British health, beauty and wellness retailer Boots has revealed insights into its most popular products of 2025, and the trends that drove them.
Key themes of proactive wellness, science-backed skin care, global beauty and mood-driven scents emerged as the retailer analysed search and sales data from across the year.
Ashwagandha, AHAs and marine collagen were revealed to be three of the most in-demand ingredients of the year.
Beyond individual products and categories, the overall findings uncovered a wider shift towards a holistic and rounded approach to beauty, health and wellness.
“As our report outlined, beauty, health and wellness have never been more intertwined as consumers take a more holistic approach to life,” said Grace Vernon, Head of Global Trends & Cultural Insights at Boots & No7 Beauty Company.
“This health hacking trend has resulted in collagen, electrolytes and adaptogens all growing in prominence at Boots this year.”
Consumers are looking to ingest their wellness investments, with a 227% search increase for marine collagen year-on-year (YOY), and collagen sales rising 62%.
Adaptogens – natural plants and herbs such as mushrooms used to regulate the body and stress – were a breakout category for Boots in 2025.
Searches for ashwagandha, a medicinal herb said to help with stress and anxiety, saw a huge 722% increase in searches YOY.
Beyond supplements, the ingredient is also proving popular in skin care.
When it comes to science-led skin care, acidic exfoliation took centre stage with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic acid seeing demand across Boots stores.
Glycolic acid alone saw a 64% increase in searches, with The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner revealed as the retailer's second bestselling premium beauty product
While this may be expected in skin care, the exfoliating ingredients are growing in popularity beyond the face, with AHAs now found in a number of body care and even scalp products.
When it comes to scent, a sense of nostalgia has become a huge driver for sales in 2025, as 2000s fragrances made a comeback off the back of Y2K’s social media resurgence.
Hydration and gut health have both seen growth over the past year as consumers seek functional fixes.
Electrolytes have seen a 755% increase in searches YOY as consumers integrate the hydration hits into their daily routines, with a peak of one item sold every 14 seconds earlier in summer.
Gut health product searches have also increased by 70%, with sales rising 15%.
Global beauty has taken over as Korean skin care has spiralled into an industry-wide take over spanning colour cosmetics, body, hair care and more.
“We also continue to see beauty lovers turn to science-backed, ingredient-led brands for skin care, with a growing influence from the global market with K-beauty solutions remaining popular throughout the year,” explained Vernon.
Boots reports selling a K-beauty product every 15 seconds, while brands like TirTir and German Catrice Cosmetics landed in stores and online to bring the viral brands to beauty lovers.
“As we move into 2026, we expect our customers to evolve their increasingly holistic approach to their beauty and wellness,” said Vernon.