What does Gen Z want from a beauty brand?
Zoomers, Generation Z… and Gen Z! However you want to refer to them, know this: they’re already making waves in the beauty industry. For strong and sustained business growth, brands should consider capturing the attention (and spending power) of a Gen Z audience. Born between around 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is on the verge of becoming one of the biggest consumer segments for cosmetic and personal care products.
As a leading private label manufacturer in the UK, Hera Beauty recommends that brands aim to build a meaningful and authentic connection with the Gen Z audience. This ultimately means understanding what motivates them as consumers. And it means thinking about what drives their decision-making processes.
To do this, we need to consider what we know about Gen Z. Let’s put it into context. Their lives have been shaped by the digital age: they’re the first to have grown up using smartphones integrated into almost every aspect of their daily routines. They’ve also experienced climate anxiety, the cost of living crisis, and the shattering shift in the way we live our lives because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, to appeal to this generation you need to match their strongly-held values. Gen Z wants to live in a better world and consumers can be recognised by their eco-friendly practices and socially progressive views. They already challenge traditional beauty standards and are a key driver of change in the sector.
In this industry insight, we take a look at some key recommendations for how beauty and skincare brands can appeal to Gen Z. Want to gain further advice on how to boost your brand’s growth? Book a call with one of our team’s experts today.
- Lead the way in diversity
The future’s looking bright, because if there’s one thing Gen Z is truly excellent at, it’s breaking down outdated beauty norms. They want body positivity, inclusive messaging, and brands that champion diverse beauty standards. Consider, can your product range address the needs of different skin tones and hair types? It’s essential that imagery, advertising, and messaging should represent and be welcoming to a wide range of identities - taking race, gender, body type, and sexual orientation into consideration. There’s also a growing demand for personalised services, experiences, and formulations.
- Embrace imperfection
Beauty is no longer about unrealistic expectations or covering up flaws. It’s not about appearing attractive purely for someone else, but instead using skincare and hair care formulations to have fun and do something for your own wellbeing. For Gen Z, beauty is all about finding inner confidence and being comfortable in your own skin. Ultimately, this means that using beauty products should make you feel good!
- Be authentic
To attract the Gen Z audience your beauty business needs to be real, transparent, and authentic. You can’t get away with ‘greenwashing’ your sustainability credentials any more. Gen Z wants brands to provide skincare and personal care products that align with their desire for a greener future, whether that’s being transparent about sourcing, manufacturing, ingredients and more. It’s another reason why authentic, user-generated content like customer reviews (rather than glitzy product marketing) is winning over this audience.
- Be purpose driven
These days, you’re more than just a beauty brand. Gen Z wants businesses to tell their story, explain their reasons ‘why’ and demonstrate commitment to values that resonate. After years of lockdowns, the cost of living crisis, and more - Gen Z has a shared desire for creating a better world. They’re actively looking for brands that are making a difference and taking a stand for what they believe in. It’s important for brands to back-up what they’re saying with action; whether that’s through working practices, giving back to causes, or demonstrating commitment to helping people and the planet.
- Utilise technology
This tech-savvy generation has spent its childhood and teenage years surrounded by accessible technology, which often infiltrates every element of their lives. For that reason, Gen Z wants to seamlessly engage with brands across multiple platforms. Brands need to be cohesive and consistent - offering information, tutorials, and videos online. Gen Z’s love of engaging and easy-to-digest content means they particularly engage with TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. However, don’t dismiss the in-store experience too: Gen Z loves the opportunity to try before they buy.
- Show real results
As a generation that’s seen first-hand the impact of financial strain, Gen Z is looking for products that offer value for money. That doesn’t mean they won’t splash out on premium items, just that beauty brands need to justify higher prices with higher-quality formulations. Consider focusing on proving results and highlighting active ingredients, because this generation is highly educated about skincare and requires clear evidence of beauty benefits.
- Proactively defy ageing
It might be a youthful audience, but Gen Z consumers are keen to start their anti-ageing skincare routines as early as possible. They prefer to delay the signs of ageing rather than fight wrinkles that have already appeared. Alongside this, sun protection has become a priority, so products that carry SPF or anti-ageing claims are sure to be popular, helping users be the very best version of themselves.
- Focus on a holistic approach
Finally, with the belief that beauty is about doing something good for yourself, skincare routines have become all about self-care. There is a focus on natural ingredients and caring more about health and wellbeing than appearances. It’s no longer about physical perfection, but instead about ritualising personal care to support emotional wellbeing.
What are the next steps for your beauty brand?
Understanding the motivations behind your Gen Z customers’ purchasing decisions will help put your brand a step ahead of its competitors. Key to this is building a meaningful connection with your audience through communicating and demonstrating your brand’s point of view on the world.
Want advice from our expert team? At Hera Beauty, we’re here to help your brand grow and achieve success. We can provide support on high quality white label formulations, product development, ingredients, innovative technologies, scaling your brand and much more.
Get in touch today.