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The UK hair product market is expanding, and will continue to do so in the coming years. In 2021 the total retail value was £1.6 billion with shampoo leading sales, followed by colourants, conditioners and treatments, and styling.
The market development is currently following three major trends: hair and scalp health, inclusive products, and emotional connection.
1 – Hair and scalp health
Since UK consumers’ beauty routine takes an increased interest in hair and scalp health -also due to hair loss experienced after Covid-19 infection- scalp-focused launches have increased exponentially.
Scalp-led brands such as Head & Shoulders especially benefited from this trend, gaining share while a plethora of niche brands were launched.
As consumers build stronger hair care routines, applying treatments and masks more frequently, hair care has adopted skincare’s super ingredients like Vitamin C, peptides, and hyaluronic acid.
Dove launched its Hair Therapy with products inspired by skin care and including scalp treatments and serum conditioners.
Ayurveda and holistic hair care products are a huge sector of interest, too, with 5% of consumers opting for hair treatment products enriched with traditional or medical ingredients.
2 – Inclusive products
Since many UK consumers are abandoning stereotypical beauty standards to proudly embrace their natural style, new hair care products have been launched to specifically cater for:
- Grey and curly hair – with Andie MacDowell and Jodie Foster debuting natural grey hair on the red carpet in Cannes, and the prolonged “curly girl” trend on TikTok, brands have started catering to these specific hair types. Kérastase launched a curly range in May 2021, while Olaplex launched a toning shampoo for blonde and grey hair in September 2021.
- Ethnic hair – the increasing number of ethnic shoppers has made ethnic-specific beauty products commercially viable, allowing them to leave the niche to enter the mainstream. Ethnic hair care brands Gisou and Bread, founded in 2020-21, are now available at Sephora.
- Menopausal hair – thinning hair and scalp dryness are common issues among menopausal women: Pantene launched its Hair Biology Menopause range in May 2021, to cater specifically to aging consumers.
3 – Emotional connection
Since the pandemic’s onset, consumers’ stress levels have raised a lot, pushing them to create daily rituals aimed at relieving stress and promoting well-being. This has led to a growing demand for hair care products combining performance with positive emotional effects. The development of mood-enhancing, uplifting fragrances and added sensorial elements is expected to play a key role in hair care growth next years.
Want to make the best out of these rising hair care trends? Ask us for help: we will be happy to assist you in creating the ideal product for UK consumers!
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