Boots reveals beauty trends and bestsellers of 2023

The UK’s leading beauty retailer Boots has unveiled that smart skincare, advanced hair health, and a renewed love affair with cosmetics were among the top beauty trends of 2023.

Grace Vernon, head of global trends and cultural insights at Boots and No7 Beauty Company, said in a statement: “What a year for beauty! From revolutionary skincare science to hyper-feminine cosmetics and elevated hair care regimes, 2023 was the year we all stepped up our beauty game.

“The healthy skin category has continued to boom, cosmetics have made a comeback, No7 launched a ground-breaking skin care innovation and Boots ended the year by opening a brand-new beauty concept store at Battersea Power Station.”

Skincare

In skincare, Boots revealed that the most searched-for ingredient on boots.com last year was retinol, followed by hyaluronic acid and collagen. Affordable skin-restoring brands, including CeraVe and Byoma, became increasingly popular, with searches for ‘Byoma’ increasing by over 800 percent.

In addition, searches for ‘peptide serum’ also increased by over 55 percent following the launch of No7’s Future Renew range in April 2023. The range also became the fastest-selling No7 product launch ever in April, with one product from the Future Renew collection selling every 2 seconds on launch day and more than half a million transactions in the first four weeks.

When it comes to best-selling skincare products at Boots, No7’s Future Renew Serum topped the chart, followed by Future Renew Day Cream SPF40 and Future Renew Night Cream. The next best-selling product after the No7 Future Renew range was La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMUNE 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50 50ML, boosted by its popularity on TikTok.

Vernon added: “It comes as no surprise to see key players in skin protection, damage reversal and barrier-repair are amongst the best-sellers in 2023. Our focus has shifted from caring for the appearance of our skin to proactively improving the health of our skin, as well as preventing future damage.

“This is a trend we will continue to see in 2024, with a particular focus on finding dermatologist-approved solutions for conditions and concerns.”

Make-up

Mascara topped the make-up search term on boots.com, followed by concealer and foundation – with searches for the latter almost doubled year-on-year. Maybelline’s viral Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara was the bestselling self-selection make-up product at Boots (by volume) for the second year running, whilst Elf’s Halo Glow Liquid Filter was the most-searched-for cosmetic on boots.com.

The Barbie-mania and viral micro-trends took hold of cosmetics last year, with pink emerging as the colour of the year, alongside ultra-feminine and girly make-up looks, as searches for ‘blush’ increased by a third. Benefit’s Benetint Rose-Tinted Lip and Cheek Stain was amongst the bestselling premium cosmetics products at Boots, with year-on-year sales up by 64 percent (by volume).

Vernon explained: “Social media platforms are well-known for their revolving door of viral beauty trends and product recommendations. From Mermaid-core to Strawberry Girl and Espresso Makeup, a flurry of micro-trends inspired us to try new products and reinvent our look, helping us fall back in love with the joy of cosmetics.”

Haircare

Haircare became important for consumers in 2023 with 35 percent of customers purchasing a haircare product from Boots last year. This came amid a surge in customer demand for salon-grade haircare, which led to the retailer introducing twelve new premium and professional hair brands in 2023.

New to Boots brands Ouai, Kerastase and Redken proved the most popular with customers, while existing premium haircare brands, including Philip Kingsley and Arkive, also achieved sales growth in volume.

Boots adds that skincare continued to influence the haircare category, with sales (by volume) of The Ordinary haircare increasing by 69 percent and Vichy Dercos up 58 percent. Boots.com also reported an 85 percent rise in scalp health searches, with scalp serum being one of the most in-demand products, an increase in searches of 57 percent compared to the previous year.

“As with skin, beautiful hair fundamentally starts with health, and customers are increasingly conscious of the efficacy of the ingredients and products they use on their scalp and hair,” added Vernon. “As a result, hair-washing routines are advancing beyond shampooing and conditioning, with consumers building in additional steps to enhance and personalise their regimes.”