Haircare is undergoing significant change as consumers increasingly expect products to deliver the same level of efficacy, ingredient credibility and personalisation that transformed skincare. In this Q&A, Aurelie Brunel, Product Innovation Manager at THG LABS, explores the commercial and consumer signals shaping the future of the category, from premiumisation and scalp-led innovation to the growing importance of performance language, targeted routines and repeatable results.

What is the shampoo category telling us right now about performance expectations? 

The skinification trend is impacting the most widely purchased format in haircare in 2025, (3.19 bn litres for Shampoo versus 1.6bn litres for Conditioners & Treatments) but we can see a disconnect between volume and value, reflecting a broader change in expectation. Consumer demand for shampoos is shifting from undifferentiated cleansing to an elevated performance thanks to more advanced ingredients, claims, formats and experience. Shampoo continues to drive most units, but growth is happening outside of it, in more targeted, treatment-led formats. 

Mass brands are launching more masstige Shampoos with molecules & formats that communicate specific benefits – strengthening, repair, scalp care – but the real leg work is done by more specialised products within the routine. 

What does consumer language data tell us about how purchase decisions are being made? 

The entry point is often still emotional or sensorial, but conversion is increasingly anchored in perceived efficacy. In other words, consumers want products to feel good, but they also want to understand what those results are doing over time. 

What’s interesting is descriptors like softness, shine and smoothness are still dominant, but they’re increasingly being linked to outcomes rather than experience alone. In parallel, we’re seeing stronger growth in problem-solution language – hair loss, thinning, scalp sensitivity – particularly in search and review data. 

Hyper segmentation of formats is also a driver. In the US (largest premium haircare market in 2022, valued at USD 7.7bn), most popular haircare treatments on SPATE are: hair vitamins, keratin treatment, hair serum, hair repair treatment, dandruff treatment, hair water, hair botox, hair smoothing, hair cleanser, hair moisturiser and hair vinegar. This illustrates that haircare is regarded more as an ecosystem than a cleanse + condition. 

For brands and manufacturers, that creates a dual requirement: formulations need to deliver sensorial satisfaction, but the language and the formats around them needs to clearly articulate performance. 

 What signals suggest premiumisation in haircare becoming structural? 

According to Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer: Beauty Survey, fielded June to July 2024, 23% of consumers preferred luxury hair care brands over budget alternatives (an increase from 18.5% in the 2019 survey) demonstrating real appetite for higher price haircare solutions.  

Another strong signal is that premium haircare is actually driving global category growth (20.5% haircare value share for premium in 2024, up from 17.8% in 2020 - SOURCE : EUROMONITOR), with prestige brands leading the momentum while mass players are fast-tracking premiumisation through efficacy-driven, ingredient-focused innovation. Furthermore, ongoing acquisitions of premium haircare brands by major beauty groups ALSO highlight the category’s growing strategic importance. 

 Even in a more price-sensitive environment, the higher price point segments continue to outperform, and this is being earned through perceived efficacy. Positioning new product launches as holistic solutions combining beauty tech, sustainability, and luxury experience also helps justify higher price tiers. 

Once a consumer trades up to the premium tier, what determines whether they stay there? 

Haircare with its main purchase driver being performance (vs skincare which is sensoriality), has a repeat purchase closely linked to whether the product delivers a noticeable, repeatable outcome on an individual’s hair. Premium tiers use more sophisticated, higher priced raw materials and actives delivering better results on a larger scale of consumer and that’s one of the reasons premium brands are driving growth in the global hair care market. Among the top 10 fastest-growing hair care brands globally in 2024, six were positioned in the premium segment.  

There’s also a behavioural element. Consumers entering premium tiers are often more intentional in their choices. They are buying into a solution or a routine and if it delivers, they’re less likely to revert. The real differentiation with premium will also increasingly rely on quality and brand experience, rather than single-ingredient claims.  

However, the meaningful indicator of success is the repeat purchase so, while premiumisation is driving initial trial, it’s consistency of performance that sustains it.