The category everyone underestimated
For years, bodycare was the afterthought of beauty. Functional, undifferentiated, dominated by legacy brands selling on price. Face skincare got all the innovation, all the investment, all the Instagram-worthy packaging.
That's changed. Dramatically.
Global bodycare is projected to hit £82 billion by 2028. Premium bodycare - products above £20 per item - is growing at 24% annually, nearly triple the rate of face skincare. Consumers are "skinifying" their body routines, demanding the same active ingredients, textures, and brand experiences they expect from facial products.
What's driving the shift
Skinification. Consumers now expect body products to contain niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, retinol, and AHAs. "Moisturiser" is no longer enough. They want performance.
The self-care economy. Post-pandemic wellbeing culture has elevated the full-body routine from functional to ritualistic. Body oils, scrubs, and lotions are now self-care products, not just hygiene products.
Content-driven discovery. Bodycare application is inherently visual and satisfying to watch. The "smooth skin" and "body prep" content genres on TikTok have billions of views. The category is built for social media in a way that complex face skincare routines are not.
White space for premiumisation. Most consumers can name 10 premium face skincare brands instantly. Ask them to name 5 premium bodycare brands and they struggle. There's enormous room for new entrants.
The opportunity for founder-led brands
If you're considering launching a beauty brand or expanding an existing one, bodycare deserves serious consideration:
Lower barriers to entry. Bodycare formulations are generally simpler than face skincare. Fewer active ingredients at lower concentrations, simpler stability requirements, broader regulatory latitude for claims.
Higher usage volume means faster replenishment. A body lotion is used across significantly more surface area than a face serum. Bottles empty faster. Repeat purchase cycles are shorter.
Cross-selling potential. Body products sit naturally alongside face products. A skincare brand adding a body oil or body serum can increase AOV by 30-40% without acquiring a new customer.
Gifting potential. Bodycare products - particularly sets and rituals - are natural gift purchases. The category over-indexes during Q4, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day.
What winning bodycare brands are doing differently
They're treating it like skincare, not like soap. Premium packaging, active ingredient storytelling, clinical claims where substantiated, and beauty-standard photography.
They're building routines, not selling individual products. A three-step body routine (cleanse, treat, seal) mirrors the face skincare approach and significantly increases basket size.
They're investing in sensorial experience. Texture, scent, and absorption feel are the purchase drivers in bodycare more than in any other category. Brands that get the sensorial experience right build fierce loyalty.
They're dominating visual content. Bodycare application content - smooth, satisfying, aspirational - is performing exceptionally on TikTok and Reels. The brands creating this content consistently are building category awareness faster than any amount of traditional advertising could.
The timing argument
The best time to enter a category is when consumer demand is accelerating but the market hasn't consolidated around established brands. That's exactly where premium bodycare is right now.
Within 3-5 years, this category will have its Drunk Elephant, its Glossier, its The Ordinary. The founders building those brands are starting today.