GLOBAL BEAUTY SHIFTS ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY AS NEW GEOGRAPHIES RESHAPE THE MARKET

The United States remains a leading market in terms of size and scalability, while EMEA increasingly requires highly localized strategies. At the same time, China and the Middle East are emerging as new centers of innovation, creativity and cultural influence. The Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2026 CosmoTalks revealed a multipolar industry in which trends, products and business models now travel in multiple directions.

The international geography of beauty is undergoing a profound transformation. Markets are no longer simply commercial destinations for products and strategies developed elsewhere. They are becoming ecosystems capable of generating innovation, interpreting emerging consumer behaviors and influencing the evolution of the global industry.

This was one of the key scenarios explored during the Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2026 CosmoTalks focusing on the United States, EMEA, China and the Middle East. Although these markets present different opportunities and challenges, they point to the same conclusion: there is no longer a single model for international growth.

To expand beyond their domestic markets, companies must combine a clear global identity with an understanding of local cultures, generations, distribution channels and consumer expectations.

The United States Retains a Major Share of the Tracked Global Market

The United States continues to occupy a central position within the global beauty industry. During the Cosmotalk panel “Navigating beauty retail: the U.S. beauty market in a global context”, Circana provided a macro-level perspective on the current state of the U.S. beauty market in comparison to international markets. Circana monitors markets representing approximately 75% of global GDP and estimates that the beauty sector within this universe is worth more than USD 200 billion. Within the markets tracked, the US accounts for approximately 50% to 60% of sales volume, depending on whether the analysis covers prestige alone or the combined prestige and mass market. Europe represents around 20% to 25% of tracked sales.

The resilience of the US market is supported by a relatively balanced mix of makeup, skincare and fragrance, allowing growth in one category to offset temporary weakness in another. Hair care, although smaller in absolute terms, emerged as one of the most dynamic categories. The structure of distribution is another source of strength. Mass retail remains dominant, alongside e-commerce, beauty specialty and social commerce. Digital growth has not, however, reduced the importance of physical stores: approximately 65% of beauty purchases in the US still take place in store, compared with 35% online. For makeup and fragrance, the physical retail share exceeds 75%, reflecting the continued importance of product trial, sensory experience and advice.

Gen Z offers a particularly significant insight. Despite being the most digitally connected generation, it is more likely than any other age group to shop exclusively in store. Speed and convenience remain important, but so do social interaction, experimentation and direct engagement with products.

The US market therefore illustrates an increasingly omnichannel dynamic. Discovery, social content, online reviews, product trial and purchase may all take place through different platforms within the same journey. Entering the United States means engaging not only with a market of exceptional scale, but also with consumers who move fluidly between physical and digital experiences.

image GLOBAL BEAUTY SHIFTS ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY AS NEW GEOGRAPHIES RESHAPE THE MARKET

EMEA: Value Is Built Through Local Relevance

While the United States represents scale, EMEA highlights the complexity of adaptation. Europe, the Middle East and Africa bring together economic, demographic and cultural contexts that cannot be addressed through a single strategy. According to NielsenIQ data presented during the CosmoTalk “From global vision to local impact: how beauty brands win across EMEA”, only 17% of consumers across the region say they are able to spend freely. Perceived value is therefore becoming a decisive purchasing factor. This does not necessarily mean seeking the lowest price: premium and luxury segments continue to offer opportunities, provided that benefits, ingredients, performance and the reasons behind a product’s positioning are clearly communicated.

Consumers are also becoming increasingly knowledgeable, assessing products on efficacy and their ability to address a specific need rather than relying solely on brand awareness. The most relevant differences concern the generational structure of individual markets. In Italy, baby boomers are currently the largest beauty spenders, while Generation X is expected to take the lead over the next decade. In Egypt, Gen Z represents the audience with the greatest potential, whereas demand in Saudi Arabia and the UAE is primarily supported by millennials.

Discovery and purchasing channels also vary significantly. Pharmacies retain a strategic role in Italy, while social commerce, creators, livestreaming and e-commerce have greater influence elsewhere. Localization must therefore extend far beyond campaign translation to include pricing, distribution, language, cultural references and consumer engagement. Global consistency remains essential, but it does not mean uniformity. Brands need to preserve a recognizable promise while adapting its expression to the codes and expectations of different communities. Entering a new market consequently becomes a process of listening, experimentation and progressive adjustment.

China Strengthens Its Innovation Leadership

Worth almost USD 75 billion, China is now the world’s second-largest beauty market. Its most significant transformation, however, is the strengthening of domestic brands, which are moving from followers of international trends to leaders in research, product innovation and retail experimentation. According to Statista data presented during the CosmoTalk panel “C-Beauty breakthrough: how local challenger brands are reshaping China’s beauty market — and what it means for the world”, Chinese beauty brands’ market share increased from 53% in 2023 to 57% in 2025. At the same time, the number of newly registered cosmetic ingredients rose from six in 2021 to 80 during the first half of 2025 alone. More than 80% of these innovations were developed domestically.

C-beauty’s growth is supported by investment in R&D and by a young, digital and highly knowledgeable consumer base. Scientific communication has become central: ingredients, mechanisms of action, efficacy and long-term skin health are explored through content capable of making complex concepts accessible. Seventy-eight percent of beauty purchases in China are also linked to specific occasions, needs and usage scenarios rather than simple replenishment. Beauty is increasingly approached as a ritual, a form of self-care and a means of personal expression.

Retail is consequently evolving from a primarily transactional environment into a space for discovery. Assortments combining established and niche brands, immersive environments, editorial content and personalized recommendations help stimulate consumer curiosity. Trust is then built through performance, transparency and consistency across touchpoints. The integration of online and offline channels remains one of the main challenges for international brands. Physical stores, social media, e-commerce and promotional policies need to communicate a coherent position, avoiding situations in which prestige created through one channel is weakened by strategies adopted elsewhere.

For Chinese brands, the next stage will be international expansion. Manufacturing capacity, science and product quality provide a strong competitive foundation, but developing a global presence will also require local channel knowledge, cultural adaptation and long-term investment.

The Middle East Emerges As A Creative and Decision-Making Hub

The Middle East is also redefining its position within the beauty industry, moving from a destination market to a center of cultural, creative and entrepreneurial influence. The first message to emerge from the CosmoTalk session “Beauty’s new power brokers: the Middle East!” was the need to move beyond a uniform view of the region. Demographics, languages, distribution channels and consumer behavior vary significantly between countries and cities. Decisions can no longer be made exclusively from international headquarters without direct knowledge of the territory. Strategies, assortments and communications increasingly need to be developed or adapted within the region itself.

Middle Eastern influence is particularly visible in fragrance. Oud represented only the first stage of a broader process that contributed to the global adoption of richer, longer-lasting scents, layering and the “scent wardrobe”: fragrance collections selected according to different occasions, moods and times of day. In an increasingly competitive landscape, success depends on offering distinctive products, authentic storytelling, a strong digital and social media strategy, a high-quality customer experience and effective collaboration between brands, retailers and distributors.

Despite ongoing geopolitical and logistical challenges, the sector has also demonstrated significant resilience, supported by a young population, a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem and consumers who continue to view beauty as an accessible source of well-being and personal gratification. Local brands, creatives and professionals are no longer merely interpreting trends from abroad, but are actively shaping them and bringing them to international markets.

Towards A New Globalization of Beauty

The CosmoTalks presented an increasingly multipolar industry. The United States retains a decisive role in terms of volume and scalability; EMEA demonstrates that growth depends on understanding differences; China is turning research, digitalization and retail into sources of leadership; and the Middle East is transforming its cultural heritage into a global creative force.

Beauty’s new globalization no longer moves from a single center towards markets expected to adapt. Products, rituals, technologies and business models now travel in multiple directions through a continuous exchange between global scale and local culture. For companies, internationalization no longer means simply exporting. It means listening, interpreting and building relationships across different territories, while maintaining an identity that is recognizable yet flexible enough to feel authentic in every market.

COSMOPROF 2027

BOLOGNA, ITALY

FAIR DISTRICT

GLOBAL BEAUTY SHIFTS ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY AS NEW GEOGRAPHIES RESHAPE THE MARKET

The United States Retains a Major Share of the Tracked Global Market

EMEA: Value Is Built Through Local Relevance

China Strengthens Its Innovation Leadership

The Middle East Emerges As A Creative and Decision-Making Hub

Towards A New Globalization of Beauty

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GLOBAL BEAUTY SHIFTS ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY AS NEW GEOGRAPHIES RESHAPE THE MARKET

The United States Retains a Major Share of the Tracked Global Market

EMEA: Value Is Built Through Local Relevance

China Strengthens Its Innovation Leadership

The Middle East Emerges As A Creative and Decision-Making Hub

Towards A New Globalization of Beauty

Share article:

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