Cultural definitions of beauty are in flux
Vypr Emerging Trends February 2026 report reveals significant shifts in beauty consumer behaviour.
Daily-use beauty products are now perceived as essential rather than discretionary, with consumers prioritising recommendations and competitive pricing over brand loyalty.
This comprehensive analysis, based on nationally representative UK data, explores behavioural changes across beauty, cosmetics, wellness and health sectors.
Our report reveals what really matters to consumers today, with fresh data across three core sectors:
- Beauty
- Cosmetics
- Wellness and Health
What you’ll learn:
Daily-use beauty products are perceived as a necessity, with skincare (58%), haircare (47%) and fragrance (42%) seen as essential rather than discretionary spend.
Recommendation and price are the primary reasons consumers switch brands, with word-of-mouth (34%) and cheaper alternatives (32%) outweighing loyalty in beauty purchasing decisions.
Ethical and natural cues carry the strongest on-pack influence, led by ‘no animal testing’ (49%) and followed by ‘organic ingredients’ and ‘sustainable’ (both 28%).
AI acceptance remains cautious and generationally split, with younger and mid-age consumers mostly ‘somewhat comfortable’, while over-65s show clear resistance (35%
‘very uncomfortable’).
Social media lacks deep trust as a commerce channel, with only 3% completely trusting it for beauty purchases and nearly one in five actively distrusting it (18%).
Whether you develop products, shape experiences, or guide innovation, this report gives you the insight you need to stay relevant and move faster.
Download the 'Emerging Trends' February 2026 report.
