CHICAGO, IL, Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. beauty industry maintained strong momentum through the first half of 2026, with growth driven by consumer demand for fragrance, skincare, and self-care focused products. Prestige retail beauty sales increased by +7%, to $17.1 billion, during the first six months of the year, while mass retail sales also rose +7%, to $39.2 billion, according to Circana LLC. Unit demand remained positive on both sides of the business, 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," said Larissa Jensen, global beauty industry advisor at Circana. "Fragrance remains a key avenue for affordable luxury and self-expression, while skincare 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 of 2026. In prestige retail, dollar sales grew +6%, driven primarily by premiumization rather than an increase in purchases, with average prices rising +5% while 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%. In this case, growth was driven by both increased consumer demand and higher pricing, underscoring fragrance's broad appeal.
Skincare was the fastest-growing category in prestige beauty during the first half, with sales increasing +9% and units up double-digits. Prestige retail growth was broad-based across skincare, led by body care and sun care. Body care sales rose +16%, supported by strong gains in body cleansers, body lotions, and deodorants, while sun care increased +19% as consumers continued to prioritize preventative skincare. Core facial skincare routines are driving overall category health – face cream, facial cleanser, and eye treatment all posted solid growth, demonstrating ongoing consumer investment in daily treatment and maintenance regimens.
Skincare’s upward trend also played out in the mass retail side of the business, as skincare outperformed the mass beauty market overall. All the core skincare segments from facial products to hand and body lotion and sunscreen products experienced both dollar and unit sales gains.
The makeup category delivered a more moderate performance compared to fragrance and skincare, but both prestige and mass channels continued to see pockets of strength. In prestige retail, makeup sales increased +3%, even as unit demand softened slightly. Face makeup outperformed the broader category, with bronzer and blush posting double-digit gains, while lip liner continued its strong momentum as the fastest-growing segment in makeup.
In mass retail, makeup sales increased +5%, though units declined. Growth was concentrated in trend-driven products that are also selling well in prestige, such as lip liner, blush, bronzer, and makeup combo products. These results highlight consumers' continued interest in affordable experimentation and category innovation.
Prestige hair care was among the fastest-growing beauty categories in the first half of 2026, with sales increasing +11% and units growing +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.
Hair care experienced softer results in the mass retail market. Dollar sales increased +7% and unit sales dipped, driven in part by consumers seeking 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,” said 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.”
About Circana
Circana is a leader in providing technology, AI, and data to fast-moving consumer packaged goods companies, durables manufacturers, and retailers seeking to optimize their businesses. Circana’s predictive analytics and technology empower clients to measure their market share, understand the underlying consumer behavior driving it, and accelerate their growth. Circana’s Liquid Data® technology platform is powered by an expansive, high-quality data set, and intelligent algorithms trained on six decades of domain expertise. With Circana, clients can take immediate action to future-proof and evolve their growth strategies amid an increasingly complex, fast-paced, and ever-changing economy.
Marissa Guyduy Circana +1 312-731-1782 marissa.guyduy@circana.com
