- Report from BCG and WWD Highlights “Optimizer” Consumers Reshaping the Beauty Market
- 80% Say Beauty Is About How They Feel Physically and Mentally, Not Just Appearance
- 75% Use AI to Research Beauty, with 1 in 4 Relying on It as Their Primary Source
BOSTON—Beauty is expanding beyond traditional categories as consumers increasingly layer aesthetic procedures and performance and longevity treatments on top of their foundational routines. At the center of this shift is the beauty “optimizer,” a consumer turning to a wider range of solutions to meet their needs. About 70% are open to non-traditional beauty solutions, and roughly 80% say beauty is about mental and physical wellbeing, not just appearance.
The “optimizer”—now representing 6% of US adults, or approximately 15 million people—spent $3,000 on average in the past year across traditional beauty, aesthetic procedures, and performance and longevity categories. If this segment were to double, it could unlock more than $30 billion across the broader beauty market.
These are among the findings of a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), titled Consumers Are Shaping a New Age of Optimization in Beauty, based on an April survey of 5,000 US beauty consumers.
“Skin care, makeup, and hair care still anchor beauty routines, but consumers are increasingly layering aesthetic procedures, wellness, and longevity-driven solutions into the mix,” said Jenny B. Fine, Editor in Chief, Beauty Inc and Executive Editor, Beauty, WWD. “Today’s beauty consumer is highly informed, deeply results-oriented, and more willing than ever to move fluidly across categories in pursuit of optimization, efficacy, and long-term well-being.”
New Categories Deepen Engagement in Traditional Beauty
About 70% of optimizers say aesthetic procedures are a regular part of their routines. This drives greater engagement in traditional beauty categories, with 70% investing more in premium or medical-grade skin care, and 50% adding more steps or ingredients to their routines.
GLP-1s are also creating new beauty needs. Approximately 30% of optimizers report using them in the past 12 months. Of those who reported changes in facial volume, skin quality, dryness, or breakouts, about half are turning to more luxury or medical-grade skin care. Nearly 80% of those who reported sagging or loose skin have increased their use of fillers, injectables, skin tightening, contouring, or laser treatments.
Optimizers are also four times more likely than overall beauty consumers to use longevity and anti-aging supplements, and twice as likely to use beauty supplements.
How Consumers Research Beauty
About 75% of optimizers used AI in the last month to research beauty, wellness, or longevity, and 25% say it is their primary source. Among male optimizers, 40% use AI to build personalized beauty routines—2.6 times the rate of women.
Social media still plays a role in discovery, though trust is shifting. About 40% of optimizers discover products through influencer posts or social media ads, but only 1 in 20 cite social media as their most trusted source. Friends and family are the most common source of discovery, while medical professionals are the most trusted. Around 75% say they choose brands based on proven efficacy and scientific validation.
An Expanded Definition of Beauty
As optimizers engage with beauty differently than the average beauty consumer, brands and retailers should rethink how they attract this growing segment.
“Traditional beauty still anchors the category, but the definition is expanding,” said Pierre Dupreelle, a BCG managing director and senior partner, and global beauty sector leader. “Rather than rely on a few hero products, consumers are layering solutions across aesthetics, performance, and longevity categories to get the results they want. Brands need to pay attention to this shift as these consumers signal where beauty is going next.”
Media Contacts:
BCG: Eric Gregoire, gregoire.eric@bcg.com
WWD: Abby Kalicka, akalicka@pmc.com
About WWD
Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) provides a balance of timely, credible business news and key fashion trends for leading retailers, designers, manufacturers, marketers, financiers, Wall Street analysts, international moguls, media executives, ad agencies, trend-makers, and global consumers. Founded in 1910 by Edmund Fairchild and helmed for over two decades by legendary publisher John B. Fairchild, WWD has been the daily media of record and the industry voice of authority for over 115 years. Operated and published by Penske Media Corporation under Fairchild Media Group, WWD reaches a global audience of nearly 16 million+ every month across print, digital, mobile, video, social, and events, including the annual WWD Apparel & Retail CEO Summit and Global Summits in 3 international markets. As an increasingly complex marketplace heightens the need for information and competitive intelligence, WWD delivers spirited coverage with frequency, integrity, and a legacy of getting it right and getting it first.