How Important Is Clean Beauty to Gen-Z in 2022

As Gen-Zers enter teen and young adult years, it’s clear to see that this segment of beauty consumers will have a significant impact on the trajectory of clean beauty products.

With an outspoken commitment to freedom of expression and social causes, these influential consumers are driving beauty trends and forcing brands — both large and small — to reconsider their strategic approach across just about every area of operations.

1. A YPulse report found that clean beauty is the number one beauty trend that Gen-Zers are obsessing over.
2. According to Statista, approximately 46 percent of percent of surveyed participants belonging to Generation Z are interested in trying clean beauty.
3. More than half said they are more likely to buy skincare products with the word “clean” in the product’s messaging.
4. Shelly Haus, CMO for Ulta Beauty says that brands are increasingly crafting their narrative around more than just beauty. She says, “Vegan, cruelty-free, [sustainable] packaging and social impact are areas where we see brands more and more focused.”

With this new generation showing so much interest in clean beauty products, the beauty industry is likely to see exponential growth in the years to come. In fact, research indicates that the global clean beauty market could reach $22B by 2024. And a CAGR of 12.07% is adding even more good news for industry stakeholders as brands work to secure additional funding.

To capitalize on this burgeoning segment of the market, brands scramble to understand, connect and attract, and ultimately become the brand of choice for them.

Of course, understanding begins with tapping into customer insights, self-care trends, and market analysis. You need to be able to size the clean beauty market and identify growth potential.

But to truly set yourself apart in this competitive landscape, you must also:

1. Take a deeper dive into the psyche of your target customer to uncover the infinite factors that drive each purchase decision
2. Predict upcoming trends before your competitors do

These are the sorts of insights you get with Helio.

What Gen Z Beauty Customers Want from Their Clean Beauty Products

Gen-Zers see clean beauty products as more than just skincare. They see these products as a way to empower themselves. Clean products represent a way for Gen-Zers to positively impact the environment and their own health.

Slow Beauty

Slow beauty bucks more traditional beauty methods that focus on quick fixes and instant results. Gen-Z consumers want more than just skincare. They pride themselves on being informed about the science behind the products they buy and focus on holistic well-being that ultimately shines through in natural looking beauty.

Skinimalism

Another shift from the traditional beauty approach leaves behind a cumbersome multi-step skincare routine. Skinimalism is a trend where consumers shed a complicated and sometimes irritating skincare system for a simpler option that includes products that multitask and, as a result, are also more attractive to Gen-Zers from a sustainability perspective.

A Vehicle for Self-Expression

Today’s younger generation places importance on inclusivity, acceptance, and a fluid approach to identity. Accordingly, research indicates that for Gen Z beauty is not necessarily the priority. The focus instead is often on self-expression.

Young people today don't necessarily use makeup the same way everyday. They’re becoming more experimental and showcasing different elements of their personality, identity, and feelings.

Educational Information on Social Media

This generation is constantly looking for educational how-to videos and tutorials. This kind of content is often the first touch point for e-commerce and in-store customers.

TikTok saw a 164% increase in sponsored beauty posts and 481% increase in engagement over the last year. So it’s no surprise that TikTok videos can commonly get thousands of views in a matter of minutes.

For personal care brands trying to capture market share in this space, it’s critically important to note that after viewing these videos, customers are often inspired to comment and voice honest reviews and reactions to brands, products, and messaging.

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Innovative CPG competitive intelligence platforms are providing CPG leaders with actionable insights through the analysis of customer reviews, website traffic, social media engagement, and more. By integrating the universe of current digital, social, online, and offline sales performance data, platforms like Helio automatically synthesize data on 1.5M+ consumer brands from 200+ data sources, the broadest set in the CPG space.

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