Key Takeaways:

• Haircare grew 10%, faster than any other beauty category, pushing past fragrance as the fastest-growing category.
• rhode went from No. 16 to No. 3 in cosmetics, while Medicube became the first K-beauty brand in the skincare rankings.
• 85% of teen girls prefer to shop beauty in person, which is why Sephora and Ulta Beauty hold the top two spots.

Piper Sandler’s 26th annual Taking Stock With Teens survey points to a recovery in teen beauty spending, with haircare leading category growth, rhode strengthening its position across cosmetics and skincare, and Sephora maintaining its lead as the preferred beauty retailer. The survey polled approximately 9,000 teenagers across 47 US states, offering a snapshot of how younger consumers are spending and which brands are winning their attention.

The findings suggest that growth is not confined to one beauty category or consumer trend. While haircare is capturing a greater share of teen girls’ spending, fragrance remains embedded in daily routines and K-beauty is gaining visibility. At the same time, the influence of social media has not eliminated the importance of physical retail, reinforcing the value of distribution, product discovery, and in-person shopping experiences.

The Beauty Edit

• Haircare overtook fragrance as the fastest-growing category, up 10%. Cosmetics and skincare each grew 5%.
• Teen girls’ wallet share in hair reached an all-time high of 23%, up two points year over year (YoY).
• Sephora remains the No. 1 beauty destination at 39%, and Ulta Beauty holds No. 2 at 25%. Target gained one point of share after a weak 2024.
• 85% of teen girls still prefer shopping for beauty in stores, down one point YoY. TikTok entered the destination rankings at No. 9.
• e.l.f. remains the No. 1 cosmetics brand at 33% mindshare, followed by Rare Beauty and rhode.
• rhode made the biggest move. It ranked in skincare for the first time, at No. 4, and jumped from No. 16 to No. 3 in cosmetics after launching its Pocket Bronzer in June.
• Medicube rose to No. 6 in skincare, the first K-beauty brand to appear in the survey. That came about seven months after it launched nationwide at Sephora.
• 75% of teen girls who buy K-beauty spend $20 to $50 on fewer than two products.
• 87% of teen girls named influencers and friends as factors in their purchases, compared with 37% who cited beauty retailers.
• 77% of teen girls and 51% of teen boys wear fragrance every day. Piper Sandler Managing Director Anna Andreeva pointed to boys. “The age of the male customer coming into this category starts younger.”
• Bath & Body Works is still the top fragrance brand among girls despite losing 13 points over three years. Huda climbed from the bottom of the top 20 to No. 6.
• Based Bodyworks, a TikTok-viral brand founded by influencer-barber Lance Baker, took No. 2 in boys’ skincare at 10%.

Top Beauty Destinations (Teen Girls)

1. Sephora 39%
2. Ulta Beauty 25%
3. Target 8%
4. Amazon 7%
5. Bath & Body Works 6%

Top Cosmetics Brands (Teen Girls)

1. e.l.f.
2. Rare Beauty
3. rhode

Top Skincare Brands (Teen Girls)

1. CeraVe 30%
2. The Ordinary 7%
3. La Roche-Posay 6%
4. rhode 6%
5. Bubble 4%

Top Skincare Brands (Teen Boys)

1. CeraVe 49%
2. Based Bodyworks 10%
3. Dove 4%
4. Cetaphil 4%
5. The Ordinary 3%

Top Fragrance Brands (Teen Girls)

1. Bath & Body Works 18%
2. Sol de Janeiro 13%
3. Victoria’s Secret 12%
4. Dior 4%
5. Valentino 4%

Top Fragrance Brands (Teen Boys)

1. Jean Paul Gaultier 15%
2. Yves Saint Laurent 12%
3. Valentino 10%
4. Versace 8%
5. Dior 6%

Top Haircare Brands (Teen Girls)

1. Not Your Mother’s 12%
2. Amika 9%
3. L’Oréal 8%
4. Dove 4%
5. Olaplex 4%

The Takeaway

Haircare is now driving teen beauty. It is the fastest-growing category. Dove displaced Ouai at No. 4, and Kérastase entered the top 20 for the first time. Most of these brands sell at Ulta Beauty, which has posted high single-digit haircare growth for three straight quarters. In skincare and cosmetics, social-first brands are moving up fast. rhode, Medicube, and Based Bodyworks all made big gains this year, while heritage names such as Bath & Body Works and Sol de Janeiro are losing share.