How Gen Alpha Is Shaping the Future of Beauty
+12.4%
Beauty growth driven by
households with teens and tweens
For years, beauty brands have focused on winning Millennials and Gen Z. But a new consumer is already influencing category growth: Gen Alpha.
NIQ research finds that today’s teens and tweens are entering beauty categories at younger ages, building routines earlier, and becoming active participants in product discovery and purchase decisions. What was once a late-teen category journey is now beginning in elementary and middle school.
This shift creates both opportunity and complexity. While social platforms help drive awareness, parents remain the single most influential voice in the beauty journey. Meanwhile, young consumers are developing strong preferences for products, retailers, and routines long before they enter adulthood.
The research also challenges one of the industry’s biggest assumptions. Despite the attention surrounding prestige beauty, Gen Alpha’s actual purchasing behavior remains firmly rooted in mass brands and value-driven retailers. Affordability and accessibility continue to outweigh aspiration when it comes to purchase decisions.
For beauty manufacturers and retailers, the takeaway is clear: the next generation of beauty consumers isn’t a future audience. They’re shaping the category today.
Download the full report, Growing Up with Beauty: How Gen Alpha Is Shaping the Future of Beauty, to explore the trends, behaviors, and opportunities defining beauty’s next generation.
Coming soon:
Full View of Beauty Channel
NielsenIQ’s Full View of Beauty Channel delivers a unified, comprehensive view of beauty performance across grocery, drug, mass, prestige, specialty, department store, and Amazon—spanning retailers like Ulta Beauty, Sephora, and Sally Beauty. It provides unmatched transparency, enabling brands and retailers to benchmark more precisely, identify growth opportunities faster, and compete more effectively in an increasingly complex market.
