01 Industry overview
The cosmetic and beauty industry at a glance
Global beauty retail sales reached $441 billion in 2024, with skincare the largest category and growth increasingly supported by e-commerce, premiumisation and emerging-market demand. McKinsey projects a 5% base-case CAGR for beauty retail sales from 2024 to 2030, with Europe forecast to grow at 5% annually and North America at 5% in the base case.
- $441B[11]
- Global beauty sales, 2024
- 5%[11]
- Global CAGR, 2024–2030
- 39%[24]
- Skincare share, 2024
- 3.5M[84]
- European jobs supported, 2024
- Market size
- Global beauty retail sales were estimated at $441 billion in 2024 by McKinsey. L'Oréal separately estimated the global cosmetics market at more than €290 billion in 2024, reflecting differences in market scope and methodology.[11][24]
- Forecast & CAGR
- McKinsey projects global beauty retail sales to grow at a 5% base-case CAGR from 2024 to 2030, compared with a 3% downside case. Its 2019–2024 growth rate was 4%.[11]
- Market share & regions
- In L'Oréal's 2024 market estimate, North America accounted for 29% of global cosmetics sales, North Asia for 27% and Europe for 24%. Cosmetics Europe reported €104 billion in European retail sales in 2024, across the EU-27, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.[24][84]
- Segmentation
- Skincare was the largest global category at 39% in 2024, followed by haircare at 21%, make-up at 17%, perfumes at 13% and hygiene products at 10%. In Europe, skincare generated €30.1 billion in 2024, ahead of toiletries at €24.7 billion and haircare at €18.1 billion.[24][84]
- Key players & concentration
- L'Oréal reported €44.05 billion in sales in 2025 and described itself as the world's number-one beauty company. Its 2025 sales mix was 37% Consumer Products, 35% Luxe, 16% Dermatological Beauty and 12% Professional Products; the available sources do not provide a consistent global four-firm concentration ratio.[24][61]
- Pricing
- McKinsey's 2024–2030 base case attributes beauty growth to a combination of volume and price growth, with Europe forecast to grow at 5% annually and North America at 5% in the base case. The report also identifies premium beauty and higher-income consumer demand as important contributors in mature markets.[11][24]
- Trends, drivers & challenges
- Growth is being supported by skincare, fragrance, premiumisation, men's beauty, emerging markets and digital commerce. L'Oréal reported e-commerce above 30% of group sales in 2025, while McKinsey highlighted tariffs, weaker economic conditions and China's slower growth as downside risks.[24][11]
- Consumer behavior & competition
- Digital discovery and social commerce are reshaping competition: more than half of US consumers were exposed to personal-care and beauty products on social platforms in 2025, according to EMARKETER. L'Oréal's e-commerce sales exceeded 30% of total sales in 2025, indicating the importance of omnichannel distribution and direct digital conversion.[85][24]
- M&A
- Beauty M&A remains active across luxury, skincare and independent brands. In October 2025, Kering agreed to sell its beauty division to L'Oréal for €4 billion, including Creed and long-term beauty and fragrance licenses for Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga; in July 2026, Coty agreed to return the Gucci Beauty license to Kering for about $400 million.[86][87]
- Regulation
- In the United States, the FDA reported 16,398 unique active cosmetic-facility registrations and 1,298,361 active product listings under MoCRA as of June 30, 2026. In the European Union, updated fragrance-allergen labelling requirements apply under Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, while Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 restricts intentionally added microplastics, including certain cosmetic glitter products.[88][89]
- Latest news
- The latest reported full-year industry results show L'Oréal's 2025 sales at €44.05 billion, up 4.0% like-for-like, with e-commerce exceeding 30% of sales. In 2026, the sector has also seen continued portfolio reshaping, including Coty's agreement to return the Gucci Beauty license to Kering for approximately $400 million.[61][87]
02 Ranking
Top 10 Companies in the Cosmetic And Beauty Industry
The leading companies in the cosmetic and beauty industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.
Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026
L'Oréal stands out for operating across Consumer Products, Luxe, Dermatological Beauty and Professional Products because it reported €44.05 billion in 2025 sales, while The Estée Lauder Companies focuses on prestige skincare, makeup and fragrance since it reported fiscal-2025 sales across skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care.
Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓
Editor's top 3 picks
Where to start, by need.
#1 Overall · Leader in beauty & personal care
L'Oréal
FR
Ranked #1 · 9.6 · Beauty & personal care brands
Why we picked it: It operates across Consumer Products, Luxe, Dermatological Beauty and Professional Products, with 2025 sales of €44.05 billion.
#2 overall
The Estée Lauder Companies
US
Ranked #2 · 9.3 · Beauty & personal care brands
Why we picked it: Its prestige portfolio spans skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care, with the group reporting fiscal-2025 sales across all four.
#3 overall
Procter & Gamble
US
Ranked #3 · 9.2 · Beauty & personal care brands
Why we picked it: Beauty accounts for 18% of 2025 net sales by business segment, supported by a 22.7% operating margin.
Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.
Full ranking
| # | Company | Overall ↓ | Impact | Performance | Momentum | Innovation | Company snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L'Oréal Beauty & personal care brands · FR | 9.6 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 9.9 | 9.0 | |
Company snapshot · L'Oréal · Data as of November 10, 2026 L'Oréal identifies itself as the world's number-one beauty company.[24]
| |||||||
| 2 | The Estée Lauder Companies Beauty & personal care brands · US | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · The Estée Lauder Companies · Data as of November 10, 2026 The group reported fiscal-2025 sales across skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care.[55]
| |||||||
| 3 | Procter & Gamble Beauty & personal care brands · US | 9.2 | 8.5 | 9.8 | 9.1 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · Procter & Gamble · Data as of November 10, 2026 Beauty represented 18% of P&G's 2025 net sales by business segment.[90]
| |||||||
| 4 | Unilever Beauty & personal care brands · GB | 9.1 | 9.5 | 8.4 | 8.7 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · Unilever · Data as of November 10, 2026 Beauty & Wellbeing generated €12.8 billion in 2025 turnover across haircare, skincare, prestige beauty and wellbeing.[47]
| |||||||
| 5 | Puig Beauty & personal care brands · ES | 9.1 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 9.6 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · Puig · Data as of November 10, 2026 Puig reported €5.042 billion in 2025 net revenue and continued to outperform the premium beauty market.[91]
| |||||||
| 6 | Beiersdorf Beauty & personal care brands · DE | 8.9 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 9.1 | 8.2 | |
Company snapshot · Beiersdorf · Data as of November 10, 2026 Its Consumer segment includes globally recognized skincare brands such as NIVEA, Eucerin and La Prairie.[64]
| |||||||
| 7 | Chanel Beauty & personal care brands · FR | 8.7 | 7.0 | 9.9 | 9.1 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · Chanel · Data as of November 10, 2026
| |||||||
| 8 | Kao Beauty & personal care brands · JP | 8.5 | 8.1 | 8.6 | 9.1 | 8.3 | |
Company snapshot · Kao · Data as of November 10, 2026 Kao markets Bioré, Curél, SENSAI, Molton Brown and Oribe across major global markets.[92]
| |||||||
| 9 | Shiseido Beauty & personal care brands · JP | 7.9 | 8.9 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 8.0 | |
Company snapshot · Shiseido · Data as of November 10, 2026 Shiseido serves about 120 countries and regions and ranks among the world's largest beauty manufacturers.[81]
| |||||||
| 10 | Coty Beauty & personal care brands · US | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | |
Company snapshot · Coty · Data as of November 10, 2026
| |||||||
How we score
- Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
- Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
- Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
- Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.
Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.
Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.
Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.
Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.
Cite this ranking
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the cosmetic and beauty industry. In Cosmetic And Beauty Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cosmetic-and-beauty-industry-statistics/#top-companies
Retail sales of cosmetics and personal care products by country (Europe)
Germany leads with €18.0B.
03 Trends & forecasts
Top 10 Cosmetic And Beauty Industry Trends & Forecasts 2027
What is changing in the cosmetic and beauty industry, with the evidence behind each trend and a forecast for 2027.
Forecasts were generated by an AI model from the cited evidence. They are estimates, not guarantees.
01Beauty market growth moderates to 5%
High confidenceMcKinsey estimates the global beauty market at $441 billion in 2024 and forecasts approximately 5% annual growth through 2030, reaching about $590 billion. The outlook is slower than the 7% annual growth recorded from 2022 to 2024, when inflation and strong volume growth boosted results.[11]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, global beauty sales should continue expanding at roughly 5%, but growth will rely more evenly on units, innovation and geographic expansion rather than broad price increases. Confidence is high because the forecast is consistent across McKinsey’s 2025 and 2026 analyses.
02Skincare remains the category anchor
High confidenceSkincare represented 39% of global beauty retail sales in 2024, making it the largest major category. L’Oréal reported that skincare accounted for 37% of its 2025 sales, while McKinsey expects skincare to represent about 40% of the sector by 2030.[11][24]
Forecast 2027: Skincare is likely to remain the largest category in 2027, with facial treatments, serums, sun protection and dermatologist-positioned products supporting above-average value growth. Its share should remain close to 40% globally.
03Fragrance overtakes color cosmetics
High confidenceMcKinsey’s 2026 analysis forecasts fragrance to surpass color cosmetics and become the third-largest beauty category by 2030. Earlier McKinsey analysis found that fragrance was the fastest-growing major category in 2023, with 14% growth.[11]
Forecast 2027: By 2027, fragrance should continue gaining share through premium scents, body sprays, discovery sets and accessible formats. It is likely to be one of the sector’s fastest-growing categories, although the timing of its definitive crossover with color cosmetics will vary by market.
04Online beauty approaches one-third of sales
High confidenceOnline channels represented 26% of global beauty sales in 2024, according to McKinsey, which expects the share to approach one-third by 2030. L’Oréal reported more than 30% of group sales from e-commerce in 2025, equivalent to approximately €13 billion.[11][24]
Forecast 2027: Online penetration should reach roughly 28–30% of global beauty sales in 2027, with marketplaces, brand websites and retailer e-commerce all contributing. Physical retail will remain important for discovery, testing and premium experiences.
05Social commerce reshapes product discovery
High confidenceMore than half of US consumers were exposed to personal-care and beauty products on social platforms in 2025, according to EMARKETER. Half of social shoppers surveyed by EMARKETER reported purchasing a beauty product after seeing creator or influencer content.[85]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, creator-led discovery and in-platform purchasing should take a larger share of launches and advertising budgets, particularly for color cosmetics, skincare and haircare. Brands will increasingly measure creators by conversion and repeat purchase rather than reach alone.
06AI moves from discovery toward conversion
Medium confidenceEMARKETER reported in 2025 that more than one-third of personal-care and beauty shoppers had used an AI search tool to explore products. L’Oréal says it has more than 8,000 in-house digital, technology and data specialists and is using AI-enabled tools such as BETIQ to improve marketing investment.[85][24]
Forecast 2027: By 2027, AI should become a routine layer in product search, shade matching, personalized recommendations and customer service. Adoption will be strongest where brands can connect recommendations to reliable product data, reviews and inventory.
07Premiumisation meets selective trading down
High confidenceMcKinsey identifies premium beauty and higher-income consumer demand as important growth contributors, while its 2026 analysis says European consumers are showing price sensitivity, selective trading down and greater uptake of affordable products. Its 2025 executive survey found that 54% of executives viewed uncertain consumer appetite or restricted spending as the greatest future-growth risk.[11]
Forecast 2027: The 2027 market should remain polarized: premium fragrance, luxury skincare and prestige treatments will grow alongside affordable, effective mass products. Mid-priced brands will face the greatest pressure to demonstrate measurable performance and value.
08Emerging markets provide disproportionate growth
High confidenceMcKinsey expects the strongest beauty growth through 2030 in emerging markets, particularly Latin America and Southeast and Central Asia, as rising incomes increase demand. L’Oréal reported that e-commerce growth in emerging markets increased by 400 basis points in 2025, compared with 200 basis points at group level.[11][24]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, Latin America, India, Southeast Asia and selected Middle Eastern markets should contribute more incremental global beauty growth than mature markets. Local shade ranges, climate-specific formulations, mobile commerce and accessible price points will be key competitive factors.
09Dermatological beauty expands clinical positioning
High confidenceDermatological Beauty represented 16% of L’Oréal’s 2025 sales and delivered the group’s highest reported operating margin among divisions, at 26.1%. McKinsey also describes consumers as increasingly focused on whether products deliver, supporting products with stronger efficacy and science claims.[24][11]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, clinically positioned skincare, sensitive-skin products and dermatologist-linked brands should continue gaining distribution in pharmacies, specialty retail and online channels. Evidence standards and substantiated claims will become more important as consumers become more skeptical of hype.
10European compliance costs rise
High confidenceThe EU’s expanded fragrance-allergen labelling requirements became applicable to newly placed products on 31 July 2026, with older products allowed to remain available until 31 July 2028. The rules require additional individual allergen disclosures and updated packaging, product files and safety assessments.[89]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, manufacturers selling in Europe will continue redesigning labels, managing dual packaging and updating product information during the transition period. Smaller brands and imported products are likely to face proportionally higher compliance costs.
04 Statistics
Technology & Innovation
AI personalization and automation show up in purchase workflows and operations. In 2026, 90% automation was reached by a beauty logistics site using nearly 120 robots.
AI in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 35% of U.S. Gen Alpha beauty consumers used tailored product recommendations in 2026.[1]
- 29% of U.S. Gen Alpha beauty consumers used interest-based beauty content suggestions in 2026.[1]
- 42% of U.S. Gen Alpha AI-shopping-assistant users said personalization made beauty shopping more efficient in 2026.[1]
- 42% of U.S. Gen Alpha beauty consumers used personalization tools to learn how to use products in 2026.[1]
- 42% of U.S. Gen Alpha AI-shopping-assistant users said personalization made beauty more fun and engaging in 2026.[1]
- 44% of U.S. Gen Alpha AI-shopping-assistant users said personalization made beauty feel more relevant in 2026.[1]
Automation in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 3.5 million lotion bottles per day was the reported production capacity of Kans's smart cosmetics factory in China in 2026.[2]
- 16 days was the deployment time for aerial inventory drones used by Unilever's Dermalogica brand in California in 2026.[3]
- 90% automation was reached by a beauty logistics site using nearly 120 robots in 2026.[3]
- 2 million bottles per day was the reported capacity of Kans's AI-enabled workshop in China in 2026.[2]
- Nearly 120 robots were deployed across a beauty company's logistics operations in 2026.[3]
- 31.9% of Polish cosmetics companies used digitized logistics in 2025.[4]
Digital Transformation in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- 61.7% of Polish cosmetics companies use e-commerce as a digital technology, based on a survey of 94 companies conducted for the 2025 industry report.[4]
- 80% of beauty and personal care companies surveyed are making significant investments in AI, robotics, and/or automation to improve operational efficiency in 2026.[5]
- 44.7% of Polish cosmetics companies use production automation, according to a survey of 94 companies reported in 2025.[4]
- 31.9% of Polish cosmetics companies use logistics digitization, according to a survey of 94 companies reported in 2025.[4]
- 89% of beauty and personal care companies surveyed are adapting their go-to-market strategies to provide more personalized digital experiences in 2026.[5]
Technology Adoption in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- Across beauty and personal-care companies surveyed globally, 89% said in 2026 that they were adapting go-to-market strategies to provide more personalized digital experiences.[5]
- 8.5% of Polish cosmetics companies reported using no ICT technologies in the 2025 sector survey.[4]
- Across Polish cosmetics companies, 68.1% reported using artificial-intelligence tools in 2025, including automation, personalization, process optimization or chatbots.[4]
- 21.3% of Polish cosmetics companies use production robotization, according to a survey of 94 companies reported in 2025.[4]
- Across Polish cosmetics companies, 44.7% reported using production automation in 2025.[4]
- 68.1% of Polish cosmetics companies use artificial-intelligence tools, including analytics automation, personalization, process optimization, or chatbots.[4]
Cloud Computing in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- Among consumer-services companies surveyed, 49% had adopted infrastructure-as-code technologies for multicloud strategies in 2024.[6]
- Among retailers surveyed globally, 36% had adopted or were adopting industry-cloud solutions, while 35% were assessing requirements.[7]
- 60.2% of cosmetics companies interviewed in Italy purchased medium- or high-level cloud-computing services, compared with 41.1% of Italian enterprises with at least 250 employees.[8]
- Among EU enterprises with at least 10 employees, 45.2% purchased paid cloud-computing services in 2023.[9]
- 29% of firms across European countries used IoT in 2021, illustrating the cloud-connected technology baseline for businesses operating in the beauty and personal care supply chain.[10]
- Among consumer-services companies surveyed, 43% had adopted centralized repositories of application components and templates for cloud workloads in 2024.[6]
Big Data in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- 60% of beauty executives surveyed by McKinsey were still exploring AI rather than using it regularly, highlighting a substantial gap between data capability and scaled analytics adoption in 2025.[11]
05 Statistics
Data & Analytics
Data modernization and ingredient-data structure are practical constraints. Among 239 beauty brands in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, 75% disclosed ingredient lists online in 2024 without clearly stating ingredient quantities.
Business intelligence in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 61.7% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies used e-commerce as a business technology in 2025.[4]
- 47% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies used digital technologies in administration and management in 2025.[4]
- 71% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies used digital technologies in information and communication systems in 2025.[4]
- 82% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies used digital technologies for product and business-process development in 2025.[4]
- 53% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies used digital technologies in distribution and logistics in 2025.[4]
- 71% of Polish cosmetics companies preparing digital-technology projects planned training or recruitment in 2025.[4]
Data analytics in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 8.5% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies reported using no information and communication technologies in 2025.[4]
- 59% of U.S. beauty shoppers used AI tools or features when shopping for beauty products in 2025.[12]
- 28% of beauty shoppers preferred AI-powered product recommendations in a 2025 beauty-consumer survey.[13]
- 44.7% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies used production automation in 2025.[4]
- 71% of surveyed U.S. beauty shoppers reported some experience using AI for beauty shopping in 2026.[14]
- 31.9% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies used logistics digitization in 2025.[4]
Data Quality in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- Across Polish cosmetics manufacturers, 72% of technologists used only Excel to create formulations and INCI labels in 2023, increasing exposure to manual-entry and version-control errors.[15]
- Across Polish cosmetics manufacturers, 44% of technologists said monitoring the current legal status of ingredients took a lot of time in 2023, while only 5% had suitable tools.[15]
- Across beauty and personal care ingredient data, 24% of 1.25 million disclosed ingredients remained uncharacterized for safety in 2025.[16]
- Across 239 beauty brands in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, 75% disclosed ingredient lists online without clearly stating ingredient quantities in 2024.[17]
Data Governance in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- Across professional beauty industry roundtable participants, 60% identified a unified industry data narrative as an immediate collaboration benefit in 2025.[18]
- Across beauty and personal care brands, retailers and suppliers in the 2025 KBDB benchmark, collaborative work filled nearly 100,000 ingredient-data gaps compared with the 2023 baseline.[16]
- Across professional beauty industry roundtable participants, 86% said collaboration around data was extremely important in 2025, with 12% calling it very important.[18]
- Across professional beauty industry roundtable participants, 60% identified standardizing data and definitions as an immediate benefit of industry collaboration in 2025.[18]
KPIs in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 31% of makeup purchasers had bought from online beauty retailers in 2025, according to Tinuiti.[19]
- 10% was online beauty-sales growth in Europe in 2025, according to NielsenIQ.[20]
- 5.8% was beauty-sales growth in Europe in 2025, according to NielsenIQ.[20]
- $36 billion was U.S. prestige-beauty retail sales in 2025, up 4% year over year.[21]
- 9.6% was beauty-sales growth in North America in 2025, according to NielsenIQ.[20]
- 49% was growth in Douyin beauty sales in 2025, according to NielsenIQ.[20]
06 Statistics
Strategy & Growth
Growth is tied to online channels, social commerce and personalization habits. McKinsey reports beauty sector average annual growth of 7% from 2022 to 2024.
Growth in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 10% or more was the dollar-sales growth reported across every global region in NIQ’s 2024 mid-year beauty review.[20]
- 5.5% was U.S. beauty-sales growth in the first half of 2024.[20]
- 7% was prestige-beauty growth in North America in 2024, compared with 3% growth for mass beauty.[22]
- 7% was the beauty sector’s average annual growth from 2022 to 2024, according to McKinsey’s global analysis.[23]
- $4 billion was the projected value of beauty sales on TikTok in 2026, after triple-digit growth since 2023.[11]
- 43% was South American mass-beauty growth in 2024, compared with 32% growth for prestige beauty.[22]
Differentiation in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 35% of surveyed Gen Alpha beauty consumers use tailored product recommendations while shopping for beauty products.[1]
- 27% was North Asia’s share of the global beauty market in 2024.[24]
- 29% was North America’s share of the global beauty market in L’Oréal’s 2024 regional breakdown.[24]
- 17% of beauty spending is expected to come from Gen Z by 2030, supporting differentiated products and social-commerce strategies.[24]
- 73% of surveyed Gen Alpha beauty consumers already use personalization tools when shopping for beauty products in the United States.[1]
- 66% of surveyed Gen Alpha consumers prefer physical stores for skincare, haircare and nail products.[1]
Mergers and acquisitions in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 25 beauty-care transactions closed in the fourth quarter of 2023.[25]
- 238 beauty-and-personal-care transactions were recorded globally in 2024.[26]
- 19% was the quarter-over-quarter increase in beauty-care transactions from Q3 to Q4 2023.[25]
- 214 beauty-and-personal-care transactions were recorded globally in 2020.[26]
- 19 million dollars was the median beauty-and-personal-care deal size in 2024.[26]
- 17% was the year-over-year decline in beauty-care transactions in Q4 2023 compared with Q4 2022.[25]
Strategic partnerships in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 1 majority stakeholder, 11:11 Media, was established in the 2024 11:11 Beauty joint venture with Guthy-Renker.[27]
- 40 countries were covered by Laneige’s expanded global ambassador partnership with Sydney Sweeney in 2024.[27]
- 2 companies, 11:11 Media and Guthy-Renker, formed the 11:11 Beauty joint venture in 2024.[27]
- 5 candidates competed in Hugel’s selection process before BENEV became its U.S. strategic partner in 2024.[27]
- 3 partners formed the 2024 strategic and equity alliance between EMA Aesthetics, ROHTO Pharmaceutical and Rohto Mediluxe Europe.[27]
- 10% was Hugel’s targeted U.S. market share within three years under its BENEV partnership.[27]
07 Statistics
People & Workforce
Workforce signals point to faster hiring cycles and heavier AI training. L'Oréal recorded 3,500 Coty employees trained globally in artificial intelligence within 100 days in 2026.
Hiring in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 18% of personal-care hires came through company careers pages in 2023, according to recruiting data covering the United States.[28]
- 2.7 days was the average time from applicant contact to hire for personal-care employers in 2023, according to U.S. recruiting data.[28]
- 13,577 employees worked for L’Oréal in the United States in 2024, according to the company’s workforce disclosure.[24]
- 39% of personal-care hires came from job boards in 2023, according to recruiting data covering the United States.[28]
- 110 applicants per hire were recorded by personal-care employers in 2023, according to recruiting data covering the United States.[28]
Employee retention in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 12.9% was L’Oréal’s global permanent-employee turnover rate in 2024.[24]
- 4 in 10 beauty, wellness and supplements employees planned to switch jobs within the following year in the 2025 ForceBrands survey.[29]
- 71% of employees in Culture Amp’s cosmetics benchmark were engaged between July 2025 and June 2026, across approximately 25 organizations.[30]
- 25% of surveyed beauty, wellness and supplements employees cited lack of career-growth opportunities as their reason for leaving in 2025.[29]
- 13.5% was L’Oréal’s global permanent-employee turnover rate in 2025.[24]
Remote Work in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- Across U.S. wholesale and retail trade, 8.7% of employees’ work hours were teleworked in October 2026, providing a benchmark for beauty product distribution businesses.[31]
- Across U.S. retail trade, 7.5% of employees’ work hours were teleworked in October 2026, a broad benchmark relevant to beauty retail operations.[31]
- Across U.S. wholesale and retail trade, 27.4% of employees who teleworked in April 2026 worked from home for an average of 40 hours per week.[31]
- Across U.S. retail trade, 27.3% of employees who teleworked in April 2026 worked from home for an average of 40 hours per week.[31]
Hybrid Work in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 22% worked fully on-site in 2026.[32]
- Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 52% worked in a hybrid arrangement in 2026.[32]
- Among U.S. hybrid workers, 34% said their schedule was entirely self-determined in 2026.[32]
- Among U.S. hybrid workers, 46% of the workweek was spent on-site in 2026, equivalent to approximately 2.3 days per week.[32]
- Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 26% worked exclusively remotely in 2026.[32]
Upskilling in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 31.5 training hours per female employee were recorded at L’Oréal in 2025.[24]
- 30,000 people logged on to L’Oréal Ethics Day sessions in 2025, according to the company.[24]
- Nearly half of Coty’s email-enabled workforce had completed the company’s artificial-intelligence training within 100 days in 2026.[33]
- 32.2 training hours per male employee were recorded at L’Oréal in 2025.[24]
- 3,500 Coty employees were trained globally in artificial intelligence within 100 days in 2026, including 2,500 in person and 1,000 online.[33]
Employee Engagement in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- At e.l.f. Beauty, 96% of employees said they were proud to work for the company in 2024, versus 86% in the benchmark.[34]
- At e.l.f. Beauty, 90% of employees said the company motivated them to go beyond a similar role elsewhere in 2024, versus 69% in the benchmark.[34]
- At e.l.f. Beauty, 96% of employees said they would recommend the company as a great place to work in 2024, versus 82% in the benchmark.[34]
- At e.l.f. Beauty, 80% of employees rarely considered looking for another job in 2024, versus 55% in the benchmark.[34]
- At e.l.f. Beauty, 90% of employees were engaged in 2024, compared with 72% in Culture Amp’s consumer goods and services benchmark.[34]
DEI in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 33% of Ulta Beauty’s executive team were men in 2024.[35]
08 Statistics
Customer & Sales
Personalization trust and discovery paths connect to repeat behavior. In an August 2026 survey, 46% of U.S. beauty shoppers trust AI most when it explains its product recommendations.
Customer experience in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 37% of U.S. Gen Alpha beauty consumers visit stores to try beauty products after discovering them, according to NIQ research for Ulta Beauty in 2026.[1]
- 38% of U.S. beauty shoppers trust AI most when it knows their skin or hair concerns, according to an August 2026 survey.[14]
- 46% of U.S. beauty shoppers trust AI most when it explains its product recommendations, according to an August 2026 survey.[14]
- 64% of U.S. beauty shoppers aged 55 and over are comfortable with brands using their purchase history for personalization, according to an August 2026 survey.[14]
- 47% of U.S. Gen Z beauty shoppers are comfortable sharing skin concerns with brands, according to an August 2026 survey.[14]
Customer retention in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 26.2% was the reported median annual retention rate for skincare e-commerce customers in 2024, according to Mage Loyalty.[36]
- 28% of U.S. beauty consumers repurchase trusted favorites while keeping other brand options open, according to Podean’s 2025 survey.[12]
- 41.2% was the reported 2024 annual cohort retention rate for beauty e-commerce customers, according to Mage Loyalty’s beauty benchmark.[36]
- 62% of U.S. beauty consumers identify affordable pricing as their primary reason for brand loyalty, according to Podean’s 2025 survey.[12]
- 22% of U.S. beauty shoppers are willing to try another brand when a favorite product is out of stock, according to Podean’s 2025 survey.[12]
Customer acquisition in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 42% of U.S. beauty shoppers first discover products through social media, according to Podean’s 2025 survey.[12]
- 36% of U.S. beauty consumers discover new products through friends and family, according to Alvarez & Marsal’s spring 2025 survey.[37]
- 45% of U.S. beauty consumers discover new products through social media, according to Alvarez & Marsal’s spring 2025 consumer survey.[37]
- 44% of U.S. beauty shoppers first discover products through recommendations from friends and family, according to Podean’s 2025 survey.[12]
- 62% of U.S. Gen Z beauty shoppers recalled hearing about a beauty product on social media and later purchasing it in 2024, according to Tinuiti.[19]
Customer loyalty in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 31% of U.S. beauty shoppers rank exclusive member benefits as a leading factor in brand choice, according to Wunderkind’s 2026 survey.[14]
- 64% of U.S. beauty shoppers aged 55 and over are comfortable with brands using purchase history, according to Wunderkind’s 2026 survey.[14]
- 69% of U.S. beauty consumers regularly repurchase the same beauty products and brands, according to Podean’s 2025 survey.[12]
- 30% of U.S. Gen Z beauty shoppers are comfortable sharing purchase history with brands, according to Wunderkind’s 2026 survey.[14]
- 22% of U.S. beauty shoppers will try an alternative brand when a preferred product is unavailable, according to Podean’s 2025 survey.[12]
Lead generation in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 35% of U.S. Gen Alpha beauty consumers use AI-powered search results for product discovery, according to NIQ research for Ulta Beauty in 2026.[1]
- 7% of global beauty consumers identify social media brand pages as a source of brand discovery, according to McKinsey’s 2025 Beauty Consumer Survey.[11]
- 34% of U.S. Gen Alpha beauty consumers identify social media as a helpful beauty influence, according to NIQ research for Ulta Beauty in 2026.[1]
- 21% of global beauty consumers identify physical stores as a source of brand discovery, according to McKinsey’s 2025 Beauty Consumer Survey.[11]
- 15% of global beauty consumers identify friends and family as a source of brand discovery, according to McKinsey’s 2025 Beauty Consumer Survey.[11]
09 Statistics
Marketing & Brand
Discovery increasingly starts on social platforms. In 2025, 42% of U.S. consumers first discovered beauty products through social media.
Marketing in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 42% of U.S. consumers first discovered beauty products through social media in 2025.[12]
- 19% of U.S. beauty shoppers made an immediate purchase after discovering a product in 2025.[12]
- 36% of U.S. consumers first discovered beauty products through physical-store displays or sampling in 2025.[12]
- 16% to 40% of a fashion, beauty or lifestyle brand’s marketing resources were allocated to ambassadors, according to a 2026 industry report.[38]
- Nearly 67% of beauty shoppers purchased a product on an influencer’s recommendation during the year studied, according to a 2025 U.S. survey.[19]
Digital marketing in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 45% of beauty and cosmetics website traffic was captured by the top 1% of players in 2023.[39]
- 96 million estimated influencer reach put L’Oréal Paris second among beauty brands in Similarweb’s 2023 analysis.[39]
- 24% of beauty and cosmetics website traffic came from organic search in 2023.[39]
- 10% of beauty and cosmetics website traffic came from paid search in 2023.[39]
- 39.4 million average monthly visits made Sephora.com the leading beauty website in Similarweb’s 2023 category analysis.[39]
Branding in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 6% was the year-over-year decline in the combined brand value of the leading cosmetics brands in 2026.[40]
- 41% was Bulgari’s increase in cosmetics brand value in 2026, reaching $1 billion.[40]
- 47% of the leading cosmetics sector’s brand value came from French brands in 2026.[40]
- $50.4 billion was the brand value attributed to U.S. cosmetics brands in 2026.[40]
- $13.5 billion was L’Oréal’s cosmetics brand value in 2026.[40]
Influencer Marketing in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- Across worldwide beauty brands analyzed by Kolsquare, Instagram micro-influencers with 5,000–100,000 followers achieved a 2.9% average engagement rate in 2023.[43]
- Across UK and US beauty creators, the median TikTok engagement rate by views was 7.8% in 2026 for posts not flagged as advertising.[44]
- Across skincare purchases in BCG’s 2024 consumer survey, social media influencers could persuade up to 40% for brands with best-in-class influencer-marketing capabilities.[45]
- Across UK and US beauty creators, the median Instagram video engagement rate by views was 2.7% in 2026 for posts not flagged as advertising.[44]
- Across global beauty influencer content, 25.8 million posts generated a 1.95% average engagement rate in 2023.[46]
10 Statistics
Operations & Execution
Manufacturing and distribution metrics remain central to throughput and waste control. Unilever’s Mannheim distribution centre had 4 million cases, equal to 24 million units, annual picking capacity at full capacity in 2025.
Process optimization in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 3 L’Oréal factories were located in North Asia in 2024, contributing to regional production and responsiveness.[24]
- 55% less waste was achieved by Unilever’s Heilbronn factory in Germany in 2024 after implementing its digital manufacturing system.[47]
- 36 factories worldwide used L’Oréal’s operational-excellence system in 2024 to improve productivity, agility and manufacturing performance.[24]
- 18 of L’Oréal’s 36 factories were located in Europe in 2024, supporting regional specialization and manufacturing best-practice deployment.[24]
- 4 L’Oréal factories were located in Latin America in 2024 as part of the group’s geographically distributed production network.[24]
Operational efficiency in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 123.585 was the U.S. labor-productivity index for cosmetics, beauty-supply and perfume stores in 2020, with 2017 equal to 100.[48]
- 131.573 was the U.S. labor-productivity index for cosmetics, beauty-supply and perfume stores in 2021, with 2017 equal to 100.[48]
- €250,000 or more in annual savings were delivered by Unilever’s productivity-upskilling program at its Philippines beauty and personal-care factory.[47]
- 106.431 was the U.S. labor-productivity index for cosmetics, beauty-supply and perfume stores in 2015, with 2017 equal to 100.[48]
- Over 7 billion beauty products were distributed globally by L’Oréal’s Operations organization in 2025.[24]
Quality management in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 147 complaints concerned notified cosmetics in Malaysia in 2025, representing 14% of the SVA’s registered-product and cosmetics complaint total.[49]
- 100% of L’Oréal’s plants were ISO 22716 certified in 2024, covering cosmetics good manufacturing practices.[24]
- 4,470 supplier audits had been conducted by L’Oréal cumulatively since 2021 by the end of 2024.[24]
- 1,147 supplier social audits were conducted by L’Oréal in 2024 as part of its responsible-sourcing and quality oversight processes.[24]
- 16 combined environmental, health and safety culture and risk audits were conducted at L’Oréal sites in 2024.[24]
Supply chain in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 4 million cases, equal to 24 million units, was the annual picking capacity of Unilever’s Mannheim distribution centre at full capacity in 2025.[47]
- $4.8 billion worth of global beauty inventory was estimated to be wasted annually through expiry or overproduction in the cited supply-chain study.[50]
- 36,000 pallets was the storage capacity of Unilever’s Mannheim distribution centre in Germany in 2025.[47]
- 100% of L’Oréal’s fragrances were produced in France in 2024 at facilities in Gauchy and Aulnay-sous-Bois.[24]
- Over 50 countries received Dove Beauty Bars from Unilever’s Mannheim production and distribution site in Germany in 2025.[47]
Outsourcing / Offshoring in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- Among Polish cosmetics companies surveyed, 5.1% used international outsourcing for innovation development in 2025.[4]
- Manufacturing represented 87.8% of global personal care contract-manufacturing revenue by service type in 2025.[51]
- Among Polish cosmetics companies surveyed, 21.5% used domestic outsourcing for innovation development in 2025.[4]
- Avon manufactured 19% of its cosmetics through third parties and purchased another 3% from B+ vendors in 2023.[34]
- Natura manufactured 23.3% of its cosmetics through third parties in 2023, with the remainder produced at its own sites.[34]
11 Statistics
Finance & Pricing
Pricing pressure coexists with margin management across channels. NIQ’s inflation analysis reported a highest pricing growth of 20% across retailers for beauty products in department stores and mass channels.
Pricing strategy in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 83% of consumers surveyed considered hair care affordable in 2025, compared with 67% for fragrances.[23]
- 20% was the highest reported pricing growth across retailers for beauty products in NIQ’s inflation analysis, recorded in department stores and mass channels.[20]
- -0.7% was the average year-over-year revenue growth for online cosmetics brands that increased prices in January–March 2024.[52]
- 48% of the global beauty industry’s value came from mass beauty in 2023, the lowest-priced major segment.[11]
- 19% was the price growth for cosmetics and nail products in the cited NIQ U.S. retail data during the inflation period analyzed in 2022.[20]
Cost reduction in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 18.4% was Coty’s adjusted EBITDA margin in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, up 60 basis points year over year because of fixed-cost savings and gross-margin expansion.[53]
- $130 million is Coty’s expected annual pretax fixed-cost saving from its next transformation phase, including $80 million in fiscal 2026 and $50 million in fiscal 2027.[53]
- 8.9% was the reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions reported by participating personal-care companies in 2024, indicating an operational-efficiency outcome.[54]
- 26.0% of Estée Lauder’s fiscal 2025 sales represented cost of sales, down from 28.3% in fiscal 2024.[34]
- $350 million to $500 million was Estée Lauder’s estimated annual pretax gross benefit from its restructuring program announced in 2024.[55]
Profitability in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 71.2% was e.l.f. Beauty’s gross margin in fiscal 2025, up from 70.7% in fiscal 2024.[34]
- $158.0 million was e.l.f. Beauty’s fiscal 2025 operating income, compared with $149.7 million in fiscal 2024.[34]
- 22.3% was L’Oréal Luxe’s share of L’Oréal’s 2024 operating profit.[24]
- 15.0% was Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing’s reported operating margin in 2024, down from 17.7% in 2023.[47]
- 26.1% was L’Oréal’s 2024 operating-profit share attributable to Dermatological Beauty, the highest among its divisions.[24]
Financial planning in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- $97 million was Ulta Beauty’s fiscal 2025 information-technology capital-expenditure budget.[1]
- $400 million to $450 million is Ulta Beauty’s long-term capital-expenditure target range for 2026 and beyond.[1]
- 23% of L’Oréal’s 2024 investment commitments were allocated to information technology across investment categories.[24]
- $2.1 million was Ulta Beauty’s average investment required to open a new store during fiscal 2024.[1]
- 4% to 6% is Ulta Beauty’s long-term target for annual net-sales growth from 2026 onward.[1]
12 Statistics
Product & Service
Product claims, packaging and repeat-purchase rates show measurable performance signals. The median 90-day repeat-purchase rate for beauty and personal-care customers was 12.07% in March 2026.
Product development in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 85.9% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies focused innovation activity on formulation and prototype development in 2025.[4]
- 30% more moisturized hair was claimed for L’Oréal’s AirLight Pro hair dryer compared with traditional dryers in company-reported testing.[56]
- 35.2% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies focused innovation activity on consumer testing and validation in 2025.[4]
- 81.7% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies focused innovation activity on idea generation in 2025.[4]
- 69.0% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies focused innovation activity on market introduction and marketing in 2025.[4]
Product lifecycle in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 44% of surveyed Polish cosmetics companies focused innovative activity on scaling production in 2025.[4]
- 43% of cosmetic signatories’ plastic packaging was reusable, recyclable or compostable in 2021.[57]
- 63% of paper and cardboard used in Sephora’s consumer packaging globally was certified in 2024.[58]
- 62% of cosmetic signatories’ plastic packaging remained non-recyclable in 2021.[57]
- 11% of Oriflame’s total product-packaging portfolio consisted of recycled material in 2024.[59]
After-sales in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 12.07% was the median 90-day repeat-purchase rate for beauty and personal-care customers in March 2026.[60]
- 11.88% was the median 90-day repeat-purchase rate for beauty and personal-care customers in January 2026.[60]
- 11.80% was the median 90-day repeat-purchase rate for beauty and personal-care customers in February 2026.[60]
- 12.59% was the median 90-day repeat-purchase rate for beauty and personal-care customers in April 2026.[60]
- 12.03% was the median 90-day repeat-purchase rate for beauty and personal-care customers in May 2026.[60]
Value proposition in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 10% of beauty consumers said fast shipping most influenced their choice between two brands in 2025.[13]
- 16% of Generation Z beauty consumers wanted a better online shopping experience in 2025.[13]
- 37% of millennial beauty consumers were price-conscious when choosing between brands in 2025.[13]
- 30% of beauty consumers said quality most influenced their choice between two brands in 2025.[13]
- 47% of baby-boomer beauty consumers prioritized better quality when choosing between brands in 2025.[13]
13 Statistics
Sustainability & Ethics
Sustainability reporting focuses on renewable inputs, traceability and packaging recyclability limits. In 2024, 97% of L’Oréal’s operated-site energy came from renewable sources.
Sustainability in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 53% of the water used in L’Oréal’s industrial processes came from recycled or reused water in 2024, globally.[61]
- 62% of beauty packaging was made from hard-to-recycle plastic, according to TerraCycle’s 2023 beauty report.[62]
- 95% of Estée Lauder Companies’ forest-based fiber carton codes were FSC certified in fiscal 2024.[63]
- 97% of L’Oréal’s operated-site energy came from renewable sources in 2024, globally.[61]
- 92% of L’Oréal’s biobased formula ingredients and packaging materials were traceable and sustainably sourced in 2024, globally.[61]
ESG in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 71,349 people from disadvantaged communities gained access to employment through L’Oréal’s social programs in 2024.[61]
- 71% of Estée Lauder Companies’ packaging by weight met at least one of its five packaging-sustainability criteria in fiscal 2024.[63]
- €70 million had been allocated to L’Oréal’s Fund for Women since 2020, as reported for 2024.[61]
- Fewer than 50% of beauty brands examined published an updated ESG report during Vogue Business’s 2025 data-capture period.[17]
- 84/100 was L’Oréal’s EcoVadis sustainability score in January 2025, placing it in the Platinum category and the top 1%.[61]
Ethics in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- Nearly one-third of L’Oréal’s new patents were dedicated to sustainable beauty in 2025.[61]
- 100% of Beiersdorf cosmetics are targeted to be free from synthetic polymer microparticles by 2032, exceeding the EU regulatory scope in some respects.[64]
- 43% of Biotherm’s plastic packaging was made from recycled sources in 2024.[61]
- 100% of L’Oréal’s operated sites and stores had renewable energy in the company’s latest disclosure.[61]
- 56% of water used in L’Oréal’s industrial processes came from recycled or reused water in the company’s latest disclosure.[61]
CSR in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 68% of consumers said they were motivated to reuse, repair and recycle in BSI’s sustainable-cosmetics research.[65]
- 100% of L’Oréal’s operated sites and stores used renewable energy in its latest disclosure.[61]
- €1.3 billion was invested by L’Oréal in research and innovation in 2025.[61]
- 725 patents were registered by L’Oréal in 2025.[61]
- 4,000 scientists worked in L’Oréal’s beauty research organization in 2025.[61]
Circular economy in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 98% of personal-care and beauty waste collected through TerraCycle programs was recycled through its specialized process in 2023.[62]
- 71% of Estée Lauder Companies’ packaging by weight met at least one circular-packaging criterion in fiscal 2024.[63]
- 47% of material in TerraCycle’s audited personal-care and beauty recycling outputs was sinking plastic in 2023.[62]
- 46% of material in TerraCycle’s audited personal-care and beauty recycling outputs was floating plastic in 2023.[62]
- 49% of L’Oréal’s plastic packaging was refillable, reusable, recyclable or compostable in 2024.[61]
Carbon footprint in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 2,409,323 tonnes of CO2e were Beiersdorf’s significant Scope 3 emissions in 2024.[66]
- 37% fewer greenhouse-gas emissions were generated by Aveda’s paper-based sample sachet than by its plastic predecessor.[55]
- 650,697 tonnes of CO2e were Beiersdorf’s 2024 Scope 3 emissions from packaging materials.[66]
- 36% less water was consumed by Aveda’s paper-based sample sachet production than by production of its plastic predecessor.[55]
- 0.5% to 1.5% was the estimated contribution of cosmetics to global greenhouse-gas emissions in a 2020 estimate.[67]
14 Statistics
Risk, Compliance & Legal
Compliance and data-risk both influence operating continuity. Almost 80% of EU Safety Gate alerts concerning cosmetics related to the banned synthetic fragrance BMCHA in 2025.
Compliance in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 51% of EU Safety Gate product notifications involved chemical non-compliance in 2023, driven by a surge in non-compliant cosmetics.[68]
- 334 cosmetic recalls recorded by the FDA from 2011 through 2023 involved approximately 77 million units.[69]
- 77% of EU Safety Gate alerts concerning cosmetics related to the banned fragrance BMHCA in 2025, according to a compliance analysis of the Commission report.[70]
- 1,350 EU Safety Gate notifications involving cosmetics products breached the EU Cosmetics Products Regulation in 2023.[68]
- Almost 80% of EU Safety Gate alerts concerning cosmetics related to the banned synthetic fragrance BMCHA in 2025.[9]
Risk Management in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- 54% of beauty executives globally identified uncertain consumer confidence and appetite to spend as a major industry-growth risk in 2025.[11]
- 36% of beauty executives globally identified disrupted trade flows and policies such as tariffs as a major industry-growth risk in 2025.[11]
- 48% of personal-care manufacturers reported upstream supply-chain disruption as a major operational barrier in 2021.[71]
- 46% of beauty executives globally identified geopolitical instability or conflicts as a major industry-growth risk in 2025.[11]
- 37% of beauty executives globally identified inflation as a major industry-growth risk in 2025.[11]
Cybersecurity in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- 86% of U.S. consumers said they would be likely to lose trust in beauty stores after a personal-data breach in 2025.[72]
- 38% of U.S. consumers said they were highly likely to lose trust in beauty brands after a personal-data breach in 2025.[72]
- 81% of consumers overall said they would be likely to lose trust in a brand after a personal-data breach in 2025.[72]
- 81% of U.S. consumers said they would be likely to lose trust in beauty brands after a personal-data breach in 2025.[72]
- 43% of U.S. consumers said they were highly likely to lose trust in beauty stores after a personal-data breach in 2025.[72]
Data Privacy in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- 66% of surveyed consumers worldwide cited data breaches or hacking as their biggest data-privacy concern in 2025.[73]
- 90% of U.S. consumers said safeguarding their privacy was important, while 55% felt confident protecting their data online in 2026.[74]
- 48% of surveyed consumers worldwide cited phishing or scam attempts as a data-privacy concern in 2025.[73]
- 53% of surveyed consumers worldwide cited unauthorized access to personal information as a data-privacy concern in 2025.[73]
- 33% of surveyed consumers worldwide cited sharing data with third parties without consent as a data-privacy concern in 2025.[73]
Crisis Management in the beauty and personal care sector (sector benchmark)
- 75.1% of organizations globally activated their crisis-management plans at least once during the 12 months covered by the 2024 survey.[75]
- 64% of consumers said brands should respond publicly on social media rather than through only a press release or website statement during a crisis in 2026.[76]
- 51% of consumers said they would consider buying from a brand within a few months after its crisis was properly addressed in 2026.[76]
- 46.4% of organizations globally conducted a post-incident or after-action review after every incident in 2024.[75]
- 22.4% of organizations globally rated their crisis-management capabilities as excellent in 2024.[77]
Governance in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 43% of L’Oréal’s board members were women in 2024.[78]
- 33% was the baseline share of women on beauty-sector boards in 2021 in the MBS Group and CEW UK study.[79]
- 15 non-executive members, one executive member and two employee representatives comprised L’Oréal’s board in 2024.[78]
- 44% of board seats in the UK beauty sector were held by women in 2023.[79]
- Women held 7% of Chair and CEO positions among the 20 largest global beauty companies in 2026.[80]
15 Statistics
Globalization & Expansion
Regional mix and export patterns remain material to company planning. French beauty-product exports reached €8 billion in 2024.
Globalization in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 24% of L’Oréal’s 2024 sales came from North Asia, while SAPMENA-SSA contributed 9% and Latin America 8%.[24]
- French beauty-product exports reached €8 billion in 2024, according to reporting on French trade data.[38]
- 94,397 L’Oréal employees worked across five geographic zones at December 31, 2024.[24]
- 990 billion yen was Shiseido’s consolidated net sales in fiscal 2024.[81]
- Approximately 100 nationalities were represented among Shiseido employees in January 2026.[81]
Cultural adaptation in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 9% of 343 foundation shades observed in mainstream retailers were suitable for consumers with dark skin in a published cosmetics-industry analysis.[82]
- US$47 billion was spent on cosmetics by Muslim consumers in OIC countries in 2021.[83]
- US$6.3 billion was Muslim cosmetics spending in India in 2021.[83]
- US$1.6 billion was Muslim cosmetics spending in the United Kingdom in 2021.[83]
- 56% of Hispanic US consumers said beauty-brand commentary on identity or culture makes them feel celebrated, according to an NIQ survey.[20]
Supplier management in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 75% of newly listed raw materials by number were renewable or derived from abundant minerals in L’Oréal’s 2024 sourcing data.[24]
- 4,470 supplier-related social audits had been conducted by L’Oréal since 2021.[24]
- 100% of L’Oréal factories were ISO 22716 certified in 2024.[24]
- 99% of Indian mica used in L’Oréal formulas came from suppliers committed to verified processing sites in 2024.[24]
- 100% of L’Oréal factories were ISO 9001 certified in 2024.[24]
Stakeholder management in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 18,559 directly hired Shiseido employees were based in Japan in 2024.[81]
- 45,000 L’Oréal employees were shareholders in 2024.[24]
- More than 20 minority investments had been made by L’Oréal’s BOLD fund across the beauty value chain by 2024.[24]
- 13 cosmetics assessment centres operated within L’Oréal’s research network in 2024.[24]
- 25,000 job opportunities for people under 30 were created annually through L’Oréal’s youth-employment initiatives in 2024.[24]
Distribution channels in the cosmetic and beauty industry
- 18% of global beauty-market sales came through specialty beauty retail stores in McKinsey’s latest 2025 estimate.[11]
- 19% of global beauty-market sales came through grocery channels in McKinsey’s latest 2025 estimate.[11]
- 28% of global beauty-market sales were generated through e-commerce in McKinsey’s latest 2025 estimate.[11]
- 8% of global beauty retail sales came from department stores in 2024.[11]
- 19% of global beauty retail sales came from grocery and big-box stores in 2024.[11]
Key questions about the cosmetic and beauty industry
What is the size of the cosmetic and beauty market?
How fast is the market growing?
Which companies lead the cosmetic and beauty industry?
What technology shifts are most visible in 2026?
How concentrated is the market by major regions?
What regulatory or compliance constraints matter in 2026?
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Cosmetic And Beauty Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cosmetic-and-beauty-industry-statistics
Samuel Norberg. "Cosmetic And Beauty Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/cosmetic-and-beauty-industry-statistics.
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Cosmetic And Beauty Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cosmetic-and-beauty-industry-statistics.
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Social media in the cosmetic and beauty industry