Key takeaways on the longer term hair care innovation
- Hair care has accelerated, outpacing skincare and color cosmetics in recent times.
- World progress reached 3.2% (2021–2024) vs 1.9% (2016–2019), pushed by premiumisation and skinification.
- Mass gamers are following with efficacy and ingredient‑led launches.
- Scalp care is increasing quick: evening serum SKUs up ~300%; scalp serums/remedies up 200% (2022–2025, Amazon monitoring).
- Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide function prominently; dermatological claims matter greater than “clear”/“pure”, with greenwashing considerations famous.
- Dermocosmetics in hair care is early stage; examples cited embody Vichy, Nioxin and a current CeraVe hair care entry within the US.
- Class saturation is probably going; manufacturers will want confirmed high quality, model expertise, and personalisation past formulations/substances.
This month, CosmeticsDesign aired a particular broadcast on ‘Future Hair Care Innovation’ to find extra concerning the newest expertise and substances shaping the class, in addition to the traits and client wants driving innovation.
For this, we had been joined by a number of trade consultants together with Christine Corridor, VP of World Hair Care and Color Analysis at Estée Lauder Corporations; Claire Wilson, Business Schooling Director for the EMEA Area at Kao Corp’s Salon Division; and Connor Spicer, Magnificence & Client Well being Care Marketing consultant at Euromonitor Worldwide.
Learn on to find Spicer’s professional insights into the way forward for the hair care market. To look at the complete interviews without spending a dime, enroll right here.
Cosmetics Design-Europe (CDE): Hello Connor, What have been a few of the most vital shifts in client behaviour within the hair care class in recent times?
Connor Spicer (CS): I’d say there are two overarching shifts. The primary and most vital is that client curiosity – and subsequent spending – on this area has quickly accelerated over the previous few years. Globally, hair care has moved from being a stagnant class, usually grouped with segments like bathtub and bathe as low-growth areas, to seeing stronger progress than skincare and color cosmetics in recent times.
Pre- and post-pandemic statistics illustrate this completely. Between 2021 and 2024, hair care globally recorded progress of three.2%, a notable upturn from the 1.9% recorded between 2016 and 2019. This elevated spending will be immediately linked to customers exhibiting larger curiosity and consciousness of their hair’s wants, alongside a greater understanding of the particular merchandise and routines required to attain this. As such, customers are keen to spend extra money on their hair than ever earlier than, partly pushed by premiumisation inside the class.
Premium hair care manufacturers are at present the first driver of progress, however we’re now seeing mass-market gamers beginning to observe go well with with launches targeted on efficacy and ingredient-led magnificence.
This rise in premiumisation is carefully linked to the ‘skinification’ pattern, the place hair care manufacturers more and more undertake skincare ideas by way of codecs and lively ingredient-led formulations.
CDE: Are there any particular hair care manufacturers you’ve seen which can be doing premiumisation very well proper now?
CS: Sure, I’d argue the very best place to look is thru current acquisitions within the premium hair care area over the previous 12 to 18 months. Massive magnificence gamers are capitalising on this dynamic pattern. The largest instance might be L’Oréal buying Shade Wow earlier this yr in June, which comes as no shock. The model skilled the very best progress charge amongst care manufacturers globally over the previous 5 years, due to its high-performance options for colour-treated hair.
These higher-quality merchandise have been accompanied by robust social media engagement and influencer partnerships, serving to the model acquire vital traction amongst customers – significantly on social platforms, which proceed to affect behaviour and buying patterns. Since L’Oréal acquired it, the model has carried out very nicely in H2.
One other instance is K18. The biotech hair care model has gone from power to power since Unilever acquired it initially of final yr. Its merchandise are created utilizing biotechnology, combining scientific precision with efficacy to satisfy client expectations. Individuals need confirmed outcomes that handle their particular wants.
CDE: What about rising subcategories or codecs which can be gaining traction in the meanwhile? Something you’ve noticed there?
CS: Hair care manufacturers are more and more adopting skincare ideas, and we’ve seen a whole lot of format innovation within the scalp area. Very like multi-step skincare routines, hair care is changing into extra segmented, with an growing number of product codecs designed to maximise outcomes. Innovation now centres on the concept that the scalp is an extension of the pores and skin and that wholesome hair begins with a wholesome scalp.
This has led to manufacturers increasing past conventional shampoos and conditioners into codecs equivalent to scalp serums and scalp tonics formulated particularly for scalp well being. Between 2022 and 2025, we’ve tracked Amazon gross sales and seen a couple of 300% rise within the variety of evening serum SKUs listed, whereas scalp serums and coverings are additionally up over 200%. Corporations imagine there are actual alternatives on this rising area – it’s a captivating improvement.
CDE: And what about applied sciences and substances? Are there any you’re watching carefully in the meanwhile in hair care?
CS: Many of the progress we’ve seen globally inside magnificence in recent times has been ingredient-led. Customers are doing extra analysis and understanding what they’re shopping for, and that is now true for hair care. Skincare substances, due to the concentrate on scalp well being, are more and more included into hair care formulations and positioned as key promoting factors by manufacturers.
For instance, hyaluronic acid – extensively recognised for its pores and skin advantages – is now entrance and centre in hair care merchandise. Ceramides are getting used to help scalp well being and nourish hair, whereas niacinamide has proven the quickest growth since 2022, with on-line SKUs containing the ingredient up greater than twelvefold. Niacinamide’s means to keep up scalp well being by lowering irritation and strengthening the scalp barrier has made it common amongst each customers and types.
We’re additionally seeing rising demand for particular claims, equivalent to “dermatologist-tested”, reasonably than “clear” or “pure”, which are actually thought of commonplace throughout magnificence and private care. Defining “clear magnificence” has develop into more and more troublesome, as greenwashing techniques persist. Manufacturers that need to place themselves as clear and pure should exhibit this via initiatives and campaigns reasonably than obscure claims.
Dermatological positioning is one other space of curiosity. In skincare, this has pushed progress in recent times, and hair care is following go well with – albeit at an early stage. At present, just a few manufacturers, equivalent to Vichy and Nioxin, function successfully on this area, however that is beginning to change. For instance, L’Oréal just lately expanded its Cerave vary – a preferred skincare model – into hair care within the US. The vary has been clinically examined, developed with dermatologists, and formulated for delicate scalps. In Q1 2025 alone, over 160,000 models had been offered on-line.
This means that extra well-established, scientifically backed skincare manufacturers may migrate into hair care. Nonetheless, the definition of “dermocosmetics” can also be blurring, with some manufacturers claiming dermatologist testing with out strong proof. In the end, confirmed outcomes, efficacy, and scientific backing can be key.
CDE: In your view, what does the hair care market appear like within the subsequent 5 to 10 years?
CS: That basically is determined by the nation. Markets such because the UK, US, and probably APAC are on the forefront of premiumisation and skinification traits. In the meantime, different markets – significantly in Western and Central Europe – are nonetheless initially of this journey, with customers transitioning from mass to premium entries. This implies short-term progress potential could be very optimistic.
Within the mid- to long run, it’s helpful to match hair care with skincare, as hair care is earlier in its evolution. What’s taking place in skincare now could be seemingly the place hair care can be in 5 to 10 years: larger client information and training round substances and applied sciences, pushed by platforms like TikTok. This has led to private-label traces, dupes, and value-driven manufacturers coming into the area, inflicting market saturation.
We’re already seeing this within the UK hair care market. For instance, hair bonding – pioneered by Olaplex – has confronted share losses over the previous two years as a result of emergence of extra reasonably priced choices like L’Oréal’s repairing vary.
My remaining message for the mid-term: because the hair care area turns into more and more saturated – which it’s going to, as extra gamers goal this class – manufacturers might want to look past formulations and substances to succeed. They’ll must concentrate on confirmed high quality, model expertise, and personalisation to entice customers.
