Fragrance grows the fastest, becoming the second-largest prestige beauty category for the first time

CHICAGO, February 12, 2025 – U.S. prestige beauty industry dollar sales grew by 7%, year over year, to reach $33.9 billion in 2024, according to Circana, a leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior. In comparison, mass market beauty sales experienced a year over year dollar increase of 3%.

Fragrance was the fastest-growing category in 2024 based on both dollar sales, up 12%, and units sold, also up double digits, in the prestige market – and in the mass market it was the fastest-growing category based on dollar sales. In prestige, which includes U.S. department and beauty specialty retailers, fragrance now accounts for 28% of total prestige beauty sales, solidifying its position as the second-largest category. Higher concentrations such as parfums and eau de parfums – which also carry higher price points – grew sales by 43% and 14%, respectively. Luxury brands accounted for 12% of prestige fragrance sales and grew faster than the overall category. On the other end of the pricing spectrum, value-based and layering-type products such as body sprays jumped by 94% and hair fragrances increased 32%.

Skincare closed the year as the softest-growing category in the prestige market, with dollar sales up 2% and units growing slightly faster – and a modest increase for the category on both metrics in the mass market. Skincare has emerged as the category that is most aligned across mass and prestige, as top performing masstige brands with distribution across markets are driving growth in both. In the prestige market, segments including lip treatment and face cleansers were bright spots. Body care continued to outperform the facial segment, stemming from products including creams, lotions, cleansers, and hand soaps.

Maintaining its position as the largest prestige category, makeup dollar sales grew by 5%. Lip was the top-performing makeup segment in 2024, increasing by 19%, driven by the popularity of hybrid products providing cosmetic coverage with skincare benefits – including lip oils and balms. In the past year, prestige face makeup products with moisturizing, brightening, and mattifying benefits outpaced skincare products with the same benefits – highlighting the importance of the “skinification” trend. 

Hair category sales are dominated by mass brands, but while close to 70% of consumers say price is important, just 16% say they only buy mass brands, according to a Circana Omnibus survey. In prestige, the hair category grew sales by 9%. All hair segments grew, with styling and treatment categories seeing double-digit increases. The scalp care trend continued to gain traction, growing at twice the rate of the overall category.

“The beauty industry’s resilience continues to shine as consumers turn to beauty to not only look, but also feel good,” said Larissa Jensen, global beauty industry advisor at Circana. “With beauty products intertwined with consumers’ emotional needs and wellness routines, maximizing this opportunity will go a long way to ensure a healthy future for our industry.”