Hair Consumer Insights

Trend - Hair brands are designing products formulated to avoid ingredients that may trigger or worsen acne, especially on the scalp, forehead, or areas where hair touches the skin. These products typically avoid comedogenic ingredients like oils, silicones, or fragrances that can contribute to breakouts.

Insight - Acne-prone individuals often search for products that do not negate their skincare routines, allowing them to maintain clear skin while also addressing their personal care needs. In response, haircare brands are recognizing the impact their products can have on skin health and are increasingly developing formulas to avoid irritating acne-prone skin. By understanding a product's benefits and potential drawbacks, brands can make informed development decisions that prevent losing certain customers.

Trend - Brands are introducing hair collections specifically made for styles such as braids, twists, locs, and wigs. These products, designed to manage frizz, cleanse the scalp from dirt, and maintain hair health, help consumers achieve thriving hair while allowing them to sport protective options.

Insight - A vast majority of the products in the hair aisle cater to the management of natural hairstyles, but consumers often struggle to find solutions that work with protective styles. In response, companies are introducing specialized ranges for consumers looking to reduce common issues related to the upkeep of these styles, including washes and treatments. Businesses that align with this demand can position themselves as go-to destinations for consumers who feel underserved by mainstream haircare.

Trend - Haircare brands are launching multi-functional heat styling tools that combine blow-drying capabilities with straightening, curling, or styling features. These all-in-one devices aim to streamline the hair styling process while reducing overall heat exposure.

Insight - Time-pressed consumers are increasingly seeking efficient solutions that help them maintain their personal care routines without compromising on results. This drive for efficiency extends beyond just saving time – it also reflects a growing awareness of the damaging effects of repeated heat styling and a desire to minimize exposure to high temperatures. By combining multiple functions into single devices, brands are appealing to consumers who want to simplify their routines while still achieving salon-quality results at home.

Trend - Hair care brands are launching peptide-based serums and treatments that leverage amino acid technology traditionally found in skincare. These products promise enhanced hair health through molecular-level nourishment, targeting concerns like growth, strength, and damage repair.

Insight - Contemporary consumers are increasingly interested in understanding the science behind their beauty products, driven by education through social platforms like TikTok's beauty communities. This growing sophistication has led to a demand for products that offer more than surface-level solutions. As consumers become more knowledgeable about ingredients and cellular processes, they're seeking out treatments that work at a molecular level, reflecting a broader shift toward viewing beauty through a scientific lens rather than purely cosmetic one.

Trend - Personal care brands are creating leave-in hair treatments designed to detangle, protect, and vitalize hair. The key ingredient is soy protein which has been shown to produce more resilient and healthy hair, resulting in fewer split ends or breakages, particularly for consumers with longer, thicker hair.

Insight - The ever-growing popularity of the self-care and haircare industries has led to products becoming refined and mature, with consumers becoming intimately knowledgeable of commonly-used ingredients and their specific effects, whether in general or to their specific bodies. The sophistication of the industry leads consumers to opt for more organic ingredients with proven positive benefits. Brands are recognizing these desires and are turning to natural inclusions such as soy protein.

Trend - Cosmetics brands are creating haircare products with microbiome-supporting formulas. By including probiotics, prebiotics, and stem-cell supporting ingredients, these products are designed to provide both a balanced pH level and a natural protective barrier for the scalp.

Insight - Health and beauty consumers, particularly from younger generations, are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of preventative care. This leads to practices such as wearing sunscreen, moisturizing, and using organic products, to get ahead of skin imperfections. This has led to these consumers recognizing the importance of scalp care in terms of healthy hair development. Brands are addressing the needs of these groups with scalp microbiome-supporting care products.

Trend - Haircare brands are creating helmet and hat-style caps with built-in light therapy to stimulate hair growth. Often incorporating red light to speed up cell division, these caps claim to help hair grow thicker and healthier while also preventing hair loss.

Insight - Consumers with thinning, balding, or damaged hair often seek products that help to improve the health of their scalp without the use of harsher treatments and medications. In response, hair care brands are experimenting with light therapy to deliver targeted scalp treatments that are less invasive and safer than traditional hair transplant procedures. Businesses that cater to the demand for non-invasive products can appeal to consumers who desire tech-based solutions in the personal care space.

Trend - Beauty brands are encouraging self-expression through diverse hairstyles in new marketing campaigns. With a primary focus on textured hair, these campaigns challenge beauty standards and champion cultural roots and individuality. These campaigns leverage authenticity to capture new audiences.

Insight - Beauty brands often struggle with expansion beyond their established target audiences, with many only being popular among certain demographics or regions. However, despite offering products catering to diverse audiences, brand engagement does not always expand quickly, leading to these brands seeking partnerships with agencies or adjacent companies to launch campaigns. By targeting and authentically connecting with the target demographic, these brands can gain the trust of new consumers.

Trend - Hair makeup refers to products or techniques used to enhance or alter the appearance of hair without making permanent changes. These products often include concealers, powders, and temporary colors that help consumers give their hair an elevated look.

Insight - As a result of the pandemic, Millennial consumers are embracing vintage trends to evoke nostalgia and find solace in the familiar comforts of the past. Hair cosmetics, crafted with a nod to 90s trends, cater to a consumer desire for familiarity, customization, and reconnection with the elements of youth. Brands that cater to this demand can create a strong emotional connection with nostalgia-driven consumers, translating into brand loyalty over time.

Trend - With minimalism in skincare being popular in reaction to the several-step routines that were overwhelming or inacessible to many consumers, brands in the hair care industry are following suit. Minimal ingredients and products in lines are on the rise as brands look to prioritize simple yet effective routines.

Insight - With the vast range of choices that consumers have in the personal care space, many find themselves overwhelmed with their options. Minimalist personal care routines are becoming more popular among low-maintenance consumers who want to maintain their health and beauty without it taking up too much time in their routines.