Gen Z’s consumer contribution in the beauty industry is undoubtedly impressive—according to Lending Tree, the average member of the generation spends around $2,048 per year on beauty products.Among the differing groups of customers within Gen Z, college students hold a particularly strong share of the market, said to have $593 billion in spending power. In fact, despite students having to frequently follow a boot strapped budget, data suggests they spend more on cosmetics each year than full-time workers. In 2024, US consumers spent just over $7 billion on back-to-college personal care items—the largest figure ever tracked, with 67% percent of college students considering beauty and personal care products a necessity. Windsor Hanger Western—co-founder and President of Her Campus Media, a platform dedicated to empowering college women around the globe—believes that students frequently turn to beauty as a means to navigate their individuality in college, a space where people often want to stand out and make a good impression to peers.“At Her Campus Media, we’ve always seen beauty as a powerful source of empowerment and self-expression, particularly in the college years—a transformative time when students explore their identity and sense of self,” Hanger Western told BeautyMatter. “Beauty evolves with students as they grow, shaping how they present themselves and connect with the world. That’s what makes it so impactful—it’s dynamic, all-encompassing, and resonates deeply with college students discovering their place in the world.