Celebrity hairdresser brands are making waves and are especially popular among young Europeans. As a result, haircare is no longer considered the poor relation of dynamic beauty categories like makeup and skincare. Younger consumers seek products specifically for curly hair. Innovation is particularly strong among DTC brands but has yet to break into the mainstream.

Last year, total European haircare sales topped $22.2 billion, according to Euromonitor International. The category includes shampoos, conditioners/treatments, styling products, colorants, hair loss treatments, perms and relaxants, and salon professional products. Euromonitor estimates the market is growing 3.2% in Eastern Europe and 4.3% in Western Europe. 

The top five European markets accounted for 71.5% of sales last year, according to Euromonitor. Germany leads the way, with sales of $4.2 billion, followed by UK, $2.4 billion; France, $2.0 billion; Italy, $1.49 billion and Spain, $1.48 billion. 

Curly Hair Launches

One of the strongest trends in European haircare is for products positioned for a variety of curly hair textures. According to Euromonitor, this is part of an ongoing global movement to embrace natural hair textures, especially curly, coily or Afro-textured styles. 

“Younger generations reported having curly hair to a higher degree than older generations, suggesting acceptance of natural hair textures,” explained Kayla Villena, head of beauty and personal care research, Euromonitor International. 

New products for curly hair skew toward higher prices. Hero products are emerging among curly-hair specialist brands, she added. 

Villena pointed out that Western Europe has more product availability of curly hair SKUs. New curl-specific launches from Revolution, Bondi Boost and Redken are driving availability of curly hair variants, especially in Germany. 

“The trendiness of hair appliances in Germany that create wavy or curly hair may also result in wider product availability for curly hair,” said Villena. 

Euromonitor researchers also detected strong product innovation for curly hair products in Poland.

British/Ghanaian hairstylist Charlotte Mensah runs Hair Lounge, one of the UK’s leading salons for Afro and curly hair. Her award-winning Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil premium haircare range is designed for Afro/mixed and all curly hair types. It helps dehydrated, malnourished and damaged hair with a blend of organic, ethical and sustainably sourced oils that include argan and ximenia. 

“Charlotte Mensah has tapped into a sector that was traditionally rather staid—and elevated it,” comments Nick Vaus, co-founder of London brand design agency, Free the Birds, which recently produced a hair care trend report under the Crowsnest name. Vaus worked with Mensah on developing a striking contemporary brand image. 

“In order to break the stale stuffiness of the category it was necessary to do things differently and transform it,” he explained.

Innovative Ideas in Hair Care

Vaus considers Charlotte Mensah to be a pioneer for other curly hair care brands. One of them is Curlsmith. It evolved from a community of people with textured hair sharing their haircare tips, homemade remedies and frustrations regarding the lack of products on the market for their hair type. Curlsmith’s brand mission is to take the guesswork out of finding the right curl products for an individual’s hair type.  

Much of the innovation around curly haircare formulations for textured and difficult-to-style hair has come from direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands. By definition, DTC brand availability and visibility in mainstream outlets is limited. 

“Charlotte Mensah is now stocked in Liberty department store, but getting distribution is a slog,” observes Vaus. “DTC brands must break into bricks and mortar if they are to stand a chance against the juggernaut brands, which dominate retail.” 

The reason for this, said Vaus, is that these big brands concentrate on what they do best by investing heavily in brand endorsement, such as UK media star Claudia Winkelman for Head & Shoulders. 

“These brands will always be there, but DTC brands such as Charlotte Mensah have a real opportunity to make inroads.”

Celebrity Hairdressers

Popular UK hairdressers are rolling out haircare lines in Europe. It’s another example of how premiumization is driving the haircare category and encouraging consumers to trade up to more luxurious products with tangible benefits. For example, Sam McKnight is well-known for styling the hair of the rich and famous, including models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. The Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl range is a nod to his celebrity connections. Products are designed to achieve slightly dishevelled effortless styles for which is he known. 

Larry King, a popular session stylist, works with celebrities in the world of media, fashion and music. He and his partner, Laura, created Larry King Haircare and run three salons in London and one in Monaco. Despite King’s prestigious career, the hair products have down-to-earth names, including My Nanna’s Mousse. The line includes a number of innovative concepts, such as Liquid Hairbrush conditioner and a hair tamer called A Social Life for Your Hair. The latter is sold as a Flyaway Kit along with a dual-end bamboo brush and comb designed to tame flyaways, static baby hairs and hairline fluff. 

Irish hair stylist Andrew Fitzsimons honed his craft in his native Dublin, before moving to Paris, New York and LA, where he became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after hair stylists. In 2022, he launched his eponymous, affordable haircare brand. It encompasses five lines, covering all hair types, and a styling range. The Fitzsimons collections is available in Boots. 

“Andrew Fitzsimons created a real 1980s vibe for its colorful packaging with tongue-in-cheek naming of variants that fit perfectly into Boots’ vision for aspirational beauty in their new Battersea and Covent Garden stores,” said Vaus. 

Gradually, haircare is shaking off the image of being something purely functional that doesn’t require much thought. With so much new product development, especially among DTC brands, European haircare has entered an exciting phase.

Imogen Matthews

Headington, Oxford UK

+44 1865 764918
www.imogenmatthews.co.uk

Imogen Matthews is a respected consultant, journalist and researcher who commentates on trends in the beauty industry. She regularly contributes to many of the world’s foremost beauty trade titles, has served on the Board of Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW UK) and won the prestigious Cosmetic Executive (UK) Achiever Award. Founded by Imogen in 1993, The Premium Market Report remains the only in-depth report to examine trends in the premium cosmetics, skincare and fragrance industry.