Teen Beauty is Soaring, But Don’t Underestimate the Risk

Featured in Cosmetics Business

Jane Fulcher, Head of Content at Greenpark Digital

Written byJane FulcherEMEA | Head of Content, EMEA & US

Jane has more than 15 year’s experience in branded content, transforming brands into multi-channel publishers. As an experienced journalist, editor and content strategist, Jane has worked across omnichannel and 360 content campaigns for brands like Burberry, Roll-Royce, Knight Frank, Marks & Spencers and John Lewis.

Cosmetics Business explores the appetite for beauty among younger consumers as it’s predicted to only increase in the coming years. But should brands be taking a bet on this ephemeral generation?

The teen beauty market has risen to become one of the most sought-after demographics from beauty brands and retailers alike. Gen Z alone contributed £2.3bn to the UK beauty category in 2024, with sales from under-24s increasing by 17% that year, according to market analysis company Kantar.

Burgeoning Gen Alpha is also proving itself as no less hungry for cosmetics and skin care. Some 53% of US 12-14-year-olds who use social media state they are interested in interacting with beauty products virtually, marketing and analysis firm Brito Pian reported.

And spurred on by darling brands such as Indu, e.l.f. beauty and more recent entrants like Revolution Beauty, this segment is only poised for further growth.

The teen personal care product market size is estimated to grow by US$11.86bn between 2025 and 2029, a report by market research firm Technavio stated. These figures offer a compelling reason to invest in the lucrative space.

But the ‘Sephora Kids’ drama from 2024, a crackdown on teen product usage and a generation far more fickle than others such as millennials paint a more unstable picture.

Here is what businesses need to know about the teen beauty market in 2025, as well as the risks of targeting an inherently ephemeral consumer.

Jane Fulcher, Head of Content EMEA & US, shares insight into the teen beauty market and how beauty brands can navigate this new, growing customer segment.

“The reality is that teens in all likelihood want to buy beauty products they think are cool. It will be interesting to see whether tween-focused lines will appeal to teenagers, or it they want the experience of being able to spend a larger amount of money on their skin care range. I think it comes down to what is fashionable, and that doesn’t usually interact with what is targeted specifically to that generation lot of the time.”

Continue reading at Cosmetics Business.