Skinification is rapidly spreading across beauty and personal care. Skin care’s global boom in 2021 turned to a decline in constant and current terms in 2022. However, this deceleration does not capture the benefits and claims being carried over from skin care to the wider beauty industry. Euromonitor International explores the US consumer interest in skinification supported by self-care trends, highlighting future opportunities for players.
Skinification was solidified during the pandemic when consumers invested time and money in skin care routines
Skinification is the incorporation of ingredients, trends, benefits, and claims originating from facial skin care across the wider beauty and personal care industry.
As consumers spent greater time researching products online, ingredient-led searches helped them find specific actives to treat or prevent skin concerns, leading to a more personalised and efficacious skin care routine. Since then, ingredients traditionally found in facial skin care, such as hyaluronic acid, collagen, and prebiotics, have started proliferating in colour cosmetics, sun care, and hair care, even reaching personal care more recently, including deodorants, oral care, and bath and shower.
Growing self-care and wellness behaviour encourages skinification in hair care
Much like demand increased for skin care considerations including ingredient formulation, natural or organic, dermatologist tested, and multifunctional over 2019-2022, those benefits have started rising in hair care. Survey findings reveal a clear desire of skinified hair care features among US respondents, with top desires including hydrating/moisturising (25%) and hair health (23%).
US consumers increasingly expect colour cosmetics to not only provide aesthetic benefits but also treat skin concerns and improve skin health
Top claims in skin care, such as hydrating/moisturising, are increasingly desired in colour cosmetics, with even skin tone seeing the highest growth by far in US responses in 2022. The industry is responding to new priorities in make-up, with the number of product SKUs globally tagged as offering skin health increasing by 11% between March 2021 and 2022.
The rise of skinification coincides with the democratisation of educational content on social media apps, especially TikTok
Beauty consumers, especially Gen Z, are increasingly being influenced by TikTok, whether it be directly searching for products on the platform or through organic content on their feed.
Content on TikTok has pushed skinimalism or the idea of “status skin”, prompting the adoption of “your skin but better” products
The Youthforia brand speaks directly to this phenomenon, having gone viral on TikTok for its colour-changing BYO Blush oil, by promoting all its products as “makeup you can sleep in”.
With TikTok becoming a hub for users to share or investigate beauty experiences and reviews in real time, the platform is quickly gaining traction among younger consumers. Gen Z over indexes in terms of influencer-inspired TikTok purchases, while millennials over index with company/brand advertisements and overall purchasing behaviour on TikTok. 
Source: Euromonitor International x Spate: TikTok: The Impact of Skinification
As inflation and rising costs of living pressure US consumers in 2023, skinification could become a key tool in value creation strategies
Euromonitor International found that a higher number of US respondents searched for multifunctional attributes in sun care, skin care, and colour cosmetics in 2022 than in 2021 - a trend expected to continue into 2023, since pricing sensitivity is likely to remain a major concern.
Colour cosmetics can expect new product development focusing on the in-between space of skin care and colour cosmetics
Examples include beauty or miracle balms (Danessa Myricks Beauty), serum formats (Rose Inc.), tinted lip oils or serums (Merit), and complexion drops (Dr. Jart+), which emphasise their ability to nourish, enhance, soothe, illuminate, or protect one’s skin.
Similar potential exists for personal care players looking to support premiumisation and specific value efforts. Deodorants saw skinified innovation in 2022, with Nécessaire’s roll-on gel (5% AHA and niacinamide) tackling hyperpigmentation concerns in addition to odour and perspiration control. Other categories ripe for disruption include depilatories and baby care, where multifunctionality and skinification will be important considerations for players looking to support higher price points, potentially making consumers feel like they are getting more for their money.
Future Outlook: Skinification to accelerate, driven by consumer prioritisation of skin health
The next level of skinification in beauty is likely to see a widening of advanced benefits that focus on protecting, enhancing, or restoring the skin, which could focus on combating environmental aggressors or tackling anti-pollution claims. Hybrid products, such as Youthforia’s Pregame Setting Spray, a moisturising serum setting spray which claims to prevent pollutants from infiltrating one’s skin, will resonate with consumers searching for multipurpose and benefit-focused beauty products aligning with the skin positivity movement.
Download our full report in collaboration with Spate for a deep dive into The Impact of Skinification on TikTok.