Gain fresh insights into the shaving and hair removal industry in the US. This report offers a complete review of market performance, with data-backed opportunities to appeal to real consumer preferences. Below, we’ve summarized the core topics analyzed and provided insights from the report.
Core Topics Analyzed
- Market size, forecast and segment performance.
- Key challenges and opportunities for stakeholders.
- Consumer use of shaving and hair removal products by needs.
- Changes to consumer shaving and hair removal routines.
- Consumer purchase influencers and pain points of products.
US Shaving and Hair Removal Market Overview
Brands must emphasize long-lasting results, time savings, and improved skin health to attract cost-sensitive consumers. As hair removal continues to be essential yet low in consumers’ personal care spending priorities, brands can take cues from other categories, integrating hair removal routines into self-care and wellness practices.
That being said, the market is not without consumer engagement and interest: the majority have tried something new in their hair removal routines in the past year, whether that be trying a new product, adding a step, or going to a professional hair removal service.
Looking ahead, the market can look to several key trends to buoy performance, including interest in relaxation, body hair grooming, salon-grade treatments, and hair removal for intimate areas. Brands can respond to evolving needs by focusing on inclusivity and innovation, offering products that cater to diverse skin tones, hair types and age-related needs.
Readers may be interested in browsing our other BPC market research.
Report Scope
Categories included in the market size section of this Report are:
- Disposable and cartridge (non-disposable) razors – men’s and women’s
- Replacement blades and cartridges for cartridge (non-disposable) razors
- Shaving creams and gels
- Depilatory creams/lotions and waxing products designed for home use
Excluded from the market size, segment performance, and brand sections of this Report are:
- Electric shavers and personal trimmers (only excluded from market size, included in segment performance and brands & companies)
- Grooming scissors
- Aftershave, skin conditioners, and other products for post-shaving use
- Professional/salon hair removal services
However, usage of electric razors, trimmers, and skin treatment products are covered in the consumer sections of this Report.
Expert Analysis
Industry expert Joan Li delivers in-depth insights with this report.
Opportunities exist to create added value by acknowledging and serving the diversity of expanded hair removal routines.
Joan Li
Senior Analyst, Beauty and Personal Care
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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- What consumers want & why
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- Opportunities
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Market Factors
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Anticipate the needs of an aging population
- Graph 1: health concerns of Baby Boomers, 2022
- Tweens & Gen Alpha presents a new wave of audience preferences
- Professional hair removal services challenge at-home routines
- Graph 2: select beauty treatments received in the past 12 months by financial situation, 2023
- Shaving remains a low-priority category
- Graph 3: current high spend or interest in trading up by category, 2023
- Market size and forecast
- Market definitions
- Retail sales and forecast of shaving and hair removal products, at current prices, 2019-29
- Retail sales and forecast of shaving and hair removal products
- Retail sales and forecast of shaving and hair removal products – inflation-adjusted
- Market segmentation
- Retail sales of shaving and hair removal products, by segment
- Graph 4: total retail sales and forecast of shaving and hair removal products, by segment, at current prices, 2019-29
- Retail sales of shaving and hair removal products, by segment
- Non-disposables, shaving cream and depilatories gain market share
- Electric shaver performance remains stagnant*
- Market share/brand share
- With the exception of Harry’s, leading companies see sales decline
- Stagnating sales of disposable razors is felt across all brands
- Harry’s drives parent company’s non-disposable segment performance
- Harry’s performance in non-disposable razors goes hand-in-hand with its performance in refill cartridges
- eos builds on success in shaving products with on-trend offerings and marketing
- Nair holds its dominance of the depilatories market
- Manscaped breaks through MULO sales of electric shavers
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Market Strategies & Competitive Opportunities
- Skin sensitivity is a running theme through all steps of the hair removal routine
- Be inclusive of mature skin concerns and challenges
- Segment by area of concern, instead of gender
- Promote self-care themes to boost purchase and loyalty.
- Humor and vulnerability can encourage trial
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Product usage
- The majority of consumers use 3-4 types of products in their hair removal routines
- Graph 5: repertoire of shaving and hair removal products by gender, 2024
- Regimens of all sizes have a disposable razor
- Graph 6: usage of shaving and hair removal products by number of products used, 2024
- Razors usage remains stable
- Graph 7: usage of razor products, 2022-24
- Segment opportunity: bring women up to speed with non-disposable investments
- Graph 8: usage of razor products by gender, 2024
- Among shaving products, pre-shaving prep sees modest growth
- Graph 9: usage of shaving products, 2022-24
- Segment opportunity: pre- and post- shaving products benefit from wellness themes and hair-type customization
- Graph 10: usage of shaving products by gender and age, 2023 vs. 2024
- Other hair removal products maintain relevance
- Graph 11: usage of other hair removal products, 2022-24
- Segment opportunity: early adopters of epilators are driven by long-lasting results and shelf-appeal
- Graph 12: select razor or hair removal device benefits sought by epilator usage, 2024
- Hair removal detail
- In facial hair removal, brow grooming sees modest movement
- Graph 13: facial hair removal detail, 2023 vs 2024
- Connect eyebrow shaping to brow-forward beauty trends
- Help perfect facial hair removal for skincare and color cosmetics application
- At-home body hair removal routines expand
- Graph 14: body hair removal detail, 2023 vs 2024
- At-home laser treatments contribute to growth of alternative devices on leg hair removal
- Graph 15: usage of other hair removal devices for leg hair removal, 2023 vs 2024
- At-home light treatments expand
- Young men drive use of shaving products on additional areas of the body
- Graph 16: usage of shaving products on areas of the body other than legs among men, 2023 vs 2024
- Benefits sought
- Hair removal devices: target convenience and skin gentleness
- Graph 17: purchase influencers for hair removal devices, ranked, 2024
- Reduce frictions in mature shaving routines
- Graph 18: select hair removal device purchase influencers by age, 2024
- Men value product durability and technological features
- Graph 19: select hair removal device purchase influencers by gender and age, 2024
- Shaving, hair removal & waxing products: appeal to skin-first mentalities
- Graph 20: purchase influencers for shaving, hair removal or waxing products, ranked, 2024
- Many younger consumers take an ingredients-first approach
- Graph 21: select shaving and waxing product purchase influencers by gender and age, 2024
- Strengthen shaving and waxing product ingredient narratives for further proof of skin health + self-care benefits
- Changes to routine
- Many consumers have experimented with new products and steps
- The majority have tried new something in the past year
- Graph 22: change to shaving and/or hair removal routines, 2024
- Build affinity with younger consumers who are experimenting with their routines
- Graph 23: select changes to shaving/hair removal routines by gender and age, 2024
- Men drive trial of professional hair removal services
- Graph 24: select changes to shaving and/or hair removal routines by gender and age, 2024
- Ongoing pain points
- Across the body and face, long-term, skin-friendly solutions are left sorely desired
- Graph 25: struggles with shaving and/or hair removal by body region, 2024
- Acknowledge the growing popularity of pubic hair removal
- Bring men’s facial grooming benefits to women’s facial hair removal
- Graph 26: struggles with facial hair removal by gender, 2024
- Address bumps, dryness and scarring for consumers of color
- Graph 27: struggles with body hair removal (other than pubic region) by ethnicity, 2024
- Integrate melanated bodycare concerns into hair removal routines
- Attitudes and behaviors towards hair removal
- Hair removal is a form of self-expression
- Position hair removal to complement creativity and individuality
- Connect hair removal to self-care routines
- Connect hair removal to self-care routines…
- Graph 28: consumers who find hair removal relaxing by gender and age, 2024
- …which can encourage trial and trading-up
- Graph 29: select trade-up and trial attitudes and behaviors by gender and age, 2024
- Gender-neutral marketing appeals to under 45s
- Graph 30: preference for gender-neutral hair removal products by age, 2024
- Graph 31: use of hair removal products marketed toward another gender by age and gender, 2024
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Appendix
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- Market size methodology
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast fan chart methodology
- Bases: hair removal detail
- Bases: hair removal detail (cont.)
- Bases: net hair removal detail
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