate your products to overall health and wellness. If they’re made from organic and natural ingredients — or scientifically proven to improve well-being — feature this information loudly and proudly. Even better, make it a cornerstone of your brand identity.
Make it as easy as possible for consumers to find information about your products, including:
- Ingredients
- Sources
- Benefits
- Instructions
- Contraindications
- Testing
Display these details on product bottles, packaging, product detail pages, social media highlights, and anywhere a shopper would look for this information. This approach will help consumers feel confident when buying from you, helping to establish transparency and convey brand identity.
Don’t just make claims. Instead, use user-generated content (UGC) to showcase how your products can help combat stress and bring normality during uncertain times. The more apparent the connection between products and wellness benefits, the better it’ll resonate with beauty consumers.
2. Personalized Shopping Experiences and Customized Products
Advancements in technology have spurred the expansion of personalization and customization at scale. McKinsey & Company reports that 71% of consumers expect companies to offer personalized interactions — a need, not a want. The reason for this growth lies in the consumer expectation that companies now recognize them as individuals and hold information about their personal interests.
For beauty and personal care brands, shoppers want tailored recommendations and customized products that help address their unique needs.
3. AI-Integrated Technology
Artificial intelligence (AI) in ecommerce continues to explode in popularity, and AI tools can support a wide range of initiatives for beauty and personal care brands. From leveraging AI to power product recommendations and customer service initiatives to managing inventory and creating product content at scale, brands must be open to a test-and-learn approach to continue to drive innovation.
For beauty and personal care brands, AI technology could also provide shopping experiences previously only available in-store, such as virtual try-on tools and AI-powered skincare and makeup recommendations.
4. Social Media's 'Viral' Products
According to market research firm Mintel, 52% of TiKTok users use the social media channel to discover new beauty products — with the hashtag #skincare alone having over 136 billion views on the platform.
But what are the makings of a viral product on TikTok, Instagram, or another social media channel? Several factors impact whether a product has its time in the spotlight, but one of the biggest is UGC.
On social media, beauty and personal care influencers will share their beauty routines, including their favorite products. As more users — influencers and non-influencers alike — continue to post about these products, and they make the rounds across stories and posts, these products will see an increase in sales.
Due to these often-organic social media posts, these "viral" products regularly sell out on retail and direct-to-consumer (D2C) websites.
While there isn't a perfect formula for a viral product on social media, there are three steps that can help promote your products on these channels:
- Create a product that fills specific needs or wants within the beauty and personal care space, ensuring high-quality ingredients that deliver on promises.
- Connect with relevant influencers on social media, and build relationships with them.
- Expand these relationships on social media, and engage with audiences to deliver engaging content experiences.
Take Action To Drive Lasting Growth
Change is the only constant in the beauty and personal care industry, and brands must have the teams and tools in place to keep up. Stay abreast of the top consumer trends in beauty and personal care to stay ahead of the changing industry, and build engaging omnichannel shopping experiences to ensure you're ready for the future of shopping.
