Circana: Online, social commerce driving beauty sales
Beauty sales are on the rise — particularly in two channels.
Online and social shopping continue to capture a large share of beauty sales, according to new data from Circana. In the prestige market, online sales outperformed brick‑and‑mortar across all major categories in the first quarter, with skincare delivering the most notable inflection point, with e‑commerce now accounting for nearly half of prestige dollars and the majority of units sold.
Social commerce is further accelerating this shift, with beauty emerging as the dominant category on TikTok Shop in 2026. Fueled by live shopping events and promotional moments, beauty and personal care led all categories in the first quarter, according to Circana’s data, capturing 20% of TikTok Shop dollar spending. Launched in late 2023, TikTok Shop already represents 10% of total beauty e‑commerce sales.
“Digital and social platforms are no longer just a testing ground for emerging brands; they are full‑scale commerce engines,” said Larissa Jensen, global beauty industry advisor at Circana. “For both established players and smaller brands, success increasingly hinges on how effectively digital and social plans are embedded into marketing and product strategies. Rather than optional or additive, these platforms must be foundational to how brands build relevance, drive demand, and scale growth.”
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Prestige beauty dollar sales grew by 6% to $8.1 billion in the first quarter of 2026, compared to the same period last year, as mass retail sales rose by 7% to $18.1 billion. Circana noted that unit demand followed the positive trend line, with units sold in both prestige and mass retail posting growth in the low single digits.
“Mass and prestige beauty are growing at nearly the same rate for the first time in five years,” said Jensen. “Fragrance, facial skincare, hair treatments, and personal care products like body lotion and wash continue to benefit from consumers prioritizing self-care, elevated routines, and wellness driven products. We expect these areas to remain strong this year, as shoppers continue to shop across channels, seeking affordable yet high performing beauty products that feel good and work well.”
Additional beauty insights from Circana include the following:
•Makeup was the softest-performing category in the first quarter of 2026 across both prestige and mass, with modest dollar growth offset by declining unit demand – particularly in mass. Lip treatments and lip liner stood out as top performers in both channels, delivering growth in both dollars and units, while blush and bronzer also posted solid gains.
•In prestige, haircare was the fastest-growing category by dollars and a top unit driver (second only to skincare), fueled by continued strength in treatments. In mass retail, value-seeking behavior drove double-digit growth in shampoo and conditioner combo packs.
•Skincare remained a steady growth engine to start the year, with prestige gains led by facial care. In addition, clinical brands captured over one-third of dollar sales, reinforcing the importance of “science-backed” positioning. Skincare also showed broad-based strength at mass retail, with nearly all face and body segments growing in both dollars and units.
•Fragrance was among the strongest performers overall, with gains across both channels: in mass, growth was driven by double-digit increases in women’s fragrances, while in prestige, higher-value formats, luxury offerings, and continued momentum in minis (also growing double digits) underscored both trade-up and trial-driven behaviors, according to Circana.
