Nina Jobst
Research expert covering South Korea
Beauty and personal care market in Australia - statistics & facts
Natural and chemical-free ingredients have become the cornerstone of A-beauty. Over the past decade, Australia has witnessed a proliferation in domestic beauty and personal care brands harnessing natural resources to create product lines made from ‘clean’, organic, ethically sourced, and sustainable ingredients. With many local personal care, cosmetics, and skincare brands focused on producing ‘green’, cruelty-free goods packaged in reusable and refillable containers, these priorities increasingly translate into sustainability-focused consumer behaviors countrywide. But is ‘green’ beauty just a trend, or is it advancing to a non-negotiable?
Alongside this, Australia’s beauty tech market is gradually growing. Technologies, including 3D printing, AI-powered skin analysis, and virtual try-on tools, are increasingly utilized by businesses to enhance customer experiences and beauty product inclusivity. Moreover, from YouTube self-care routines to Instagram influencer marketing and TikTok makeup trends, social media’s influence on Australia's beauty industry is profound.
From celebrity brands and globally renowned companies like L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, and Rimmel to Australian-made brands with growing global reputations, including Aesop, Grown Alchemist, Sand & Sky, and Sukin, to name a few, Australia’s beauty product landscape is diverse.
Nonetheless, while Australia boasts a wide array of ‘green’ beauty brands, product quality, low prices, brand, and skin compatibility still take center stage among the key purchase criteria for personal care among the country’s consumers. Customers’ quest for budget-friendly but high-quality products has given precedence to multifunctional products, such as combined skincare and makeup items, as well as dupe products, offering comparable quality at a lower cost.
Beauty evolution: from ultra-personalization to influencers
Australia’s beauty and personal care market has been on an upward trajectory over the past years, following a slight deceleration in 2020 as the pandemic shook up consumers’ beauty product usage and buying habits. While in-store shopping from supermarkets, drugstores, and pharmacies remains prevalent, Australia’s beauty retail landscape is experiencing a digital transformation, with more shoppers buying, researching, and recommending their favorites online. In 2024, over a third of beauty and personal care product sales countrywide were attributable to the online channel, with online purchases estimated to comprise around half of total beauty revenue by 2029.Alongside this, Australia’s beauty tech market is gradually growing. Technologies, including 3D printing, AI-powered skin analysis, and virtual try-on tools, are increasingly utilized by businesses to enhance customer experiences and beauty product inclusivity. Moreover, from YouTube self-care routines to Instagram influencer marketing and TikTok makeup trends, social media’s influence on Australia's beauty industry is profound.
Which brands are the foundation of Australian beauty rituals?
While around one in 10 Australian online beauty shoppers conduct their purchases through brand-own websites, these sites have to compete with multi-brand web stores, offering a wider product range at discounted prices. In Australia’s online retail landscape, Mecca, Sephora, and online-only retailer Adore Beauty lead alongside department store and pharmacy websites. Regarding sales in physical stores, multicategory retail chains, including Priceline, Chemist Warehouse, Myer, and David Jones alongside supermarkets, are highly visited locations among the country’s beauty shoppers.From celebrity brands and globally renowned companies like L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, and Rimmel to Australian-made brands with growing global reputations, including Aesop, Grown Alchemist, Sand & Sky, and Sukin, to name a few, Australia’s beauty product landscape is diverse.
Is ethics trumping aesthetics?
Several Australian brands offering skincare and makeup with natural and uncomplicated ingredient lists, including Alpha-H, Go-To, INIKA, and Nude by Nature, are gaining traction due to rising demand for eco-friendly beauty products. Australian consumers are gravitating more towards incorporating brands prioritizing animal welfare and sustainability into their beauty routines, with some willing to shell out more for these products in their bid to consume ethically.Nonetheless, while Australia boasts a wide array of ‘green’ beauty brands, product quality, low prices, brand, and skin compatibility still take center stage among the key purchase criteria for personal care among the country’s consumers. Customers’ quest for budget-friendly but high-quality products has given precedence to multifunctional products, such as combined skincare and makeup items, as well as dupe products, offering comparable quality at a lower cost.
