This article was written by Millie Kendall, CEO of the British Beauty Council.
For years, when we have talked about the power of the British beauty industry, we have rightly focused on the heavy-hitting economics.
We have shouted from the rooftops about our industry's £28.3bn GDP contribution in 2025, the 595,000 livelihoods we support and the nearly £9bn we generate for the Exchequer.
These numbers are staggering, vital and undeniable, but numbers alone do not tell the whole story, which is why our latest Impact of Beauty report, produced with Oxford Economics and supported by beauty giant L'Oréal Groupe, is so groundbreaking.
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It looks beyond standard metrics to quantify what beauty enables: personal wellbeing, human connection and the vibrant survival of our local high streets.
What the data confirms is something everyone in our sector has always known in their gut: beauty and personal care are not trivial luxuries.
They are absolute necessities integrated into the fabric of British daily life.
Impact of Beauty report 2026: How UK beauty is a daily anchor for confidence and resilience
When times are tough, there is a lazy assumption that consumers view beauty as an easy cutback, but the data tells a completely different story.
Only 7% of British consumers view personal care as purely a treat, our report found.
In fact, households prioritise their beauty and grooming spend ahead of gym memberships, streaming services and eating out.
The average adult spends 13 minutes every single day on their personal care routine.
Why? Because beauty acts as a powerful, daily anchor for mental health and resilience.
Beauty and personal care are not trivial luxuries. They are absolute necessities integrated into the fabric of British daily life.
Three quarters of regular beauty users say their routine has a direct, positive effect on how they feel about themselves.
Nearly half of people tell us that personal care helps them feel more
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