In 2025, beauty stops being an advertising picture and becomes a care service. According to the global beauty industry review by McKinsey in June 2025, consumers no longer believe loud promises and expect real benefits, transparency and respect for the body and the planet (source: McKinsey & Company, “State of Beauty 2025: Solving a shifting growth puzzle”, June 9, 2025, mckinsey.com). The same is confirmed by independent market reports describing sustainability, personalization and honest product value as three key demands of the year (source: AskAttest, “Beauty Industry Trends 2025”, October 2025, askattest.com; Sustainability Award, “Sustainable Skincare and Beauty Trends 2025”, January 28, 2025, sustainabilityaward.org).
What does this mean in practice — and how will it affect brands in Ukraine and Europe?
Sustainable beauty stops being a trend and becomes a standard
Just a few years ago, “eco” lines seemed like an addition to the main assortment. In 2025, sustainability is already a basic requirement. The 2025 review of sustainable beauty practices describes brands moving to formats with less waste and lower resource consumption: solid shampoos and cleansers instead of liquid formulas, waterless concentrates, reusable or refillable packaging, and upcycled ingredients — when raw materials that were previously discarded are now turned into active components of care (source: Sustainability Award, sustainabilityaward.org, January 28, 2025).
This is important for two reasons. First, people don’t want to pay for “water in a jar”. Therefore, demand is growing for concentrated formulas that really work and are not diluted to marketing volume. Second, packaging has become ethics. A heavy glass bottle without a refill option is no longer perceived as “luxury”. In 2025, luxury is when a brand shows how it reduces waste and its environmental footprint (Sustainability Award, sustainabilityaward.org).
McKinsey in its report on the state of the beauty industry emphasizes that consumers increasingly vote with their wallets for brands that can prove real responsibility, not just write “eco-friendly” in small letters. Thus, sustainability is no longer a marketing story. It is a condition for survival in the beauty market in 2025 (McKinsey & Company, mckinsey.com, June 9, 2025).
Personalization: the end of the era of “suitable for all skin types”
The second key trend is personalized care. Previously, the industry sold universal categories like “normal/dry/oily skin”. In 2025, this is no longer enough. It becomes the standard idea that a specific product, care routine or even a cosmetologist’s recommendation should be tailored to a specific person: skin barrier, sensitivity, pigmentation, acne, age, hormonal background, lifestyle (AskAttest, askattest.com, October 2025).
Why is this happening? People are tired of experimenting by trial and error. They don’t want to buy five jars “just in case it works”. They want to know right away: here is your skin condition, here are three products that solve your specific problem. And yes, they are ready to pay more for this confidence. McKinsey directly writes about this as a change in market logic: the buyer has become much more skeptical and no longer believes in loud promises. To sell, a brand must prove that this product solves this particular problem (McKinsey & Company, mckinsey.com, June 9, 2025).
What we see in practice:
- skin diagnostics before purchase (scanners, tests, online and offline consultations);
- adaptive formulas that can be combined according to the skin condition (boosters, serums with clearly defined active ingredients);
- live consultations from the brand or clinic instead of a universal “routine for everyone”;
- fewer unnecessary steps, more focused treatment of the barrier, inflammation, pigmentation, sensitivity.
| Trend | Essence | Examples in 2025 | Brand benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainability | Eco formulas, less plastic, reusable packaging | Solid shampoos, waterless concentrates, upcycled ingredients | Customer trust, new reputation, cost reduction |
| Personalization | Product and advice tailored to individual skin, not “for everyone” | Online tests, live consultations, booster combinations | Higher average check, loyalty, positive experience |
| New value | Customer pays for effect, not packaging | Transparent formulas, scientific justification, honest promises | Stable reputation, competitive advantage, long-term audience |
The new logic of value: people pay for effect, not for gloss
The third trend is a rethinking of what people are willing to pay for. Previously, “premium” meant heavy packaging, a marketing legend about a “rare extract”, and a retouched photo of perfect skin. In 2025, the buyer is much more pragmatic. They ask: what does this product do to my skin barrier, how long does it take to see results, and are these promises supported by any data, not just a beautiful slogan (McKinsey & Company, mckinsey.com, June 9, 2025)?
AskAttest in its study of beauty trends notes another detail: people have stopped buying “because it’s beautiful”. They buy “because I need it”. Fewer impulse purchases, more rational ones. Instead of five jars that “might come in handy someday”, people look for a short routine that actually works with their specific problem — sensitivity, inflammation, post-acne, pigmentation (AskAttest, askattest.com, October 2025).
And this directly affects brand communication. Simply writing “with ceramides” no longer works. You need to explain: which ceramides, in what concentration, how exactly they strengthen the barrier, what happens after 2 weeks and after 2 months. Formula transparency is no longer a nice bonus for skincare enthusiasts. It’s now the expectation of the mass consumer.
In fact, honesty has become part of positioning. If a brand or clinic speaks realistically, without promises of “minus 10 years in a week”, in 2025 it’s not a weakness but a competitive advantage.
Conclusion
All three trends — sustainability, personalization, and honest product value — are actually about the same thing: respect. For the planet, for the individuality of the skin, and for the consumer’s money. The beauty industry in 2025 no longer sells the illusion of “becoming perfect”. It sells support, solutions, and a sense of control over one’s own condition. And that’s what people now call beauty.