For too long Gen Z and millennials have held the attention of beauty brands, but not any more.
While these younger shoppers have been a huge driver for sales in recent years, there is an older demographic that is set to become beauty’s most VIP consumers in 2026: boomers.
“For years, brands chased youth because it felt culturally ‘future-proof’, but that strategy is now over-indexed,” shares brand and retail expert Wizz Selvey, founder of brand and retail strategy consultancy Wizz & Co and co-founder of perimenopause brand Valerie.
“Boomers, on the other hand, are under-served, highly brand-loyal when they are respected, and actively looking for products that genuinely improve how they feel and look.”
The boomer age group – born between 1946 to 1964 – are the ideal beauty consumer due to a number of factors – an ageing generation who purchase based on efficacy and loyalty rather than chasing trends, and with a higher disposable income than their Gen Z and millennial counterparts.
More than half (52%) of boomers say they have enough disposable income for self-care, found a survey conducted by The Bank of America Institute, which is nearly twice the share of Gen Z.
Baby boomers spend on beauty is also expected to reach US$8bn between 2024 and 2034, discovered market research company Nielsen.
Aside from financial influence, this shift towards spotlighting boomers also comes alongside wider movements towards positive ageing and longevity.
Sara Mitzner, VP of Brand Marketing for AS Beauty Group, whose portfolio includes brands Laura Geller Beauty and Bliss, explains: “The constant obsession with youth in our culture is getting old.
“It overlooks a generation that has both influence and purchasing power.
“Marketing dollars can and should impact those who make thoughtful and informed decisions (and are loyal!), rather than those who follow trends too closely.”
The rise of boomer beauty
Those aged 60-plus have always been keen beauty buyers, but never before have so many brands pivoted from focusing on pushing the promise of youth to instead launching products to support ageing well.
This is, in part, due to an ageing population and the rise of longevity beauty.
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“In the past century alone, lifespans have increased by 30 years,” explains Estelle Porcher, founder of L’Oréal Groupe’s Boomer Innovation Centre (BIC) – a dedicated space committed to the research and development of products tailored towards this generational group.
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