Personalised beauty is an exciting market with growth potential. In fact, 60% of Germans, rising to 84% of 16-34 year olds, are interested in customised products or routines, and 52% of German adults* say being able to express their individuality is a top priority.
Mintel’s 2025 BPC Trend (My) Knowledge is Power explains how online resources allow consumers to be more experimental and creative, fostering a personalised approach to beauty. 41% of Germans interested in personalisation already personalise products at home, opening opportunities for brands to tap into this DIY spirit with easy-to-use solutions. At the same time, the integration of generative AI is revolutionising how brands approach customisation, creating opportunities to deliver personalised beauty routines that adapt in real time to consumers’ unique preferences and lifestyles – even if they evolve daily.
A threat for the market is low consumer financial confidence, as a majority of Germans think the cost of living will worsen in 2025. However, the BPC sector remains resilient, and brands can connect with consumers seeking affordable luxury. 41% of Germans think tailored products are more luxurious, and 30% think they are more effective than regular products. This highlights the potential for personalised beauty to elevate consumer satisfaction and loyalty.
This report looks at the following areas:
- The interest in personalised product formulations, packaging and advice/recommendations across generations and BPC categories
- Criteria for the personalisation of product formulations, with specific skin/hair needs emerging as a relevant aspect
- Preferred sources for personalised advice/recommendations, with medical and beauty professionals as the top choices
- Behaviours around customised beauty, with opportunities like supporting at-home DIY and expanding the use of diagnostic tools coming to the fore
- Attitudes towards personalisation, with tailored products seen by some consumers as more effective and luxurious than regular options
Leverage the efficient luxury image of customisation and encourage small acts of personalisation to meet Germans’ bespoke beauty needs.
Mihaela Suhalitca, Research Analyst – Beauty and Personal Care
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel’s definition of personalisation in BPC includes:
- personalised product formulations, including through added ingredients, drops, serums or scents
- personalised packaging
- personalised beauty advice or product recommendations
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Opportunities
- Outlook
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Opportunities
- Tap into the DIY spirit
- Consider alternatives to fully personalised options…
- …such as giving consumers the option to build their own sets
- At-home DIY beauty is widespread among Germans
- Support consumers who customise products at home with easy-to-use formats
- Eco-Luxe Hair Rituals: powder shampoo mix-and-match sachets
- Engage consumers as part of at-home custom packaging trends
- Tap into community-led innovation…
- …or empower Gen Alpha
- Inspiration: O Boticário co-creation initiative
- Leverage the quality halo of personalised beauty
- Position personalisation as a solution for enhanced efficacy…
- …and collaborate with medical or beauty professionals to underline safety
- Empower consumers to take matters into their own hands with at-home self-tests
- Luxury meets results in personalisation
- Craft premium narratives to enhance brand appeal
- Become a dynamic companion powered by AI
- Look into AI’s role in dynamic and evolving customisation
- Expand the use of skin/hair analysis tools
- Collaborate with tech companies to offer real-time advice
- Team up with apps to adjust beauty routines to weather conditions…
- …and other lifestyle factors
- The market is ripe for an all-in-one platform where users can track their beauty routines
- BeautySync: The Comprehensive Beauty Companion
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CONSUMER
- Interest in personalisation in BPC
- Germans show strong interest in personalised beauty
- Graph 1: interest in personalisation in BPC, by type of personalisation, 2024
- Beauty consumers express a preference for personalised experiences in their beauty routines
- Interest in personalisation differs across generations…
- Graph 2: % of customers interested in personalisation, by BPC category and generation, 2024
- …and beauty categories
- Reach Gen Zers and Younger Millennials with personalised scents
- Help German men customise their shaving and hair removal routine
- Younger women look for haircare advice
- Personalised packaging
- Leverage Mintel’s 2024 Packaging Trend Intelligent Design
- Blend art and tech for bespoke packaging innovation
- Personalised advice/recommendations
- When providing advice/recommendations, be authentic…
- …and mindful of consumers who struggle with certain topics
- Medical professionals take the lead as desired sources for advice/recommendations
- Graph 3: desired sources for personalised BPC recommendations/advice, 2024
- Practical choices drive interest in tailored beauty advice
- Graph 4: aspects on which personalised BPC advice/products should be based, 2024
- Streamline shopping with consumer-centric advice…
- Graph 5: interest in personalised BPC advice based on shopping history, by market, 2024
- …especially for parents of young children
- REWE has trialled AI Smart Carts for real-time product recommendations
- Put clinical expertise at the heart of personalised beauty…
- …or use the medical associations
- Tailored support can be adapted for different generations
- Tailor retail support…
- …to meet the needs of older shoppers…
- …and those of younger ones
- Encourage repeat salon visits to drive results
- Personalised product formulations
- Personalisation criteria of product formulations
- Graph 6: interest in personalisation criteria of BPC product formulations, 2024
- To address skin/hair needs, leverage professional expertise…
- …and encourage the use of diagnostic tools
- Carefully navigate the roads to inclusivity in skintone/hair colour options
- Offer scent options – from fragrance-free to perfume oils
- Align personal values with NPD and clearly communicate these to consumers
- Adjust beauty offerings to modern lifestyles…
- …and help take off the pressure
- Barriers to interest in personalised BPC options
- Satisfaction with existing products is high among Germans
- Graph 7: reasons for a lack of interest in personalised BPC products, 2024
- Reassure Gen Zers about effectiveness and availability
- Graph 8: select reasons for a lack of interest in personalised BPC products, 2024
- BPC consumers are unconcerned about sharing their information to gain personalisation
- Attitudes and behaviours
- Consumers are curious about personalised options
- Germans are keen on customising familiar products
- Graph 9: consumers who would be interested in trying a personalised version of a product they already use, by generation, 2024
- Parents express their individuality with at-home customisation
- Graph 10: consumers who often personalise products at home themselves, by the presence of children at home, 2024
- Efficacy is a door opener
- Graph 11: attitudes towards the efficacy of personalisation in BPC, 2024
- Brands have to fight the perception that only some need advice/recommendations
- There is still room to persuade Germans of the benefits of tailored advice
- Gen Zers and Millennials are more likely to make use of diagnostic solutions
- Graph 12: consumers who have used a skin/hair diagnostic tool for personalised product recommendations, by generation, 2024
- Graph 13: agreement that online surveys are a reliable way to determine individual skin/hair needs, by generation, 2024
- Innovative AI scanning solutions and diagnostic tools…
- …act as gateways to tailored formulations
- Younger cohorts see the value in personalised products…
- Graph 14: % of consumers who agree with select attitudes towards personalisation in BPC, by age group, 2024
- …but challenges remain to attract other consumer groups
- Graph 15: % of consumers who agree it is worth paying more for a personalised beauty and personal care product than for a regular one, by financial situation, 2024
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MARKET DRIVERS
- 2025 will be a challenging year for the German economy…
- Graph 16: consumer perception of the German cost-of-living crisis, 2025
- …but the BPC category has room to grow
- AI advancements are shaping the future of the beauty industry
- eCommerce advancements positively impact bespoke consumer experiences
- eCommerce platforms will become more accessible
- Legislation around ingredients puts pressure on brands but offers opportunities to reformulate
- Packaging regulatory challenges can become strategic advantages
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations
- Generations
- Methodology – consumer research
- CHAID analysis – methodology
- CHAID analysis: interest in personalisation within BPC
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
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