Social media rewrites hair care rules
The hair care category is the latest to be impacted by the power of TikTok. The #hairtok has more than 100 billion views on the platform. Sales of various hair care products are getting a jolt in sales—much like the skin and makeup sectors experienced—thanks to social mentions.
Retailers need a scorecard to keep up and ensure inventory is stocked when a post sends a brand or item’s demand into the stratosphere. It’s not always an easy balance, said Andrea Harrison, vice president of merchandising beauty and personal care at CVS. The retailer keeps an ear to the ground to hear of emerging product trends in an effort to be in stock.
TikTok is changing how brands go to market in the category. “Social media has had a profound impact on the hair care industry, providing hair care brands with opportunities to expand their brand presence across various platforms. Brands are reevaluating marketing plans to integrate new social media strategies,” said Meagan Wos, senior category manager for The Emerson Group.
“Social commerce, beauty influencers and celebrities regularly showcase diverse hairstyles, products and how-to tutorials inspiring individuals to experiment with their appearance,” Wos explained. “This revolution in the hair care industry is characterized by the ability of social media to connect brands with a broader audience and individuals with the latest trends.”
Several mass market brands confirm they experience meteoric sales spikes from social exposure.
For example, Firstline’s first viral post came in March 2023 from an Influencer Partner’s video reel featuring the brand’s Satin Wide-Edge Bonnet, Detangling Brush, Styling Brush and Triple Edge Styler—all top-selling Evolve items. The reel engaged viewers with more than 13 million accounts reached, 17 million-plus video plays and more than 556,000 likes, according to the company.
[Read more: Hairitage’s Damage Recovery line addresses reparative hair care concerns]
Mielle’s Rosemary Mint Scalp and Hair Strengthening Hair Oil also flew out of stores after a mention from TikTok “it” girl Alix Earle. Other viral sensations that retailers said moved the needle on their hair sales included Suave Moroccan Oil Infusion, Kristin Ess and OGX Coconut Oil.
Recently, TikTok decided to get in on the sales generated on its platform with the opening of a TikTok shop. At first blush, the shop would be considered a competitor. However, Bri Kennedy, director of social media and marketing for Maesa, noticed a halo effect at retail when Hairitage by Mindy McKnight debuted on the platform. “The real excitement and traction began once top TikTok Shop affiliate creators started posting tutorials with the Hairitage hair tools,” said Kennedy. Sales soared on the TikTok shop, but also rang up more than double the yearly average at Hairitage’s retail partner, Walmart.
One of the biggest trends on TikTok in the hair category is scalp care and products to strengthen strands. Thousands of content creators chronicle their success with brands—both ingestibles and topics—such as Nutrafol, Wellbell, hers and Pura d’Or. The latter brand received a considerable boost from Hailey Bieber’s TikTok post showing her using its Organic Castor Oil, which is associated with fuller hair. The video has more than 18 million views and “absolutely impacted sales,” the company said.
People are more concerned than just washing their hair and are taking to social media to discuss problems and solutions. “Consumers are having more honest and transparent conversations online about hair problems. Health and wellness companies have stepped up their offerings to meet these needs,” said Jackie Lane, head of creative and influencer discovery at Popcorn Growth.
CVS and Walgreens have deepened commitments on the shelves to brands that strengthen hair, according to representatives of both chains. Grande Cosmetics, known for its eyelash growth serums, recently expanded into hair thickening lines that are sold at Ulta Beauty.
“The next few years will bring new technologies to hair health,” said Emerson’s Wos. “We will see the continued rise of detailed hair and scalp analysis services, coupled with specialized hair spas addressing specific scalp issues. The focus on understanding the scalp microbiome and its influence on hair health is here to stay.”
[Read more: Kristin Ess’ Softening Collection caters to over processed, dry tresses]
She also believes AI and machine learning are revolutionizing hair and scalp analysis with
diagnostic tools offering personalized insights into individual hair health. “This opens the door to highly effective and personalized hair care solutions,” Wos said. “Scalp care and biotechnology-backed ingredient sourcing are now intertwined, with a growing preference for eco-friendly and efficient approaches to obtain the best ingredients for diverse hair types.”
To meet the surge in demand for scalp health, Voesh introduced a Scalp Massager ($8) designed to stimulate the scalp, improve blood circulation and promote healthier hair. “With a decade of experience in professional beauty, we’re extending our line to cater to consumers seeking the best self-care routine. Drawing from our professional insights, we understand the crucial role beauty tools play in enhancing the efficacy of skin care products,” said Vera Oh, CEO and co-founder of Voesh NY. “Our future plans include introducing a range of self-care products paired with innovative beauty tools to elevate skin care results.”
Dupes have shaken up the makeup and fragrance categories. Now it is hair care’s turn. TikTokers have been hugely helpful to drug store or more affordable brands with the rise of dupe content. More and more content is around the fact that you don’t need to pay high prices for the more elevated brands to get the same results,” said Popcorn’s Lane, citing TikToker Abbey Yung as an example.
Some popular substitutions from on mass market shelves include L’Oréal Ever Pure Bond Strengthening Concentrate instead of Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate, OGX Argan Oil of Morocco for Morrocanoil and Revlon’s One-Step Blowout Curls for the Dyson Airwrap. L’Oréal just announced it has a new hair dryer to take on the pricey Dyson Supersonic, which retails for $430. At the recent CES show, L’Oréal unveiled AirLight Pro, priced under $400, which is expected to take Dyson head-on.
Tutorials for people with textured hair have also been a positive for mass market brands like Mielle, Devacurl, The Doux and Dippity Do, the legendary gel getting a new life under Pacific World.
“It’s a curly-haired paradise watching all these creative tutorials featuring our Gelée Mousse and Detangling Spray. These posts have amplified our presence,” said Vera Iwanoff, brand manager for Dippity Do of the nostalgic undergoing a revival. Dippity Do is rolling out Hair Gels in 20-oz bottles—specially curated for the U.S. market to keep the momentum going. The gels have been a proven success in Canada.
The industry awaits the biggest TikTok hair trends of 2024.
