Dermocosmetics, TikTok & Longevity Are Reshaping Europe’s Beauty Market

Skin health and skin longevity are among the top concerns driving sales of European skincare and consumers are increasingly seeking out products that include added health benefits and claim proven results. As a result, sales of dermocosmetic skin care launches are surging across the region. 

Sales of European facial skincare are in good shape, according to Euromonitor International, which valued the category at $30.86 billion in 2025, forecasting it to increase by 7% in 2026. Western Europe accounted for three in four sales of facial skincare, with a growth of 7.8% forecast this year. While price sensitivity is a defining factor in favoring the mass sector, it is premium brands that are gaining ground.

“L’Oréal is capturing both ends of the market, reflecting the growing polarization of price points,” said Kayla Villena, global insight manager, Euromonitor International.

DERMOCOSMETICS FUELED BY EXPERT RECOMMENDATION

European skincare sales are being driven by dermocosmetic brands backed up by medical endorsement, with digital-native and private label brands disrupting the traditional landscape. 

Euromonitor International valued the European market for dermocosmetic beauty and personal care at $10.71 billion in 2025. France accounted for a fifth of dermocosmetic sector sales, a reflection of the special relationship that French consumers have with their pharmacists who are trained to recommend specific products for different skincare concerns. Many dermocosmetic brands originate from France and are therefore familiar to French consumers, such as L’Oréal’s Vichy and La Roche-Posay, Pierre Fabre’s Avene and independently owned Embryolisse and Bioderma. 

Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer: Beauty Survey, May 2020-25 showed that the global definition of beauty has remained quite consistent. The top motivations behind skincare purchases include: “to improve the look or feel of my skin,” “clear and healthy-looking skin” and “skincare is an important priority for me.”  One marked change is the emergence of “to prevent signs of aging,” which moves into the top five leading motivations for buying skincare. 

Villena observes, “This marks a transition from routine-based motivations to more targeted, long-term goals towards preventative beauty solutions.” She maintains that this includes a move to products that offer added health benefits, including formulations enriched with all natural ingredients (32%), added vitamins (20%) and specific ingredient formulations (18%) to support cellular regeneration, barrier repair and long-term skin vitality.

Euromonitor’s findings are further backed up by the Boots Beauty & Wellness Trends Report 2026, which highlights that 80% of UK adults are adopting a preventative approach to beauty routines, while 60% prioritize healthy aging.

SKIN LONGEVITY: FUTURE PROOFING THE SKIN

Taking the UK market as a whole, Boots’ study has shown recent strong consumer demand for longevity-focused ingredients. For example, collagen sales at Boots grew by 62% year on year, and the co-enzyme NAD+ ranked among the top 20 most searched terms on boots.com, with searches up 227% year on year. 

Research company Innova Market Insights published its Aging & Rejuvenation Premium Market Report early 2026; it identifies skin longevity creams and serums as the next frontier in beauty. Highlighted are beauty giants L’Oréal and Estée Lauder, who are investing heavily in this new concept and launching new products in the longevity space. 

In May 2025, L’Oréal collaborated with Chinese biotech firm Veminsyn to help discover, develop and scale innovative longevity bio-actives and cosmetic ingredients. The company has also acquired a minority stake in Timeline, a Swiss biotech company, whose proprietary molecule Mitopure recycles and rejuvenates aging mitochondria. The technology features in Lancôme’s Absolue Longevity Soft Cream which has a patented rose-derived longevity molecule said to act on the mitochondria of the skin to intervene and fight off the signs of aging. 

Estée Lauder has a long history of researching skin cell longevity looking specifically at longevity proteins called sirtuins. In 2023, the company launched its Skin Longevity platform, which includes scientists, researchers and thought leaders from top medical and research institutions to inform its approach to skin longevity research. This led to the development of Sirtivity-LP, a patented technology said to slow down and visibly reverse skin aging. It is used in Estée Lauder’s Re-Nutriv line, including its eye cream and soft crème moisturizer. 

While Estée Lauder and L’Oréal are leading the charge, new generation brands such as France’s Caudalie’s Premier Cru Serum and Sweden’s Mantle The Longevity Serum are helping to grow the space with products designed to promote skin longevity. 

TIKTOK SHOP TAKES OVER

TikTok is forging ahead as the platform for skincare brand discovery, especially among young consumers. According to online beauty resource and consulting company Beauty Matter, TikTok Shop is staging one of the most significant channel disruptions since the advent of DTC. It is currently rolling out in key European markets with a view to accessing a digital-native customer base. 

Beauty trend forecaster Theresa Yee has seen a plethora of viral skincare trends emerge on TikTok from glass skin to slugging to skin cycling, with Glow Recipe and Laneige going viral overnight leading to instant sell-outs. 

“TikTok has made it easier and more seamless for consumer to purchase products directly from the app,” she explains. “It’s becoming one of beauty’s fastest growing shopping channels with more than 30,000 beauty brands now active on the UK TikTok shop platform.” 

Furthermore, beauty brands are using TikTok to preview new products and use livestreaming to offer flash sales, exclusives and discounts. 

Retailers are being forced to respond. Boots has expanded its range of skincare brands to include Korean-owned Dr Reju-All and Laka and pharmacist brand Korres, while department store group John Lewis is opening Skin Cupid shop-in-shops in order to bring specialist skincare expertise to customers outside London for the first time. Sephora is also releasing new skincare products on its app before rolling them out online or in-store.

European skincare is an evolving and dynamic market with good prospects for growth. As TikTok continues its expansion into European markets, brands must be prepared to pivot in order to take advantage of fast-moving trends.

Imogen Matthews

Headington, Oxford 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. www.imogenmatthews.co.uk