Influencer trips and events can leave a bad taste in consumers’ mouths, as 80% of social media users think brands should host events for loyal customers in the same way they do influencers. This reflects a craving for better loyalty rewards and deeper brand connections, which brands can build with customer events and online customer communities.
A primary threat in the category is the sheer amount of content on social media — which can make it difficult for brand and retailer content to break through. However, brands/retailers can ensure they are a voice of authority on all things beauty/grooming, as 25% of UK social media users would engage with beauty/grooming content on social media if it was created by trustworthy source.
Selling on social media still has huge potential. In 2024, digitally native brands Made by Mitchell and P.Louise broke sales records on TikTok Shop, and L’Oréal Paris hosted its first Super Brand Day. Brands selling on the platform can drive excitement and sales via the channel, and build a feeling of exclusivity, by launching products on TikTok Shop early.
Brands can stand out on social media with science-forward content that dispels skin and hair myths, and reach new audiences with relevant collaborations.
Georgia Stafford, Beauty & Personal Care Analyst
Market Definitions
This Report examines consumer attitudes towards beauty and grooming content on social media and the behaviours and attitudes of social media users who engage with beauty/grooming content.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for brands and retailers on social media
- Break through the noise with a trusworthy tone
- Look beyond BPC to ensure maximum reach and build brand personality
- Find a niche to reach engaged audiences
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market predictions
- What consumers want and why
- Embrace TikTok Shop
- Graph 1: behaviours relating to social media and beauty/grooming content, 2024
- Types of accounts followed on social media
- Graph 2: types of accounts followed on social media, 2024
- Skincare content appeals to consumers
- Build community on Facebook
- Encourage posting by smaller creators
- Graph 3: motivations to engage with beauty/grooming content on social media, 2024
- Slow down on social media
- Graph 4: attitudes towards beauty/grooming content on social media, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- How social media trends and NPD mirror Mintel’s 2025 Beauty and Personal Care Trends
- Align with trending media in 2025
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market drivers
- Consumers find room in their budgets to spend on BPC
- Graph 5: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-25
- Align content with consumer interest
- Graph 6: reasons for performing beauty/grooming tasks, 2024
- Understand popular content formats, while retaining authenticity
- Graph 7: preferred content from beauty/grooming brands and influencers, 2024
- Encourage social media sharing by bringing the online offline
- Cater to consumers looking for information on social media instead of search engines
- Graph 8: select platforms used to search for information on beauty/personal care products, by generation, 2024
- Vary social media content by platform
- Graph 9: use of the top four social media platforms in the three months to May 2024, by generation, 2024
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Consumer interactions with BPC on social media
- Social media is a point of discovery
- Graph 10: behaviours relating to social media and beauty/grooming content, 2024
- Embrace TikTok Shop
- Combat social media misinformation
- Tap into an audience of alert consumers
- Drive posting by smaller creators
- Social media accounts followed for BPC content
- Consumers seek out beauty and grooming content on social media
- Create a dialogue on social media
- Boost brand image and reach new users with fashion collaborations
- Graph 11: types of brands that post about beauty/grooming followed on social media, 2024
- Tap into beauty trends to gain followers
- Graph 12: Instagram follower count of select multibrand beauty/grooming retailers*, 2025
- Retailer content needs to be age-diverse
- Ensure content resonates across different generations
- Graph 13: types of retailers that post about beauty/grooming followed on social media, by generation, 2024
- Consumers put their trust in the pros
- Make use of the trust in local professionals
- Graph 14: types of beauty/grooming professionals followed on social media, 2024
- Consumers look to influencers for niche needs
- Go cross-category to recruit new brand users
- Graph 15: types of influencers/celebrities who post about beauty/grooming followed on social media, 2024
- Interest in BPC content on social media
- Skincare content appeals to consumers
- Graph 16: interest in BPC social media content, by category, 2024
- Become a voice of authority in skincare
- K-Beauty is trending in skincare
- Graph 17: interest in milky toner over time, 2024
- Graph 18: interest in glass skin over time, 2024
- Use social media to personalise fragrances
- Keep up with gourmand fragrance trends
- Haircare can take the lead of skincare
- Highlight hair health hacks
- Consumers want to keep up with fast-moving makeup trends
- Offer speedy solutions to time poor parents
- Graph 19: interest in BPC social media content, by parental status, 2024
- Use social media to boost styling product usage
- Cater nail content to DIYers
- Keep consumers informed about the suncare category
- Oral care gets a glow-up
- Attributes associated with BPC content on select social media platforms
- Consumers trust YouTube content
- Graph 20: attributes associated with beauty/grooming content on select social media platforms, 2024
- Make use of YouTube’s reputation for trustworthiness
- Graph 21: attributes associated with beauty/grooming content on YouTube, 2024
- Take inspiration from TikTok success stories
- Graph 22: attributes associated with beauty/grooming content on TikTok, 2024
- Help build media literacy on TikTok
- Continue to build trust in Facebook
- Use Facebook to build community
- Graph 23: attributes associated with beauty/grooming content on Facebook, 2024
- Post lifestyle content to Instagram
- Graph 24: attributes associated with beauty/grooming content on Instagram, 2024
- Use Instagram to drive home product benefits
- Drivers of engagement with BPC social media content
- Trust is paramount for consumers
- Science and transparency are key
- Graph 25: motivations to engage with beauty/grooming content on social media, 2024
- Unlock trust with an open dialogue
- Expand content reach with relevant collaborations
- Acknowledge a shift towards conscious shopping
- Continue with #SponCon
- Graph 26: social media users who would engage with beauty/grooming content if it was was not sponsored/paid for by a brand, by gender, 2024
- Make content digestible for overwhelmed Gen Z
- Cater content so it’s relevant to diverse needs
- Graph 27: social media users who would engage with beauty/grooming content on social media if it was more relevant to their needs/preferences, by ethnicity, 2024
- Make social media content relatable with a humorous approach
- Inspire confidence on social media with a community-led approach
- Attitudes towards BPC content on social media
- Consumers want to feel part of a community
- Graph 28: attitudes towards beauty/grooming content on social media, 2024
- Host events for loyal brand communities
- Ensure a social media presence doesn’t erode prestige’s luxury image
- Slow down on social media
- Tread carefully with influencer marketing
- Make use of the sway social media has on purchase decisions
- Consumers are keen to keep up with trends
- Innovative formats will be eye-catching
- Consumers want reviews from their peers
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation overview
- How social media trends and NPD mirror Mintel’s 2025 Beauty and Personal Care Trends
- (My) Knowledge is Power
- Fill the gap for expert-led haircare
- Graph 29: haircare launches mentioning ‘trichologist’ or ‘trichologists’ in product description, 2020-24
- Graph 30: skincare launches featuring dermatologically tested claims, 2020-24
- Take cues from brands already featuring trichologist claims
- A new approach to ageing is emerging in skincare
- Turning the Tide
- Differentiate products with next-gen eco and ethical claims
- Link environmental benefits to efficacy
- Assess the entire product lifecycle
- Consumers seek protection from the elements
- Graph 31: BPC launches featuring a ‘protects against elements’ claim, 2020-24
- Think Slow, Move Fast
- Brands move away from new products
- Graph 32: BPC launches, by launch type, 2020-24
- Inside-out beauty appeals
- Next-gen neurocosmetics ease the stresses of everyday life
- Advertising and marketing activity
- In 2024, brands aligned with trending media…
- …and there are more opportunities to do so in 2025…
- …and go beyond music
- Allow the Met Gala to boost interest in men’s grooming
- TikTok filters can be a powerful marketing tool
- The power of visuals to capture attention
- L’Oréal hosts its Super Brand Day
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
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