The beauty industry has significantly evolved in recent years, with social media platforms assuming a pivotal role in shaping consumer behaviors and preferences. As of 2024, the latest Statista trends in beauty shopping on social media reveal fascinating insights into how shoppers discover, buy, and promote beauty products. Social sites ranked the third most popular online channel worldwide for beauty product inspiration. On average, nearly 30 percent of global users watched reviews of makeup products on social media in 2023, with the highest viewership in Indonesia, India, and Mexico at 43 percent.
1. Social Media as a Primary Discovery Channel
Social media has become the leading platform for product discovery, with 27% of consumers preferring to find new products on social platforms over any other channel. Consumers can purchase products through shoppable links, referrals to online stores, or in-app purchases directly on social platforms. Furthermore, 41% of consumers have discovered a product on social media in the past three months, highlighting the growing influence of these platforms on shopping behaviors. This trend underscores the importance of social media in modern marketing strategies for beauty brands.
Table: Social Media as a Discovery Channel
| Statistic | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Consumers preferring social media for product discovery | 27% |
| Consumers who discovered products on social media in past 3 months | 41% |
| Consumers searching for brands on social media before purchase | 84% |
2. Dominance of TikTok for Beauty Purchases
TikTok has emerged as the leading platform for online beauty product purchases in the United States, capturing nearly 33% of the market share in 2023. Instagram follows closely with a 28% share. This dominance is attributed to TikTok's engaging content format and ability to evoke viral trends quickly. Looking closely at what is trending on TikTok globally, Huda Beauty stands out as the most followed cosmetics brand with 8.7 million fans. Rare Beauty dominates in hashtag views, with a staggering 7.7 billion views, while CeraVe leads the skincare category with a follower count of 1.3 million.
Table: Leading Social Media Platforms for Beauty Purchases
| Platform | Market Share (2023) |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 33% |
| 28% |
3. E-commerce and Shopping Features Integration
TikTok continues to lead trends with its integrated e-commerce functionality, TikTok Shop, which achieved a GMV of approximately $2.5 billion USD from beauty sales in 2023, making it the merchandise with the highest total sales on the platform. That same year, around 370 million beauty and personal care products were sold on TikTok Shops worldwide.
Table: E-commerce Growth on TikTok
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) from beauty sales | $2.5 billion USD |
4. Impact of Influencers and User-Generated Content
The democratization of the beauty industry through social media has paved the way for influencers to become key drivers of trends. Influencers not only introduce new products but also foster brand trust. User-generated content, trusted seven times more than traditional advertising, significantly impacts consumer behavior. Moreover, 62% of women follow beauty influencers on social media, with influencers ranking highest in influencing beauty product purchasing decisions.
Table: Influence of User-Generated Content and Influencers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Trust in user-generated content vs. traditional ads | 7 times more |
| Women following beauty influencers | 62% |
| Top influencer-driven purchase driver | Product Recommendations |
5. Gen Z’s Trust in Brands and Influencers
Gen Z consumers show a high level of trust in both influencers and social media advertisements. These younger audiences follow beauty influencers closely and are more influenced by social media ads than traditional forms of media. Consequently, brands redirect substantial marketing budgets towards influencer collaborations and social media outreach.
Table: Gen Z’s Engagement with Beauty Brands
| Metric | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Influence of social media ads on brand discovery | Higher than other media |
| Estée Lauder’s marketing budget directed to social influencers | 75% |
Conclusion
Social commerce is a booming industry that is estimated to reach one trillion U.S. dollars in revenue by 2028. As health and wellness products are one of the most purchased categories, the future of beauty shopping is digital and deeply interconnected with social media. As platforms like TikTok integrate more robust e-commerce features and influencers maintain their significant impact, beauty brands are increasingly optimizing their presence on these platforms to capture consumer interest and drive sales.
Learn more and read full report on Statista: Beauty shopping on social media insights and trends here.
