NIQ’s State of Beauty 2025: Beauty Breaks Boundaries with 10% Growth, Digital Surge & Wellness Shift

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) today released its State of Beauty 2025 report, revealing a beauty industry that’s not only thriving — it’s transforming. With global beauty sales up 10% year-over-year, the sector is expanding its definition, embracing digital-first strategies, and wellness rituals that are reshaping consumer behavior.

Global Growth: Asia Pacific Leads, Consumers Spend More, Shop More Often

Beauty’s resilience is undeniable. Despite economic pressures, consumers are making more shopping trips (+2%), spending more per visit (+8%), and buying more units (+2.6%) — signaling beauty’s role as a daily essential.

• Asia Pacific (+14.3%) leads global growth, driven by China’s booming hair and skincare market and the meteoric rise of Douyin (TikTok Shop), which grew 49%.
• North America (+9.6%) and Latin America (+10.4%) show robust gains, while Europe (+5.8%) remains steady, with Western markets yet to regain momentum.

“Beauty is no longer just about appearance — it’s about experience, wellness, and digital convenience. Digital-first strategies are now the backbone of beauty retail. Brands must meet consumers where they are — online, on social, and on mobile. Today's consumer demands flexibility and convenience. Brands and retailers must deliver a cohesive, channel-agnostic experience to stay relevant and capture share, with challengers ready to take a slice of the business,” commented Tara James Taylor, Senior VP NIQ Beauty & Personal Care, NIQ.

Digital Acceleration: Online Beauty Sales Outpace In-Store by 9x

The shift to digital is no longer optional — it’s essential.

• Online beauty sales are growing exponentially, 9x faster than in-store:
  • North America: +21%
  • Asia Pacific: +20%
  • Europe: +10%
• Emerging markets like Brazil, India, and Indonesia are seeing strong digital momentum, driven by mobile-first consumers and the rise of social commerce.
• TikTok Shop, now active in 14 markets, will expand to Japan and Brazil in 2025, further fueling digital engagement.

Wellness & Rituals: Beauty’s New Frontier Expands Market by 64%

Beauty is evolving into a holistic lifestyle category, with wellness and ritual-based products expanding the industry’s value opportunity by 64%.

• 50% of global consumers say regular self-care is more important now than five years ago.
• 44% plan to take more vitamins or supplements in the next 12 months.
• 63% say sleep is more important — driving demand for beauty sleep aids like pillow mists, silk pillows, and sleep supplements.
• Brands are entering adjacent categories: sexual wellness, stress relief, immunity boosters, and more.

“Tweakments” Transform Skincare Routines

Non-invasive cosmetic procedures — dubbed “tweakments” — are reshaping traditional skincare habits. Tweakments are not replacing skincare — they’re redefining it. Consumers are recalibrating routines based on results and recovery.

• 35% of US consumers say they will change their skincare routine after a procedure, often simplifying or trading down.
• Global attitudes vary:
  • China: 47% view tweakments as a complement to skincare.
  • Saudi Arabia: 25% see them as a full replacement.
  • France: 37% use them only for specific concerns.
• 29% globally view tweakments as a complement, while 30% say they’re not necessary at all — the highest skepticism among surveyed countries.

As NIQ’s State of Beauty 2025 reveals, the beauty industry is entering a dynamic phase of boundary expansion — from e-commerce acceleration and wellness integration to procedural personalization. Brands that embrace digital agility, category fluidity, and consumer-centric innovation will be best positioned to lead in this evolving landscape.

To explore what these insights mean for your brand or market, we invite you to connect with NIQ’s Beauty team and book a session with our experts – click here.

About NIQ:

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View^™. For more information, please visit www.niq.com.

© 2025 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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