The haircare market is really taking off. As people become more aware of hair and scalp health—and as the stigma around hair loss and thinning fades—more consumers are learning about haircare, trying new ingredients, and buying products that fight dryness, signs of aging, and damage from GLP-1 drugs (which can cause thinning), among other issues. Brands are jumping in.
According to Euromonitor, the global haircare market is expected to grow 24% by 2030, reaching £129 billion. That’s faster than established beauty categories like makeup and fragrance, which are both growing in the double digits. This growth is driven by higher expectations for product performance, creating room in the market for more clinical ingredients packaged for a modern, savvy consumer.
The industry is getting ready for its most science-focused phase yet. In February, biotech beauty brand Goddess Maintenance Co. launched its Biotech Blowout shampoo and conditioner, featuring its Goddess Molecule. This technology claims to mimic the strength of spider silk by protecting hair from heat, pollution, and frizz, while also increasing hair strength by 173%. At the In-Cosmetics Global trade show in April, pharmaceutical companies showed an exciting future for haircare. Laboratoires Expanscience introduced Osmolya, a new active ingredient that helps hair and skin balance water solutes (electrolytes and salts) in any environment. Core Biogenesis launched Peaureva, a protein-based scalp active that targets hair thinning, scalp aging, tissue regeneration, and hair follicle activity.
Big conglomerates are also investing in haircare brands to secure their place in this growing market. In April, Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s haircare brand Anomaly was bought by Reliance Retail for an undisclosed amount. In March, German group Henkel acquired Olaplex in a $1.4 billion deal, as well as Not Your Mother’s for an undisclosed sum. Private equity firm Quadrivio Group also took full ownership of French haircare brand Les Secrets de Loly.
Overall, the haircare category stands out for its growth potential. In L’Oréal Group’s first-quarter 2026 earnings, haircare grew in the double digits, helped by its masstige brands L’Oréal Paris and Garnier, as well as the haircare lines of its dermatological beauty brands Vichy and Cerave.
Vichy is aiming to hit €1 billion in revenue by the end of the year. “Our main focus remains the growth of our haircare franchise, Dercos, which is seeing double-digit growth,” says Jamel Boutiba, global brand president for Vichy. The brand is betting on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June to help win over more men in the category. In April, the brand signed Portuguese soccer player and Paris Saint-Germain FC midfielder Vitinha as an ambassador for its Dercos dermatological haircare range.
At Unilever, haircare saw high-single-digit growth in Q1 2026, driven by Dove, whose Fibre Repair range grew in the double digits. According to the company, its other haircare brands Sunsilk, Clear, and K18 also had a strong start to the year.
However, at Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), haircare stayed flat in the third quarter of fiscal 2026. In the company’s Q2 results, haircare sales rose 5% to $812 million. ELC owns Aveda and Bumble and Bumble. Amanda Le Roux, SVP of Aveda International, says the factors driving growth in haircare are the combination of conscious consumption, premiumization, digital influence, and targeted innovation.
But to succeed in this category, brands need to be careful, says McKinsey partner Sara Hudson, because there’s a risk of market saturation. “Expanding too quickly into related categories or adding too many products can dilute brand identity and weaken hero products, especially in a market where consumers are looking for clear, results-driven solutions,” she says.
What’s in the bottle right now
Protein is the hot ingredient in haircare at the moment, reflecting the broader interest in protein and peptides across beauty.Wellness. In April, Nexxus launched its Keraphix Collection, which uses proteomics—the study of proteins—to strengthen hair strands, prevent breakage, improve elasticity, and support growth. According to the brand, proteins make up more than 90% of hair strands and can not only repair damage but also help prevent it.
Scalp health has become a major focus for haircare consumers. Brands predict that over the next year, we’ll see more use of PDRN analogues (from salmon sperm) for scalp repair and revitalizing hair follicles; collagen fragments to help with thinning, graying, and damaged hair follicles; amino acids to reduce breakage and boost moisture; polynucleotides (from salmon or trout DNA) to reduce inflammation and improve blood circulation; and microbiome-friendly ingredients that prevent dandruff and itchiness.
“Consumers want evidence and products that explain how they work, not just a list of active ingredients,” says Karlee Zhang, founder of beauty and wellness brand Hello Klean. She notes that research labs are already testing longevity-focused formulas for hair and scalp, such as senolytic peptides that remove dead cells, as well as NAD+ boosters and Wnt pathway activators that help regenerate hair follicles. “Brands that can target specific hair problems with precision will have something truly defensible,” Zhang adds.
Luke Hersheson, celebrity hairstylist and CEO of the London-based salon and haircare brand Hershesons, says consumers are responding to ingredients like peptides, rosemary oil, bond-repair technology, ceramides, and scalp-focused actives. But more importantly, it’s about how these ingredients are delivered through lightweight, non-greasy, multi-functional formulas.
Unilever, which owns haircare brands Dove, Tresemmé, Sunsilk, Nexxus, and Clear, is pushing its brands to explore scalp health with a focus on ingredients. In March 2024, Dove launched its Scalp + Hair Therapy range, co-created with dermatologists. It uses ingredients commonly found in skincare, like niacinamide, which boosts keratin production; peptides, which support hair growth; and zinc, which nourishes the scalp and strengthens hair from the root by maintaining oil glands. Similarly, in May 2025, Clear expanded into scalp dermatology with its Scalpceuticals range, designed to go beyond cleansing and actively improve scalp health, creating the ideal foundation for stronger, more vibrant hair.
Typebea. Photo: Courtesy of Typebea.
The haircare category has also benefited from the rise of GLP-1s, which have been linked to hair shedding and loss. Brands have seized this opportunity to address the issue. Traditionally, these concerns came from older consumers, but the audience has now broadened. “It’s brought a whole new group of consumers into the category who now take scalp serums or growth-supporting routines seriously,” says Anna Lahey, founder of haircare brand Typebea.
GLP-1s have shifted how consumers think about hair loss—seeing it as a sign of a bigger health issue rather than just a cosmetic problem. This opens up an opportunity for brands to enter the market. “GLP-1s have definitely put hair loss and shedding at the forefront of the haircare industry right now,” says Leila Asfour, president of the British Hair and Nail Society and consultant dermatologist at Montrose London.
Haircare as a ritual
Consumer hair routines are evolving from purely functional steps that address needs like dryness or volume into more expressive, flexible, and wellness-focused rituals. “We’re seeing a shift, especially among Gen Z, toward what we call ‘hair play’—where hair becomes part of everyday self-expression, much like makeup already is on social media. While makeup touch-ups are all over social media, hair touch-ups throughout the day have historically been less discussed, creating a clear opportunity for innovation,” says Jason Harcup, chief research and development officer for beauty and well-being at Unilever.
Hair mists haIt has become a key product in the wellness-focused haircare market. This month, Valentino Beauty launched hair and body mists, and in April, Bella Hadid’s Orebella introduced hair perfume mists. Other brands entering this space include Chanel, Dior, and Mane. In January, Sunsilk launched Wondermist, a hybrid hair mist that combines fragrance, haircare, and emotional wellness in a portable format. It uses EmotiWaves, a fragrance technology developed by Unilever, which is neuroscientifically proven to evoke feelings like joy, confidence, and self-esteem. The mood-boosting scent is designed to last up to 100 hours. “It’s a strong example of how the category can expand into new areas that seamlessly blend the desire for beauty with on-demand well-being benefits,” says Harcup.
Valentino Beauty hair and body mist. Photo: Courtesy of Valentino Beauty.
“Our broader strategy is to evolve from a traditional haircare company into a more comprehensive leader in hair health and wellness,” he continues. “We’re investing in new formats, advanced formulas, and science-backed solutions that meet consumers’ growing expectations for effectiveness, personalization, and holistic care.”
Kuldeep Knox, founder of the Ayurvedic haircare brand Champo, says there’s growing consumer interest in neuroscience-backed and emotionally driven formulas that support stress reduction, mood enhancement, and overall well-being through fragrance and ritual-based experiences. Consumers increasingly see hair and scalp health as visible signs of overall wellness. Since launching in 2019, the brand has sold over two million products. According to the brand, its Pitta Growth Serum sells every 15 seconds, targeting hair loss, shedding, and scalp health with ingredients like caffeine and creatine.
Consumer Savvy
Brands are moving away from packing ten ingredients into one bottle and are now targeting specific hair problems individually, much like skincare. In addition to addressing specific hair concerns—something shampoos have done for decades—sustainable beauty brand Davines caters to specific hair tones, such as dark brown or copper, to offer more personalized haircare. Each bottle label explains what regenerative extracts are in the products, like apricot, black chickpea, buckwheat, and green coffee, so consumers can understand the benefits of natural ingredients.
McKinsey’s Hudson says that trust and proof are becoming more important sources of competitive advantage as consumers grow more aware of ingredients and scientific claims.
The demographic driving the push for ingredient transparency is Gen Z. At British department store John Lewis, Gen Z are the main drivers of ingredient-conscious products. “They’re a digital-savvy generation that has all the information at their fingertips and is hungry for it,” says Helen Spencer, John Lewis’s director of beauty. Science-backed brands like Living Proof and Olaplex—each with their own research labs and patented formulas—are top performers, along with plant-based haircare brand Aveda. These three brands are marketed for their high performance and effectiveness, but are packaged in a simple, almost pharmaceutical-like aesthetic. In the UK, the fastest growth in haircare is coming from Gen Z and younger millennials, according to a Circana report, with hair treatments, styling, and scalp care standing out. “For Gen Z, haircare is as much about wellness and self-expression as it is about performance,” says Aveda’s Le Roux.
Beth Eyre, buying manager for multi-brand beauty retailer Lookfantastic, notes that Gen Z shops differently when it comes to hair because their perception of value is based on product proof. “They buy less, but see value in proven products. They do plenty of research before buying and will trade up to more expensive products and brands where they see value. They also tend to spend more on full routines,” says Eyre.Investors are optimistic about the future of the haircare category. “We’re going to see a lot of new haircare brands entering the market, and I think they’ll have a better success rate than color cosmetics—it’s a more interesting space,” says Ilya Seglin, managing director at investment bank Cascadia Capital.
Kathleen Pierce, president of Dyson Beauty, says the company has invested over £500 million in the beauty category. In August 2024, Dyson launched haircare products with styling formulas and has since introduced treatments and oils. “Our styling formulas are designed to work with our devices,” Pierce explains.
The rise of K-beauty
With the resurgence of K-beauty, beauty retailers are stepping up their efforts to capture more of the haircare market. K-beauty has become a major player because it combines consumers’ desire for effective, science-backed products.
At John Lewis, the department store is meeting this demand by partnering with Skin Cupid, a UK retailer specializing in Korean and Japanese beauty. They now stock haircare brands like Manyo, Treecell, Medicube, and Unove—Korea’s top premium haircare brand, known for the “glass hair” trend. “Customers are looking for hair restoration and thickening treatments. There are many new scalp-focused products coming from Korea,” says Spencer.
In February, Sephora became the first retailer to carry Unove and has since pushed to establish itself as a K-beauty retailer in the West, adding brands like Dr. Groot, A’pieu, and Mise En Scène. However, the retailer is still taking small steps in K-beauty and haircare. “We still need to educate customers more, to move them beyond shampoo and conditioner and into a more advanced routine, like K-beauty,” says Agnès Brissiaud, Sephora’s global VP of fragrance and haircare. She adds that customer retention is a challenge in this category. Sephora has been gradually introducing customers to haircare through online hair quizzes and occasional new brand launches. In the future, the retailer hopes to offer hair consultations in its stores.
Brands need all the support they can get in the competitive haircare market. In South Korea, most beauty retailers have consultants available for face and hair scans. Skin lab Space Dosan lets customers try devices in-store, while Molock, a scalp and hair care clinic, offers services like deep hair cleansing, microneedling for hair growth, and microscopic scalp analysis.
“Haircare will soon have as many service options as other categories,” says Spencer. “It’s an evolving market right now, and we’re working on something exciting that will launch soon.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about whether haircare is about to become a big deal written in a natural conversational tone
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What do you mean haircare is about to become a big deal
It means the haircare industry is moving beyond just basic shampoos and conditioners Were seeing a boom in specialized products professionalgrade treatments at home and a focus on hair health similar to how we treat skincare Think of it as skincare for your scalp and strands
2 Why is this happening now
A few reasons people are more educated about ingredients social media makes trends spread fast and were all paying more attention to selfcare after years of athome hair experiments Plus brands are finally making products that actually work for different hair types
3 Is this just a fad or is it here to stay
It looks like its here to stay Unlike a onehitwonder product this is a shift in how we think about hairas a health issue not just a beauty one The demand for personalized effective solutions isnt going away
4 Do I really need to spend more money on haircare now
Not necessarily You dont have to buy everything The big deal is about being smarter not just spending more For example adding one good scalp serum or a better conditioner can make a huge difference without overhauling your entire routine
Intermediate Advanced Questions
5 What is skinification of hair and how does it change my routine
It means treating your scalp like the skin on your face You now have scalp exfoliants serums and toners Instead of just washing your hair youre balancing your scalps microbiome and moisture levels A practical tip start with a scalp scrub once a week to remove buildup
6 Are drugstore brands being left behind in this trend
Not at all Many drugstore brands are launching prestige lines with advanced ingredients at a lower price point The big change is that the technology is trickling down faster than ever so you dont have to go highend to get hightech