Consumers & Markets | Global Cosmetic Industry

Wealthier, asset-confident consumers tend to trade up, seeking science-backed efficacy, personalization, and experiential value, while less wealthy or paycheck-tight consumers trade down, prioritizing clarity, reliability, affordability, and multifunctional performance—though many shoppers move fluidly between the two, mixing premium hero items with value-focused everyday purchases. Across income tiers, both groups increasingly demand transparency, demonstrable results, and smart, efficient solutions, making performance the ultimate currency in a barbell-shaped market.

Beauty in Two Worlds: K-shaped Strategies to Capture Both Premium and Value Consumers

Across tiers, transparency, multifunctionality, and demonstrable performance are non-negotiable.

To celebrate packaging's place in beauty, Global Cosmetic Industry spoke to experts across the packaging industry to ask one key question: What is a key trend you see coming in 2026?

Practical, Powerful and Personal: Beauty Insiders' Packaging Predictions for 2026

As we head out of the holidays and step into 2026, the time has come to make our New Year's beauty resolutions, big and small.

Beauty Resolutions: What to Manifest in 2026

For beauty brands navigating this rapidly changing trade environment, various tariff mitigation strategies have become essential: foreign trade zones, bonded warehouses, tariff engineering and strategic sourcing shifts, just to name a few.

The Tariff Mitigation Secret Every Beauty Brand Should Know

A guide to reclaiming up to 99% of import costs with duty drawbacks.

'Carbon-conscious formulation represents a growing commitment within the cosmetics industry to minimize environmental impact by reducing the carbon footprint across the entire product lifecycle,' says Univar's Irena James.

Can Beauty Really Be Low-Carbon? Our Expert Says Yes.

The Future of Beauty Is Now: Download Accupac’s 2026 Trend Report

The Future of Beauty Is Now: Download Accupac’s 2026 Trend Report

Accupac’s 2026 Trend Report highlights a new era of beauty—where proof is experienced, sustainability drives real impact, bioinnovation supports long-term vitality, and adaptive beauty responds to changing skin, life stages, and environments.

'Fragrance has been benefiting from deep changes in consumer trends, including frequency of use, appetite for more premium, luxury scents and new habits to “collect” various scents and brands,' says Alexandre Terseleer, a partner in the private equity practice at global strategy and management consulting firm, Kearney. 'However, at this stage the offering has become so vast that most consumers start feeling overwhelmed–lending itself well for consolidation at the level of brands (and portfolios thereof).'

Megadeals, Fragrance Frenzies and the Gen Z Wallet: Your 2026 Beauty M&A Playbook

Alexandre Terseleer, a partner at Kearney, unpacks the latest beauty M&A trends.

When consumers request vegan skin care, 89% are actually seeking associated benefits such as cruelty-free, clean or natural formulations. Only 11% correctly identify 'vegan' with its actual meaning—animal-free ingredients.

Prestige Skin Care's 'Vegan Paradox' Driven by Consumer Confusion

A new study analyzing consumer attitudes in the prestige skin care sector has uncovered a significant "intention-action gap" regarding vegan product claims.

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The Future of Beauty Is Now: Download Accupac’s 2026 Trend Report

Accupac’s 2026 Trend Report highlights a new era of beauty—where proof is experienced, sustainability drives real impact, bioinnovation supports long-term vitality, and adaptive beauty responds to changing skin, life stages, and environments.

Drunk Elephant Says Goodbye to Sephora Kids with New Age-Appropriate Campaign

“Dupes,” minis, and discovery sets are thriving alongside true luxury.

U.S. Beauty Market Outlook 2026: Value, Wellness, and Technology Power a Category That Keeps Growing

Consumers are still buying beauty—carefully, strategically and with a sharper eye on value.

But while the rise of Ozempic is clear, the decline of fat loss isn't so transparent. 'Ozempic face' is the newest skin concern, a popularly coined term to describe the changes in the face that come from rapid, medically stimulated weight loss.

Ozempic Face and Beyond: How GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Are Driving the Next Era of Medical-Grade Skin Care

Ozempic face is real. Medical-grade skin care products and ingredients are here to help.

The mask delivers red light (630 nm) and near-infrared light (830 nm) through an integrated, skin-safe microcircuit.

Beauty Tech Takes Center Stage at CES 2026 as L’Oréal Groupe and Amorepacific Unveil AI and Light-Powered Innovations

Together, the two global beauty leaders are signaling a shift toward hyper-personalized, science-backed beauty experiences rooted in diagnostics, longevity, and at-home devices.

'I'm so excited to bring Rare Beauty to Ulta Beauty,' said Selena Gomez, Rare Beauty founder and creator. 'I started Rare Beauty to help people feel seen and celebrated as they are.'

Rare Beauty Expands to Ulta Nationwide in 2026 with Exclusive Products & Charitable Initiative

This marks Rare Beauty’s first retail expansion since the brand launched in 2020.