We’ve been told, time and time again, that modern beauty consumers are savvier and more educated than ever before. For Gen Z, a generation of shoppers that have grown up their whole lives with internet access and social media exposure, that’s certainly true — but the age group’s purchasing decisions are also largely influenced by purpose-driven branding, transparency and a desire for individuality.
“A one-size-fits-all approach will make it difficult to connect with the Gen Z audience,” WGSN Beauty Strategist Hannah Mauser tells Fashionista via email. “The skin-care category in general is becoming more individualistic, and concern and skin type-led formulas must be prioritized. Online personalization tools are appealing to this generation for a reason.”
Visual impact is also important to Gen Z shoppers (think: Starface‘s bright yellow star-shaped pimple patches), says Addison Cain, Beauty Strategy & Innovation Manager at consumer data and trend forecasting firm Spate. Virality on TikTok is, of course, a major driver of trends and therefore revenue opportunities; attention-grabbing products and branding that cater to the heavily-visual platform are key.
Social media’s tight grip on Gen Z means the accelerated trend cycle has impacted the group’s “paradoxical values and actions,” which Mauser refers to as the “‘say-do’ gap.” This accounts for some Gen Zers investing in the same image standards they’re known for advocating against.
“On the other side of the ‘say-do’ gap, research we’ve conducted suggests that while they may value, say, sun care or acne care, they give into ‘bad’ habits of not wearing SPF or skin picking,” Mauser notes. “This has ushered in the rise of ‘anti’ skin care, with hybrid skin-care products that do multiple jobs in one, like a tinted sunscreen or make-up infused with skin-care ingredients. Convenience is key here, with ‘lazy’ skin formats like stick applicators that streamline routines and maximize results.”
To really reach Gen Z, some brands are pushing beyond simply promoting a product by honing in on a purpose. The digitally-savvy generation is drawn to companies that authentically support causes that align with their beliefs, such as sustainability and mental health advocacy.
“When it comes to Gen Z’s product and brand expectations, those that are gender-fluid, exhibit diversity, inclusion and sustainability efforts, and mirror their social and political beliefs are highly valued,” says Mauser. “Some may even reject a brand completely if they don’t meet these expectations.”
But the key ingredient that can truly make or break a brand’s ability to retain a Gen Z audience is its adaptability, stresses Mauser: “If there is one message I want to get across about Gen Z, it’s that you need to evolve with this generation, not work against them. While they may demonstrate conflicting values and actions, it’s important to offer support, not shame. Meet Gen Z where they are, whether it be skin picking or not wearing SPF, with Gen Z-friendly formats and formulas that can flex and adapt to sometimes inconsistent routines.”
Ahead, we unpack six brands that have their sights set on Gen Z’s skin-care routines (and purchasing power).
Bubble Skincare
Bubble Skincare’s approach checks multiple boxes on the Gen Z must-have list: brightly-colored packaging, plant-based ingredients and an inexpensive price point. Founder Shai Eisenman started the brand after identifying a gap in the market for younger skin; three years later, Bubble has racked up 1.6 million TikTok followers and a community-based brand ambassador program with more than 10,000 participants.
Bubble’s approach hinges mainly on streamlining and de-cluttering complicated beauty routines. “I’m like a massive believer in a simplistic skin-care routine,” says Eisenman. “I don’t think you need 20 steps… A lot of steps are like the cherry on the top, or like the whipped cream. It’s great to have them, but they’re not the core.”
Products to try:
Fresh Start Gel Cleanser, $17, available here
Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturizer, $16, available here
Solar Mate Invisible Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40, $19, available here
Topicals
Topicals is on a mission to dispel the belief that skin has to be “perfect,” and to make medical-grade skin care that’s a delight to use. Co-founded by Olamide Olowe (herself a member of Gen Z), the brand makes science-backed products addressing less-than-sexy concerns, like acne scarring, hyperpigmentation, eczema, ingrown hairs and more.
Topicals’ Faded Serum has gone viral within the skin-care community for its ability to reduce the look of dark spots and hyperpigmentation. Its serum has raked in a total of approximately $532,000 in media impact value, according to data from Launchmetrics.
Mental health advocacy — another benchmark for Gen Z approval — is also part of Topicals’ brand identity: It donates a percentage of its profits to mental health organizations such as Therapy for Black Girls, Fearless Femmes 100, Sad Girls Club and JED Foundation.
Products to try:
Faded Serum for Dark Spots & Discoloration, $38, available here
Sealed Active Scar Filling Primer, $34, available here
Like Butter Moisturizer, $34, available here
Monari Skin
Photo: Courtesy of Monari Skin
Victoria Monari, a 27-year-old Londoner with a passion for wellness, formed the idea for Monari Skin in a start-up incubator program while pursuing a master’s degree at the University of the Arts London. Monari Skin is currently fundraising ahead of the launch of its first product, Joy Honey Lip Oil, but the founder has expressed interest in expanding beyond lips and into moisturizing balms, cleansing balms and cheek tints. The brand, which focuses on “inclusive wellness,” aims to use compostable packaging and exercise transparency for its increasingly sustainability-minded Gen Z audience.
“For me, skin care has kind of always been a way to improve my well being and add to my well being,” Monari tells Fashionista. “For example, I bought a lip gloss today and I’m, like, in a really good mood — whatever that is is what I want to capture with Monari Skin for women, how just little things can really add to your everyday sense of self.”
Florence by Mills
Founded by Gen Z British actor Millie Bobby Brown in 2019, Florence by Mills embodies many of the generation’s values: It’s named after Brown’s great-grandmother, champions transparency within its ingredient lists and encourages its audience to be authentically themselves. Plus, it’s cute as hell — fish-shaped undereye patches, anyone?
A major component of the brand is its relatability, which Brown embodies on her social media channels, often sharing selfies showing “real” skin without any retouching and light-hearted self-care snaps.
Products to try:
Clean Magic Face Wash, $13, available here
Swimming Under the Eyes Brightening Gel Pads, $36, available here
Mind Glowing Peel Off Mask, $24, available here
Rosen Skincare
Jamika Martin dealt with acne-prone skin her entire life, and after two rounds of Accutane to no avail and struggling to find effective drugstore products, she decided to create them herself. Thus, Rosen Skincare was born.
Martin especially noticed a dearth of quality, accessibly-priced formulas that treated hyperpigmentation and dark spots, so she began crafting ones using ingredients such as zinc oxide, licorice extract, mulberry extract and vitamin C to directly address those concerns. Now, Rosen is shaking up the formerly-antiquated acne aisles in Ulta and Target with products that aim to squash breakouts and dark spots without drying out skin.
The brand has built a community, engaging its target audience on social media and recently delving into the world of AI with a digital beauty influencer named Rosie.
“We’re not the only acne cleanser on the market or we’re not the only dark spot mask on the market, but how do we align with our core customers in a way that makes them feel culturally intertwined and emotionally intertwined with our brand?” says Martin. “That’s a big piece for us — what does our community feel like outside of a product and really just like a brand, or this kind of like group of folks who really all are aligned?”
Products to try:
Break-Out Spot Treatment, $12, available here
Moonlight Moisturizer, $20, available here
Super Smoothie Cleanser, $18, available here
Experiment Beauty
Experiment Beauty has Gen Z written all over it, from its funky, futuristic packaging to its meme-centric marketing. Co-founded by Lisa Guerrera and Emmy Ketcham, it currently offers three products: Buffer Jelly, an oil-gel formula to help strengthen the skin barrier; Avant Guard, a reusable bright green sheet mask; and Super Saturated, the brand’s viral serum that relies on a 30% concentration of glycerin to moisturize and support the skin barrier with a slugging-approved (but vegan) texture. Experiment Beauty has leaned into science-backed skin care with transparent ingredient lists, an in-house laboratory and an other-worldly alien aesthetic. Plus, the brand lovingly calls its community “lab rats”. (Guerrera describes it as “Bill Nye for beauty.”)
Much of Experiment Beauty’s audience discovered it through TikTok — about 70%, according to Guerrera — with the Super Saturated serum achieving bonafide TikTok virality, selling out multiple times and accumulating a 10,000 person waitlist.
“The overarching philosophy we use when it comes to product, to brand, to the way Experiment presents itself publicly, is seriously unserious,” says Guerrera. “We’re always towing that line between serious products that really work, that are proven efficacious, and unserious ways of presenting them.”
Sustainability also plays a major role in the brand, which shows how its products rank in terms of carbon emissions and waste impact, offers refills for Super Saturated to reduce packaging waste and replaces single-use sheet masks with a reusable alternative.
“Gen Z is asking more of the brands that they consume from, and I think a brand that’s going to resonate with Gen Z in like a very organic way is going to need to…have products that work,” Guerrera continues. “I think this generation is extremely skeptical and they’re smarter than you think. You shouldn’t underestimate their ability to know a lot. Truly, they’re beauty’s most educated consumer, so treat them in that way.”
Products to try:
Super Saturated Barrier Support Concentrate, $28, available here
Avant Guard Reusable Sheet Mask, $19, available here
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Source: Fashionista.com
