In the UK, 68% of haircare users say it is more important for the products they use to be high performing than sustainable, underscoring efficacy as the primary driver of purchase decisions. This focus shapes market dynamics and innovation priorities.
The market faces challenges, as hair treatments are encroaching on conditioners. Many hair masks are formulated for quick use immediately after shampooing – making them an easy substitute for traditional conditioners. As a result, volume sales may decline, and while treatments often carry a higher price point than conditioners, value gains may also be limited if consumers substitute rather than add to their routine. This shift challenges brands to reassert the role of conditioner or reposition treatments to encourage dual use, rather than replacement.
Emerging skincare actives like exosomes and PDRN have growth potential in haircare, but success requires more than borrowing ingredients. Many brands use ingredients like hyaluronic acid without clearly linking to its hair benefits, leaving consumers uninformed. Opportunity lies in linking advanced actives with proven hair-specific effects (such as repair and strengthening) and clearly communicating their benefits. Educating consumers on ingredient function builds trust and helps brands stand out, following skincare’s lead in credibility and transparency.
This report looks at the following areas:
- The consumer’s primary hair type and scalp concerns, and how this correlates with haircare and scalp care usage
- Consumer understanding of hair porosity levels, and how brands/retailers can educate consumers on hair porosity to help them make better purchase decisions
- Attitudes towards different hair treatments and styling formats, and interest in format innovation
- The ingredients consumers are looking for in haircare, and their perception of their own ingredient knowledge
- How brands should communicate ingredient information to consumers
- The latest launch trends in ingredients and formats, including predictions for the next wave of skinification ingredients
Consumers are engaging with haircare ingredients, but remain benefit-led and need guidance. Meanwhile, convenient formats are also essential to fit into busy lifestyles.
Shiyan Zering, Senior Beauty and Personal Care Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the haircare ingredients and format market
- Bridge the ingredient–benefit gap
- Make hair treatments more intuitive
- Unlock growth with inclusive NPD
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Outlook for haircare ingredients and formats
- What consumers want and why
- Haircare basics are driving purchasing
- Graph 1: usage of haircare and styling products in the last 12 months, 2025
- Hair oils lead scalp care purchasing
- Graph 2: usage of scalp care products in the last 12 months, 2025
- Uncertainty of porosity level highlights a need for consumer guidance
- Graph 3: self-reported hair porosity, 2025
- Recognised ingredients are sought-after
- Graph 4: sought after ingredients in haircare in the last 12 months, 2025
- Treatments threaten conditioner use
- Graph 5: hair treatment usage behaviours, 2025
- Product benefits trump ingredients
- Graph 6: attitudes towards haircare ingredients, 2025
- Optimise hair styling products by addressing format drawbacks
- Graph 7: associations with hair styling product formats, 2025
- Innovation and marketing
- Hair treatment formats are glossing up
- Graph 8: share of hair treatment launches carrying ‘gloss’ claims, 2021-25
- Next-gen haircare taps into ingredient trends
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market drivers
- Fears over the cost of living are denting confidence
- Graph 9: index of financial confidence in the next year, 2016-25
- Use local sourcing and biotech when navigating supply chain issues
- Responsibly sourced ingredients win consumer trust
- Climate resilient haircare will matter
- Redefine haircare ingredients and formats for ageing consumers
- British society is increasingly diverse
- Address skin and scalp condition needs
- Curious and informed consumers are driving trends
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Usage of haircare and styling products
- Most consumers are using haircare
- Graph 10: usage of haircare and styling products in the last 12 months, 2025
- Graph 11: net of usage of haircare and styling products in the last 12 months, 2025
- Cater shampoo NPD to wider needs
- Encourage treatment usage among white consumers
- Social media boosts hair treatment purchases among young women
- Simplifying styling for men
- Usage of scalp care products and barriers
- Hair oils lead scalp care purchasing
- Graph 12: usage of scalp care products in the last 12 months, 2025
- Graph 13: net usage of scalp care products in the last 12 months, 2025
- Improve lightweight scalp oil formulas for curly/coily hair
- Redness drives preference for gentle formats
- Cater more NPD to men’s scalps
- Barriers to using scalp care products…
- Graph 14: barriers to using scalp care products, 2025
- …create opportunities to emphasise the importance of these products in haircare routines
- Self-reported hair porosity
- Understanding hair porosity: why it matters
- Uncertainty highlights a need for guidance
- Limited porosity claims in NPD impacts knowledge
- Graph 15: share of hair product launches carrying porosity claims*, 2020-25
- Porosity-focused NPD caters to all hair types and needs
- Address awareness gaps to unlock mature haircare opportunities
- Online discourse sparks surge in porosity awareness
- Bridging the knowledge gap for those with low porosity hair
- Empower porosity without confusion for textured hair
- Improve hair porosity blind spots for those with straight hair
- Consider impact of colourants on hair porosity
- Sought after ingredients in haircare
- Haircare consumers are ingredient-savvy
- Consumers prioritise function and familiarity
- Recognised ingredients are sought-after
- Graph 16: sought after ingredients in haircare in the last 12 months, 2025
- Those with textured hair look for the ‘big three’
- Leverage gym-grade ingredients to power up male haircare claims
- High porosity hair seeks hydration
- Skincare ingredients are a niche interest…
- …but mass market innovation could boost interest
- Reframe silicones to have a second chance
- Engage with Baby Boomers with straightforward messaging
- Attitudes toward hair treatments
- Treatments threaten conditioner use
- Graph 17: hair treatment usage behaviours, 2025
- More consumers are using conditioner…
- …but treatment users are loyal
- Consumers are seeking easy and fast results
- Rethink the speed of rinse off treatments
- Attitudes towards haircare ingredients
- Product benefits trump ingredients
- Graph 18: attitudes towards haircare ingredients, 2025
- Link what’s inside to what a product does
- No trade-offs between performance and sustainability
- Consumers with textured hair are ingredient literate
- Bridge the ingredient knowledge gap for over-55s
- Ingredient-savvy consumers want caring styling products
- Associations with hair styling product formats
- Optimise hair styling products by addressing format drawbacks
- Graph 19: associations with hair styling product formats, 2025
- Modernise hairspray for today’s consumer
- Refresh the hair gel segment without compromising performance
- Elevate and emphasise mousse’s benefits
- Balance hair wax’s performance with usability
- Simplifying styling with air-dry hair creams
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Format launch activity and innovation
- Go beyond traditional formats for shampoos and conditioners
- Graph 20: haircare (excluding treatments) launches, by top 5 formats & textures based on 2024, 2023-25
- A rise in spray treatments will cater to convenience demands
- Graph 21: hair treatment launches, by top 5 formats & textures based on 2024, 2023-25
- Remove barriers to entry to boost consumer interest in oil treatments
- Scalp care innovation is focusing on science-backed and skincare-inspired formulas
- Hair treatments are glossing up
- Graph 22: share of hair treatment launches carrying ‘gloss’ claims, 2021-25
- Elevate gloss products via scent
- Move beyond sprays for long-lasting styling
- Graph 23: hair styling launches, by top 5 formats & textures based on 2024, 2023-25
- Dry shampoo innovation boosts efficacy
- P&G’s waterless format redefines eco-friendly performance
- Ingredient launch activity and innovation
- Ingredient trends drive a decline in vegan claims…
- Graph 24: new product launches in the haircare category, by claims, 2021-25
- …but plant-based ingredient innovation continues
- Lee Stafford focuses on superfoods
- Professional brands cater to curly hair
- Leverage patented protein innovations to drive premium growth
- Living Proof’s reformulations stir controversy over silicones
- Look to budding skincare ingredients for inspiration
- Graph 25: Google searches for ‘exosomes’ vs ‘PDRN’, 2023-25
- K-Beauty brands can lead the next wave of haircare skinification
- Hair growth benefits are seen across formats
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APPENDIX
- Supplementary data
- Population estimates
- Report scope and definitions
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
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