This article was originally published in the Hair care Trend Report. Receive your copy here
Hair care has moved beyond just hair care: it has transformed into a broader wellness experience. Shampoo and conditioner may remain the core essentials in hair care routines, but today, consumers are looking for holistic rituals that offer restorative benefits with elevated sensorials.
The category “is increasingly being viewed through the lens of emotional wellbeing and self-care,” says Emma Fishwick, UK Account Director of Circana.
“Products such as treatments, masks, serums and oils are leading growth, underscoring the strong link between hair health and emotional wellness,” she adds. During the first half of 2025, prestige sales of hair serums grew by 40% across Europe, reports Circana, with hair masks (+32%), treatments (+20%), leave-in scalp treatments (+19%) and hair oils (+17%) all booming.
This was boosted by the ‘skinification’ trend – where brands highlight ingredient efficacy and skin care-like benefits – which continues to gain traction.
“It helps to communicate value and drive purchase intent,” says Fishwick.
Hair care products that claim to improve wellbeing in some way are providing a clear opportunity for brands, and the hair growth and scalp care segment in particular has become a hotbed of innovation.
“Consumers are increasingly seeking products that offer growth, restorative, and strengthening benefits, reflecting a shift toward holistic beauty routines,” says Fishwick.
Suzanne Scott, Global Associate Beauty Director of beauty communications group SEEN, adds: “Hair care is hugely emotive, and I think that’s why topics such as hair loss are thriving on social media right now.
“It’s a space where people can share their progress, their ups and downs, their recommendations, and know that it’s reaching people who are living with similar experiences.
“There’s a real opportunity for brands to connect with consumers over these shared experiences, like hair loss, and provide solutions.”
One of the reasons why we’re seeing such enthusiasm for hair care now is that, as consumers, we’re really in our ritual era – Suzanne Scott, Global Associate Beauty Director, SEEN
Combining efficacy with sensoriality is also a sweet spot in hair care right now. According to THG Labs’ Hair Care Trend Report 2025, hair therapy – a fusion of hair care and wellness – has dramatically increased in popularity recently with more consumers searching for “head spa” and “scalp facials” on Google and TikTok.
“Elevating basic hair routines into at-home rituals brings a greater sense of connection and calm, while improving scalp health and hair quality over time,” says the report.
In fact, Scott argues that: “One of the reasons why we’re seeing such enthusiasm for hair care now is that, as consumers, we’re really in our ritual era.
“Whether it’s skin care, wellness, or hair care, consumers are beginning to appreciate the power of a routine rather than placing all their bets on a singular product.”
With growth forecast to rise incrementally over the next two years, exceeding US$104bn by the end of 2026, according to Euromonitor International, future opportunities will focus on trends that take their cue from skin care.
Brands that can add a sensory experience while offering functional benefits, to fuse the connection between hair care and wellness will answer consumers’ needs for ways to deepen their relationship with self-care.
Trends will be revealed in detail throughout October exclusively to subscribers, so don't miss out and subscribe.
Trend 1: Hair growth
From celebrity serums to clinical staples, consumers are flocking to hair growth solutions. In 2025, they want fuller, stronger hair and they want credible solutions that deliver visible results.
Celebrity launches have helped to turbocharge attention, but the momentum is sustained by category fundamentals that are trending up across markets, channels and formats.
And as scalp care surges, brands are racing to meet demand with science-backed formulas, new formats and clear education.
This trend reveals what kinds of formats and innovations are driving demand.
Trend 2: The power of play
Whether it’s Paris Hilton filling a giant pink shampoo bottle with a petrol pump for the new Paul Mitchell campaign, TRESemmé telling Gen Z to ‘Get TF Out of Bed’ and have some IRL fun, Göt2B’s Curly House pop-up in New York City that featured a twisty slide ball pit, or the joyful branding from being Haircare and Hair Syrup – hair care is turning playful.
It’s an interesting departure from years of functionality and professionalism in hair care. Circana has spotted the trend coming through this year, with UK Account Director Emma Fishwick stating that examples run across the board. “Engaging packaging, distinctive brand icons and immersive retail experiences are capturing consumer attention,” says Fishwick.
“Consumers are gravitating toward joyful, expressive products that offer escapism and optimism, and playful branding in hair care delivers emotional uplift and indulgence.”
Trend 3: Waterless hair care
Beyond solid bars, a fresh wave of waterless hair care is quenching consumer thirst for sustainability, convenience and performance. Beauty giant Procter and Gamble (P&G) is staking a claim on the category to take it mainstream, debuting Gemz in the US this summer.
14 years in the making, Gemz offers what P&G describes as a first-of-its-kind single dose formula that is activated by water at the point of use. Meanwhile, Beards & Beyond water-free shampoo, comes in the form of an innovative foam. This trend explores how these and other brands are addressing challenges and bringing new innovation to waterless hair care, pushing the market into a new era.
Trend 4: Edge care
Laying edges, or ‘sleeking’ is a hairstyling technique often used as the finishing touch for women with Afro-textured hair, and edge art has had spikes of popularity in the past – such as in the 1990s thanks to looks from Salt-N-Pepa and TLC.
Following 2025’s MET Gala, edges are firmly back on fashion’s rada, with stars from The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri to Simone Biles and Dua Lipa among those attending the event with hair moulded into kiss curls.
But while baby hair curls, swirls and waves have been embraced on 2025’s red carpets, their vulnerability to increased breakage has coincided with the launch of premium edge styling and care skus from celebrity brands including Beyoncé’s Cécred and Rihanna’s Fenty Hair.
And with data from Spate suggesting that consumers are increasingly concerned about the health of their edges, as seen with the growth of ‘thin edge’ across platforms (up 262.2%), such launches are well positioned for the further growth of the burgeoning edge care segment.
Trend 5: Onion shampoo
Its instant association with watering eyes and a pungent odour may make onion the least expected key ingredient for shampoo.
But social media relishes the unusual, and onion shampoo is offering layers of appeal, growing by over 1,000% compared to last year, according to Spate’s Popularity Index, with TikTok leading the charge.
The ingredient may not be used widely among hair care brands, but those that do offer onion-based products have seen a spike in interest.
Peeling back the current fascination with the ingredient, it is the traditional Ayurvedic uses and documented benefits of onion in hair care that are spurring demand, from hair strengthening to preventing thinning hair, promoting collagen production and microcirculation
