CHICAGO – Circana today reported that the U.S. beauty category maintained strong momentum through the first half of 2026, with growth driven by consumer demand for fragrance, skin care, and self-care focused products.
Prestige retail beauty sales increased 7% to $17.1 billion in the year through June, Circana said. Sales via mass retailers also increased 7%, to $39.2 billion.
Unit demand remained positive on both sides of the business, the firm said, underscoring the resilience of beauty spending despite ongoing consumer selectivity.
"Beauty continues to benefit from consumers' willingness to shop across price tiers, selectively investing in products that deliver the strongest emotional and functional value," according to Larissa Jensen, Circana's global beauty industry advisor. "Fragrance remains a key avenue for affordable luxury and self-expression, while skin care is benefiting from consumers' growing focus on whole body wellness, preventative treatments, and daily rituals."
Fragrance remained one of the strongest-performing beauty categories overall in the first half. In prestige retail, dollar sales grew 6%, driven primarily by premiumization rather than an increase in purchases, with average prices rising 5%. Unit sales remained flat. Consumers continued to trade up into higher-concentration formats, with eau de parfum (EDP) and perfume posting double-digit growth. Luxury fragrance also remained a bright spot, with both dollar and unit sales increasing, fueled largely by women's fragrance purchases.
In the mass retail market, fragrance was the fastest-growing beauty category, with sales increasing 15% and units rising 7%, driven by increased consumer demand and higher pricing.
Skin care shines
Skin care was the fastest-growing category in prestige beauty, with sales increasing 9% and units up double-digits. Prestige retail growth was broad-based, led by body care and sun care. Body care sales rose 16% while sun care increased 19% as consumers continued to prioritize preventative skin care.
In the mass channel, skin care outperformed the market overall. Each skin care segment – from facial products to hand and body lotion and sun screens – experienced both dollar and unit sales gains.
The makeup category delivered a more moderate performance, with pockets of strength in the prestige and mass channels. In prestige, makeup sales increased 3% even as unit demand softened. Face makeup outperformed the category, with bronzer and blush posting double-digit gains. Lip liner continued its strong momentum as the fastest-growing segment in makeup.
In mass, makeup sales increased 5% and units declined. Growth was concentrated in trend-driven products that are also selling well in prestige, such as lip liner, blush, bronzer, and makeup combos. These results highlight consumers' continued interest in affordable experimentation and category innovation.
Value is key to hair care sales
Prestige hair care was among the fastest-growing beauty categories in the first half of 2026, with sales increasing 11% and units up 8%. Hair treatments remained the primary growth driver in prestige retail, led by exceptional growth in hair serums, which increased nearly 60%.
Masks, oils, leave-in treatments, and scalp-focused products also delivered healthy gains as consumers continued to prioritize hair health and repair-focused regimens.
In the mass channel, hair sales rose 7% on a dollar basis despite a dip in unit sales as consumers sought value-focused solutions. Shampoo and conditioner combo packs remained especially strong, generating double-digit growth in both dollars and units.
“Looking ahead, beauty industry growth will continue to be shaped by strong consumer engagement in key segments alongside the ongoing evolution of how consumers shop,” according to Jensen. “As e-commerce and social platforms play a larger role in discovery and purchase, brands that create seamless paths from inspiration to transaction will be best positioned to capture future growth.”
