Over the past few years, the beauty industry has witnessed a transformative shift in hair care, moving from daily maintenance toward an embrace of holistic wellness and skinification that focuses on hair health and scalp care. What distinguishes this new wave of hair care is its foundation in the science of longevity—an approach that segments hair care into measurable domains inspired by advances in aging research and focuses on prevention, optimization and regeneration, rather than mere repair. These attributes will be pivotal in driving the projected 3% global growth of hair care in constant terms in 2026.
Functional claims in hair care are evolving from basic cleansing and conditioning to advanced benefits, made possible by the inclusion of value-added ingredients. Capitalizing on skinification trends, hair care brands are increasingly positioning ingredients traditionally associated with skin care as key selling points and value-added benefits. Ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides and AHAs, support scalp health and lock in nourishment for smoother, healthier hair.
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Over the past few years, the beauty industry has witnessed a transformative shift in hair care, moving from daily maintenance toward an embrace of holistic wellness and skinification that focuses on hair health and scalp care. What distinguishes this new wave of hair care is its foundation in the science of longevity—an approach that segments hair care into measurable domains inspired by advances in aging research and focuses on prevention, optimization and regeneration, rather than mere repair. These attributes will be pivotal in driving the projected 3% global growth of hair care in constant terms in 2026.
The Era of (Skin Care) Ingredient-Led Hair
Functional claims in hair care are evolving from basic cleansing and conditioning to advanced benefits, made possible by the inclusion of value-added ingredients. Capitalizing on skinification trends, hair care brands are increasingly positioning ingredients traditionally associated with skin care as key selling points and value-added benefits. Ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides and AHAs, support scalp health and lock in nourishment for smoother, healthier hair.
F-1. Skin care ingredient adoption in hair care, 2022-2025Euromonitor
Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, has rapidly become a star ingredient in hair care, mirroring its success in skin care. It has shown the fastest expansion since 2022, with the number of online product SKUs containing the ingredient increasing more than twelve-fold (F-1). Niacinamide supports enhanced blood flow to the scalp and delivers vital nutrients to hair follicles, making it an important ingredient for encouraging fuller and more rapid hair growth. It also supports keratin production, strengthens hair strands and helps the scalp retain moisture, all while reducing dryness and brittleness.
Dr.G Doopi Lab Cool Salt Scaling Shampoo from South Korea—a multifunctional shampoo that deeply cleanses the scalp and and removes dead skin cells and excess sebum—includes niacinamide, which is a key ingredient, alongside AHA, BHA and PHA, to address both scalp care and overall hair health.
Other key ingredients reshaping the hair landscape include peptides, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide)—an emerging ingredient used for tissue repair, inflammation reduction, and scalp aging.
Where Hair Care Meets Healthspan
Longevity is the long-term investment in future benefits, requiring consumers to practice consistent application and commitment to betterment in the present for future rewards. Longevity refers to a science-driven and lifestyle-integrated approach to extending not just lifespan, but “healthspan”—living healthier for longer.
This concept has evolved from a niche biohacking trend into a strategic business vision. Built on a preventative maintenance mindset, longevity in beauty and personal care shifts from anti-aging correction to preventive care, focusing on cellular resilience and biome protection through products like serums and ingestibles.
U.S. brand Coola plays into this niche with Coola Scalp and Hair Sunscreen Mist SPF30, which includes cica (commonly found in skin care) and monoi oil in a fine mist format to protect hair and scalp from UV exposure and color fading. Nesh, a South Korean scalp wellness brand that integrates vegan microbiome in formulations to delay scalp ageing, debuted a Soy Biome 2-Step Clinic Hair Mask that wraps around the hair for better absorption of peptides and amino acids. While the desire to prevent hair damage or breakage is not new to the hair industry by any means, this new focus on longevity has led to innovative formats in which scalp care is the focal point.
Gen Z Pulls Hair Care Upstream
According to "Euromonitor's Voice of the Consumer: Beauty Survey 2025," consumers in their 20s and 30s prioritize prevention and entry-level longevity. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS at Adobe Stock
Younger consumers, who are extremely ingredient-savvy and influenced by Asian beauty rituals and TikTok routines, are driving the preventative segment of the market. According to "Euromonitor's Voice of the Consumer: Beauty Survey 2025," consumers in their 20s and 30s prioritize prevention and entry-level longevity.
Within this group, women focus more on hair smoothness and strand maintenance, while men are primarily concerned with scalp itchiness, oiliness and dandruff (F-2). Back-to-basics principles, like hydration, resonate with this group, linking chronic stress to long-term biological aging. This generation is driving the prejuvenation trend—taking proactive steps to prevent future aging rather than treating existing damage.
F-2. Hair concerns by ageEuromonitor
40+ Hair Enters Its Solutions Era
From age 40 onward, concerns such as scalp itchiness, stress related thinning and hair changes tied to perimenopause, menopause and even GLP 1–related hair loss become increasingly common. Darina Belonogova at Pexels
From age 40 onward, concerns such as scalp itchiness, stress related thinning and hair changes tied to perimenopause, menopause and even GLP 1–related hair loss become increasingly common. For these consumers, longevity shifts toward solution driven positioning and advanced interventions.
This creates potential for female focused hair loss products—a category traditionally centered on male needs. Brands like Better Not Younger, with its hydrogel hairline patches designed to boost density around the hairline and temples, illustrate the growing opportunity and innovation in this segment.
Skin Logic Rewrites Hair Care
According to Euromonitor’s Via online SKU tracking data on Amazon, skinified hair care products saw rapid growth between 2022 and 2025, with night serums and scalp serums leading the trend (F-3).
F-3. According to Euromonitor’s Via online SKU tracking data on Amazon, skinified hair care products saw rapid growth between 2022 and 2025, with night serums and scalp serums leading the trend.Euromonitor
A fundamental principle driving the longevity revolution in hair care is the recognition that the scalp is an extension of facial skin, and healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp. Scalp health has risen to become the third most desired hair care product functionality in 2025—up from fifth place in 2021—and sought out by 24% of hair care shoppers. This growing focus on scalp health is expected to open new segments, as seen in the increasing variety of product formats, such as scalp serums and scalp tonics.
F-4. Pricing-attribute trends across marketsEuromonitor
Euromonitor’s Innovation Tracker found that the most scalp care products fall under two general attribute groups, “sensitive scalp” or “scalp health.” Although scalp-related claims account for 7% of hair care, they command higher price points when compared to other claims like “hydrating” and “repairing” (F-4).
This progression reveals a fundamental shift from cosmetic approaches that address visible hair concerns to therapeutic interventions that treat the scalp at a cellular level. The emergence of scalp-first treatments—encompassing everything from SPF protection to medicated formulations for conditions like psoriasis—signals a broader "scalp as skin" trend that prioritizes longevity and prevention over merely cosmetic results.
The Scalp Becomes the New Battleground
Scalp-related claims register the greatest presence in conditioners and treatments, followed by standard shampoos, but there are opportunities to expand scalp-benefits in less penetrated categories, like styling agents (F-5). Brands and retailers, especially chemists/pharmacies and beauty specialists, can play a larger role in educating consumers about scalp care and overall hair health.
F-5. Scalp claims by categoryEuromonitor
Scalp care-related claims are emerging as a key innovation focus in the premium hair care segment, with positioning expanded beyond exfoliation to include oil-moisture balance, nourishment and anti-aging benefits. For instance, Olaplex launched its Scalp Longevity Treatment in February 2025, featuring patented scalp barrier-building technology that delivers immediate hydration and soothing benefits while protecting against scalp aging to support smooth, shiny and healthy hair.
Olaplex launched its Scalp Longevity Treatment in February 2025, featuring patented scalp barrier-building technology that delivers immediate hydration and soothing benefits while protecting against scalp aging to support smooth, shiny and healthy hair.Olaplex
Although the brand has experienced more competition in recent years and is being considered by Henkel as a potential acquisition at the time of reporting, this launch marks a key step in Olaplex’s refreshed identity and to create high-demand products that treat both the hair strands and the scalp.
Other recent launches in scalp care include a tonic in spray format for long hair (Shed Professional’s Strengthening Tonic from Brazil, launched last September), a botanical-infused Ayurvedic-inspired shampoo formulated to soothe scalp irritation (Wayveda Hair Fall Control Shampoo from India, launched last June) and a pre-shampoo scalp oil from a Finnish hair care brand that rose to popularity on TikTok (Veloide Hair ASAP Scalp Oil, launched last February in Finland and Sweden), in addition to Aveda’s Scalp Solutions line.
India: Scalp Care's Top Market
F-6. Top world markets for scalp care claimsEuromonitor
India registers the most scalp-related claims in hair care in 2025. Across Indian cities, many consumers are now experiencing hair and scalp issues linked not just to hair type or styling, but to environmental factors like pollution, hard water, dust, sweat, and product layering.
Pollution and dirt accumulation are also prompting a shift in perception, with scalp care gaining equal importance to hair strand care. Brands like Minimalist, WishCare and Be Bodywise offer solution-led products backed by science and claim-based communications, often targeting Indian consumers seeking to address scalp health, hair fall and hair strengthening.
In India, hair care is no longer viewed as a one-step task, but as a system of care that blends functionality with self-care. This can be seen in urban centers, particularly tier 1 cities, where consumers are building multi-step hair care regimens that include scalp care products, as well as conditioners, treatment masks and serums.
Prevention Is the New Premium
As hair care transforms into a broader wellness category, consumers are moving away from hero products and toward more prescriptive routines that support hair and scalp health on the surface and from within. Successful hair care brands in this space will instill in consumers a prevention mindset and tackle short-term health concerns with long-term habit building through the following:
- Using ingredients and technologies that address the root causes of aging (cellular damage, inflammation, nutrient supply)
- Segmenting products by life stage and biological need, not just cosmetic effect
- Leveraging science-led claims and clinical validation to build trust and efficacy
- Innovating in delivery systems (microneedles, exosomes, AI diagnostics) for targeted, personalized care
- Expanding the narrative from "anti-aging" to "healthy aging," "prejuvenation" and "slow aging," with a focus on prevention, optimization, and regeneration
Scalp care will continue to grow as consumers shift to more holistic and personalized routines that treat the hair and scalp with the same level of care and consideration as the rest of their skin, with formulations that lay the groundwork for long-term hair health. The potential for true inside-out hair care systems that combine supplements with topical treatments will continue to represent a significant opportunity for hair care and supplement players.
