Skincare products in Germany - statistics & facts
Beauty may run skin deep, but skincare products can easily leave a noticeable dent in consumer budgets. While the skincare market is represented by plenty of affordable drugstore brands, more expensive, high-end products promising various outstanding results after use also vie for consumer attention. This is particularly evident in the anti-ageing segment, with the name itself signaling a market playing on consumers' potential pursuit of youth and halting the visible aging process via non-invasive means. Consumer spending on personal care products generally increased during the last decades, with almost 43 billion euros recorded in 2023, and these figures are preliminary. For comparison, ten years earlier figures stood at around 33 billion euros. In 2023, around 32.1 million people in Germany were moderately interested in skin and body care, while roughly 17.4 million were especially interested.
The skincare product market in Germany is a competitive one, subject to the same questions and issues facing consumer goods in general. These include retaining customer loyalty; using social media to reach customers, target audiences and advertise new products; sustainable and transparent production; finally, adapting products to fit consumer demand. This may relate both to lifestyle changes for the current consumer, as well as dealing with critical feedback on ingredients in skincare, should the company involved be willing to invest in changing the product in question.
Daily skincare
Skincare products refer to a variety of application areas. Creams, toners and masks are especially accessible to consumers, as they are easy to use both at and outside of the home, requiring no particular skills, and due to the usually small packaging. This might also mean more frequent purchases, which manufacturers obviously aim for. In 2023, around 30.2 million people in Germany used skin cream, with numbers having decreased in recent years. This may be due to various reasons, among them increased consumer goods prices across the board, and customers possibly being more discerning about product contents. Skin cream further includes numerous types: hand cream, foot cream, body cream, day and night cream, to make just a few examples. Around 30 million people used body lotion in 2023, with numbers remaining mostly unchanged in recent years.Face value
Germany is home to Nivea, probably the best-known and most recognizable brand in the world as far as German skincare products are concerned. Nivea is thus far ranked second by value among leading European cosmetic brands, at around 6.1 billion euros. Worldwide, Nivea's brand value was around 6.78 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Among women, three Nivea products were ranked at the top among face creams, lotions and serums.The skincare product market in Germany is a competitive one, subject to the same questions and issues facing consumer goods in general. These include retaining customer loyalty; using social media to reach customers, target audiences and advertise new products; sustainable and transparent production; finally, adapting products to fit consumer demand. This may relate both to lifestyle changes for the current consumer, as well as dealing with critical feedback on ingredients in skincare, should the company involved be willing to invest in changing the product in question.
