The Hair Gel Market is expected to register a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period.
Key Highlights
- Hair gel is an essential product for hair maintenance and has consistently been purchased by consumers globally, driving the market growth. These gels come in varying ingredients, fragrances, and packaging, opening up opportunities for product innovations and launches and further augmenting market growth.
- The advent of new technologies, such as smartphones, personal computers, the internet, e-commerce, social media, communication strategies, and marketing campaigns, has transformed the landscape of advertising and promotion. Influencer marketing on social media has become a popular tactic for brands to influence consumers, and motivate advertisers and marketing practitioners to modify their brand engagements in the digital environment.
- According to the World Population Review, India, with a penetration rate of 43% of the country's total population, has one of the highest numbers of Internet users, with 658 million as of January 2022. This presents a high potential for manufacturers to market their products through online advertising, such as social media marketing. Leading hair gel companies like L'Oreal, Unilever, and Procter & Gamble use social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube to launch new products and engage with consumers through tutorials and marketing initiatives.
- Brands are heavily investing in advertising and marketing promotions to attract a broader consumer base, such as L'Oreal, which spent around EUR 10.59 billion (USD 11.79 billion) on advertising and promotion in 2021, up from EUR 8.65 billion (USD 9.64 billion) in 2020, and Unilever, which invested EUR 6.84 billion (USD 7.61 billion in brand marketing in 2021.
- Europe and North America hold dominant positions in the global hair gel market during the study period. Various factors, such as the increase in grooming culture, different styling patterns, and growing enthusiasm to look good for longer hours, especially among younger age groups, are projected to positively impact market growth during the forecast period.
Hair Gel Market Trends
Burgeoning Appeal for Clean Lable Likely to Foster the Growth of the Market
- Consumers today are increasingly knowledgeable about the ingredients in the products they use on their hair. They are conscious of the potential adverse effects of components like parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, alcohol, and aluminum in haircare products. As a result, the demand for clean-label products has surged in the global market for hair gel. Many buyers now prefer one brand over another because of its clean-label ingredients, leading to an increased desire for organic and natural hair gel products.
- This trend has led to an escalating demand for hair care products like hair gel, resulting in an enhanced spending pattern in the hair care market, particularly for certified hair gel products. According to a study of 2,100 consumers by DSM Personal Care and Aroma HQ, Basel, conducted in 2021, 56% of consumers believed that active ingredient is more important than brand, package, or fragrance when making purchasing decisions.
- Sensitivity to certain ingredients has also led consumers to seek out fragrance-free and clean-label products. Companies have responded by launching clean-label products with plant-based and premium botanical ingredients, meeting the high demand for clean-label ingredients in the market. For example, Prose, a Brooklyn-based DTC beauty-tech brand, launched Custom Styling Gel in August 2022, exclusively designed for curls and coils. This gel is fueled by over 97% natural ingredients, including three-star components like Aloe Vera, Okra, and sea moss. The gel is free of alcohol and parabens, delivering excellent results without compromising its clean formula.
- In summary, the market for hair gel is experiencing a surge in demand for clean-label products with organic and natural ingredients. Companies are launching products that meet this demand by utilizing plant-based and premium botanical ingredients. As consumers become more ingredient-savvy, the demand for clean-label hair gel is expected to continue to rise in the future.
Europe Holds the Largest Share
- The popularity of hair gel has surged in the region due to the growing interest in maintaining healthy hair and a presentable appearance. Products containing additional hair repair treatments are in high demand as customers tend to use artificial colors and dyes, which can be harmful to the hair. Therefore, customers compensate for this damage by using premium branded hair gel products for hair treatment.
- The region's robust retail infrastructure across various channels has also contributed to the growth of the hair gel market. In Spain, approximately 46% of cosmetic and fragrance items sold in 2021 came from the mass market channel, including retail outlets such as hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores. Pharmacies ranked second in the ranking. Additionally, more people are incorporating regular hair care regimes into their well-being routines.
- According to a survey sponsored by Oasis Dental Care in 2021, British women spend an average of GBP 95.94 on cosmetics each year and an additional GBP 162.52 on hair products, totaling GBP 10 billion annually. Men spend an average of GBP 85.99 annually on hair care. As a result, consumers in the region are seeking at-home hair care and grooming products that provide professional results for common hair issues such as frizz, damage, dullness, and unruliness.
- Hair gels are popular among consumers as they are simple to use and require no prior experience. Consequently, producers are likely to supply these items across Europe. Furthermore, the consumer's inclination towards beauty and hair styling products has created opportunities for hair gel market players.
Hair Gel Industry Overview
The global hair gel market is fiercely competitive, with market players striving to increase their share in the market. Currently, the market share is dominated by key players such as Loreal SA, Unilever PLC, Henkel AG & Co. KG Aa, and Mandom Corporation, among others. These major players implement strategies such as product innovation, expansion, mergers, and acquisitions to maintain their market position.
To sustain themselves in the market, companies are increasing their investments in research and development (R&D) and marketing activities while expanding their distribution channels. Product innovation is a key focus area for companies, emphasizing incorporating natural and organic ingredients to cater to the increasing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products.
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