Beauty’s overconsumption problem and the movement tackling it

Although underconsumption in beauty is nothing new – having reappeared in the industry rhetoric under various different umbrella terms over the years – its continued steady rise signals a significant cultural shift towards much more mindful purchasing habits. 

From ‘use what I have’ movements to ‘no/low buy’ month challenges, these labels are all part of the broader underconsumption movement, but they all harp to the same message – that shoppers are now much more conscientious about what they buy and bring into their homes.

And this push back on overconsumption is trickling into buying habits, with more than two-thirds (68%) of UK adults finding the amount of beauty and grooming products available to be overwhelming, reports industry analyst Mintel, and a further 56% thinking it is superficial to spend too much money on them. 

So, to pass it off as a mere trend would be naive.

This is a greater sustainability shift that some shoppers are actively trying to be part of for the long term.

All this is contributing to the rejection of ‘fast-beauty’ and the advent of ‘slow skin care’

“Interest in underconsumption is rife at the moment thanks to a shift in consumer values whereby more mindful and meaningful consumption habits are prioritised,” says Maya Regan, Assistant Beauty Trends Editor at global trends intelligence company Stylus.

“A stronger desire for streamlined routines and high-quality products is driven by economic uncertainty and rising financial constraints from the cost-of-living crisis, coupled with environmental concerns and efforts to minimise waste, as well as counteracting society’s pressure to engage with TikTok-driven consumerism.”

The latest iterations of the movement pushing back on excess have included ‘underconsumptioncore’ – a hashtag on social media encouraging people to be more thoughtful with what they buy and to live more modestly.

The concept went viral in the latter half of 2024, with global Google searches for ‘underconsumption’ increasing by a staggering 144% alone in August.

“Underconsumption comes as a sequel to the deinfluencing trend as people realise that influencers are gifted lots of products and promote unnecessary purchases,” adds Regan.

“But it will have better longevity as it does not expect consumers to stop buying all together, just to make smarter choices and find quality products that are worth it.” 

 70% of the industry’s plastic waste is not recycled, found the British Beauty Council’s The Courage to Change report

Moving away from ‘unseemly’ excess

This year, the ‘Project Pan’ challenge – which sees people aim to finish all of their beauty products before buying more – has taken off on TikTok, with more than 42,500 posts already. 

And this thoughtful shopping approach is also taking