Skincare, as a market segment, is growing faster than any other part of the beauty industry. Sales of skincare products grew by 13% last year in the United States, while makeup grew by only 1% in the same period. Online beauty retailers grew 24% in that time, with skincare leading the way. Net-a-Porter’s best selling category in its beauty department is skincare, and that grew 40% year-over-year. 

Skincare’s growth is attributable to the unique position it occupies amongst a variety of trends: growing desire for health-promoting and self-care products, increasing interest in the power of regimens and routines, the ability of social media to more rapidly empower and inform consumers and, uniquely, the ability of new technology to simplify the unusually complex choices consumers have when they interact with skincare brands.