This report examines the current state of the skincare market, consumer usage of skincare and product trends in Japan and globally, and analyses Japanese consumer attitudes to facial skincare, as well as market opportunities worth considering for companies and brands involved in skincare.
For markets outside of Japan, this report looks at consumer surveys and trends from the UK, US and Germany to represent Europe and North America, and China, South Korea, Thailand and India to represent Asia. This report draws on global trends and current market conditions, as well as the results of a Japanese consumer survey, to gain insight into how companies in Japan can best approach consumers.
Key Points Covered in this Report
- Global overview of the facial skincare market and product claim trends
- Consumers’ skin condition and attitudes to facial skincare in and outside Japan
- Notable global trends in facial skincare: low-price products, immediate results, anti-ageing, neurocosmetics and AI
- Overview of Japan’s facial skincare market, changes in product claims and noteworthy trends
- Opportunities in the Japanese skincare market and areas to watch
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Executive summary
- Key points covered in this Report
- Overview, scope of this Report, targets and definitions
- Global market overview and trends
- Key market factors of the global skincare market
- Noteworthy skincare trends
- Overview of the Japanese market and trends, consumer insights and market opportunities
- Japanese market overview and trends
- Japanese consumer insights
- Japanese market opportunities
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Global market overview
- Global skincare market
- The global skincare market is experiencing significant growth
- China has significant presence in global skincare market
- Graph 1: facial care market size ($ m), 2024 (includes some estimates)
- Japan and South Korea, where per capita consumption is high
- Graph 2: skincare consumption per person ($), 2024 (including some estimates)
- Japan and South Korea have low market growth rates
- Graph 3: skincare market size growth, 2019-28 (some excluded)
- France and South Korea assert their presence as major cosmetics exporters
- Natural and ethical skincare claims stagnate
- Graph 4: proportion of claim categories in all new skincare products, September 2020-August 2024
- Consistently high moisturising benefits, with an increasing trend in anti-ageing
- Graph 5: proportion of selected claims in all new skincare products, September 2020-August 2025
- Dermatologically tested and suitable for sensitive skin are becoming common
- Graph 6: proportion of selected claims in all new skincare products, September 2020-August 2024
- Skincare for sensitive skin is growing worldwide
- Graph 7: new skincare products that claim to be suitable for sensitive skin, September 2020-August 2025
- Slight downward trend in free-from
- Graph 8: proportion of selected claims in all new skincare products, September 2020-August 2025
- Environmental concerns dominate ethical claims
- Graph 9: proportion of selected ethical claims in all new skincare products, September 2020-August 2025
- Ethical – animal claims also declining
- Graph 10: skincare launches with ethical animal claim, September 2020 – August 2025
- Vitamin/mineral fortified and collagen increasing are on the rise
- Graph 11: skincare launches with vitamin/mineral fortified claims, September 2020 – August 2025
- Graph 12: skincare launches with collagen increasing claim, September 2020 – August 2025
- More specific benefits are being claimed
- Global consumers and skincare
- Consumers worldwide are unfailingly interested in anti-ageing
- Graph 13: selected attitudes to beauty/grooming products, 2025
- Asian consumers who want products tailored to their age
- Graph 14: consumers who want more beauty products that are specifically designed for their age, 2025
- De-stressing is an important role for beauty products
- Graph 15: consumers who agree they use beauty/grooming products to relax/relieve stress, 2024
- Consumers who want to simplify their skincare routine
- Simplifying skincare steers consumers towards multifunctional options
- Graph 16: reasons consumers reduced their use of skincare, 2024
- Consumers want instant results from skincare
- The PR effect of social media is limited
- Graph 17: important factors besides price, 2025
- Brands need to exercise caution when adopting AI
- Graph 18: selected AI-related attitudes to beauty and personal care products, September 2024
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Global trends
- Five trends to watch in skincare
- Budget cosmetics charge ahead
- Consumer mindset is a tailwind for low-price products
- e.l.f. Beauty goes from strength to strength
- The rise of convenience store and dollar cosmetics
- Dupe trend requires careful attention
- Consumers are trying to cut costs with multifunctional skincare
- The importance of immediate effects is rising
- Consumers want fast results from skincare
- Stimulating the senses is a double-edged sword
- Facial cleansers that appeal with physical stimulation and sound
- Increasingly specialised anti-ageing
- A variety of ageing claims, from slow- to reverse-
- Epigenetics and senolytics
- Biotherm secures customers through goal setting
- Possibilities in neurocosmetics
- Reforming skincare with neuroscience: Neuraé
- In a stressed-out society, cortisol face is trending
- Ingredients in neurocosmetics
- Unilever discovered relationship between microbiome and sense of wellbeing
- Global skincare brands have begun to leverage AI in various ways
- AI is actively engaged on various fronts in the beauty industry
- Debut making great strides with the combination of biotechnology and AI
- Consumers consult ChatGPT about beauty
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Japanese market overview and trends
- Japanese skincare market overview
- Growth of Japan’s skincare market has stalled
- Graph 19: facial care market size, 2018-29*
- No noticeable change observed in claims by category
- Graph 20: claim categories in facial skincare launches, September 2020-August 2025
- Free from is declining slightly
- Graph 21: selected claims in facial skincare launches, September 2020-August 2025
- Ethical claims also somewhat stagnant
- Graph 22: selected claims in facial skincare launches, September 2020-August 2025
- The growth of beauty claims focused solely on fine lines
- Graph 23: selected claims in facial skincare launches, September 2020-August 2025
- Sensitive skin and vitamin/mineral fortified on the rise
- Graph 24: selected claims in facial skincare launches, September 2020-August 2025
- Japanese skincare trends
- Skin diagnostics via AI image analysis expanding
- Cosme Decorté got some buzz for formula development through quantum computing
- Trust in AI is not very high in Japan
- Graph 25: attitudes to personal care products, 2024
- est’s personal gym for beauty
- LDK Best Cosmetics draws attention to vitamin-based products
- Functional cosmetics with strong active ingredient claims
- High concentration is an ingredient claim that’s easy to grasp
- In Japan too, delivering immediate results is an important factor, but…
- Ultimune focuses on senescent cells
- Benefique with added benefits through fragrance
- Orbis Cream for Cleansing treasures skin at five centimetres a second
- Kao claims science with Sofina iP
- South Korean brand Make P:rem enters the Japanese market for sensitive skin
- Ciao Biteki Project aimed at the younger market
- Kao, Kosé, and Aeon cooperate on plastic recycling
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Japanese consumer insights
- Japanese consumers’ usage of skincare products
- Women have high rates of skincare usage, while men’s are low
- Graph 26: use of skincare products, by gender, 2025
- Even among men, younger generations are enthusiastic about skincare
- Graph 27: use of skincare product groups, by age & gender, 2025
- Price range of skincare products used
- Graph 28: use of skincare products, 2025
- Skincare usage hasn’t changed significantly from 2023
- Graph 29: use of skincare products, 2023, 2025
- Almost all women use facial cleansers and facial lotion, only about half of men do
- Graph 30: use of facial cleansers, by age and gender, 2025
- Graph 31: use of facial lotion, by age and gender, 2025
- Older women tend to spend on beauty serums and all-in-one gels
- Graph 32: use of serums, by age and gender, 2025
- Graph 33: use of all-in-one gel, by age and gender, 2025
- What Japanese consumers want from skincare
- Price, performance, safety and skin comfort are purchase priorities
- Graph 34: important factors when buying skincare, 2025
- Little importance placed on packaging and celebrity endorsement
- Graph 35: selected important features in choosing skincare, by age and gender, 2025
- Focus on price, safety, skin comfort and performance unchanged from two years ago
- Graph 36: important factors in choosing skincare, 2023
- Consumers hope for hydration, clean skin, improved texture and pore minimising
- Graph 37: benefits expected from skincare products, 2025
- Younger generation deals with acne and pores, older generation spots, wrinkles and sagging
- Graph 38: benefits expected from skincare, by age and gender, 2025
- Japanese consumers’ interest in simple products is high
- Graph 39: opinions on skincare, 2025
- Younger generation likes skincare but wavers over choosing products
- Graph 40: selected opinions on skincare, by age and gender, 2025
- Consumers in Japan, where ethical behaviours aren’t taking root
- Graph 41: selected opinions on skincare, by household income, 2025
- Made in Japan, hypoallergenic and skin type are Japanese skincare priorities
- Graph 42: features prioritised in skincare products, 2025
- Younger generations worry about barrier function and non-comedogenic
- Graph 43: selected desired attributes in skincare products, by gender and age, 2025
- The higher the income bracket, the more likely consumers will prioritise sustainability
- Graph 44: selected important points for skincare product features, by income, 2025
- Few consumers prioritise free-from
- Graph 45: important points for skincare ingredients, 2025
- Men show little interest in ingredients, while women are very curious
- Graph 46: important points for skincare ingredients, by age and gender, 2025
- Men have little interest in free-from
- Graph 47: selected important points for skincare ingredients that consumers have never heard of, by age and gender, 2025
- Free-from tends to resonate with high-income earners
- Graph 48: important points for skincare ingredients, by household income, 2025
- Consumers grouped by the price range of the skincare they use
- High-end product users enjoy skincare
- Graph 49: opinions on skincare by purchase price range group*, 2025
- Consumers who use expensive skincare are often particular about functionality and ingredients
- Graph 50: important points for skincare product purchases by purchase price range group*, 2025
- High-price users also have a strong interest in ingredients
- Graph 51: important points for skincare ingredients by purchase price range group*, 2025
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Opportunities in the Japanese market
- Three trends in skincare to note going forward
- Mental wellbeing and sleep are the next-generation skincare claims
- Consumers understand that stress is a cause of skin issues
- Graph 52: selected preferred fragrances in skincare, 2023
- Sleeping with a sleeping mask
- Sensation is an important element for de-stressing
- Derma cosmetics and ingredients evoke functionality and reliability
- Consumers seek high performance and sure-fire efficacy
- Graph 53: proportion of selected claims in all new skincare products, September 2020-August 2025
- Leverage the trustworthiness of derma cosmetics
- Highlighting sure-fire efficacy with ingredient concentrations
- Ethical doesn’t directly lead to sales, but is a necessary requirement
- Consumers want companies to be ethical
- Graph 54: key factors driving environmentally related consumer behaviour, 2025
- Various ways to convey ethical concepts
- Socio-ethical claims can be a differentiating factor
- Communication difficulties between consumers and brands
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APPENDIX
- Consumer survey methodology
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