50 Beauty Industry Statistics and Facts: Chemicals in Beauty Products (2024)

The makeup and skin care product industry continues to thrive. Some companies have shifted focus to a natural and cleaner ingredient formula while others give the illusion they have. The below beauty industry statistics give basic and interesting facts as well as alarming insight to recent statistics and facts concerning chemicals in the beauty industry. Becoming aware could literally help your health.

50 Statistics and Facts: The Beauty Industry and Chemicals Used in beauty products

Content:

General Global Beauty Statistics & Facts

General United States Beauty Statistics and Facts

Fragrance in the Beauty Industry: Statistics and Facts

Chemicals in the Beauty Industry: Alarming Statistics and Facts

Natural and Organic Beauty Industry: Statistics and Facts

General Global beauty statistics & Facts

The cosmetics market was valued at $507.8 billion globally in 2018.
By 2025, the global cosmetics industry is projected to be worth $758.4 billion.
Beauty and personal care worldwide revenue is at 571.10 billion dollars in 2023.
The anticipated 2023-2027 CARG (compounded annual growth rate) for the beauty and personal care market is at 3.8%.
In 2019, the market on cosmetic preservatives, both chemical and natural, averaged at 978.5 million U.S. dollars.
By the year 2026, the projected worth of the cosmetic preservatives market is anticipated to be 1.27 billion U.S. dollars.
There was an increase of more than 16% growth in the cosmetics industry worldwide in 2022, in comparison to the previous year.
Online sales worldwide for the beauty and personal care market will bring in a revenue of 27.5% in 2023.

By 2026, the above figure of 987.5 million dollars is projected to increase to over 1.27 billion U.S. dollars.

General United States Beauty Statistics and facts

The CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) is expected to grow by 2.60% between the years 2023-2027 in the United States.
The most profitable category in the beauty industry is skincare with a projected revenue of 188 billion U.S. dollars in 2026.
In 2023, the beauty and personal care industry averaged 91.41 billion(n) in U.S. dollars.
The beauty and personal care market in the United States has an expected CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 0f 2.6% for years 2023-2027.
In the Beauty & Personal Care market for the United States, 36.6% of total revenue will be generated through online sales by 2023.
North Asia dominated 35% of the global cosmetic industry while North America came in 2nd place with 26% market makeup.

Fragrance in the Beauty Industry: Statistics and Facts

Brands Do Not need to reveal the ingredients used in their fragrance creations because it is considered a trade secret.
- Therefore, companies can include hormone disrupting ingredients like phthalates and synthetic musk. (Beauty Counter)
The terms fragrance free and unscented may contain ingredients that mask the smell of the fragrance by tricking the brain into not noticing them.
Unlabeled fragrance and parfum ingredients can include asthma and allergy inducing irritants and ingredients that cause headache and respiratory problem.
Approximately 3,000 chemicals are used in fragrance creations. Dozens of these chemicals are used to make up a single fragrance creation.

Chemicals in the Beauty Industry - Alarming Statistics & Facts

A study of 20 teenage girls aged 14-19 found 16 chemicals which included phthalates, parabens, and triclosan in the teen's urine samples. These chemicals are found in studies to be related to hormonal problems and cancer.
Heavy metals have been found in the pigments and fillers of certain cosmetics such as blush and eyeshadows.
- This is in spite of the fact that metals like cadmium, arsenic, and lead are not to be added to beauty products. (FDA, 2022h).
Formaldehyde is used to prevent bacteria from forming in personal and beauty products. Other chemicals are now used such as methylene glycol which release formaldehyde. These products include nail polish, body wash, and makeup.
"U.S. researchers report that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, and hormone disruptors." (davidsuzuki.org)
50 mg of parabens per day is what women are exposed to through cosmetic usage.
Out of 200 surveys, 79% of parents say that makeup products including, glitter and face paint marketed specifically to kids are used by kids aged 12 and younger.
- Studies have shown toxins such as formaldehyde, asbestos, phthalates, and other harmful chemicals to be present in these products used by children.
High amounts of fluorine were found in 56% of foundations and eye makeup, 48% of lip makeup, and 47% of mascara after a test was done on 230 cosmetic products by University of Notre Dame researchers.
- fluorine is a highly toxic chemicals found in "forever chemicals", also known as PFAS.
Many of the cosmetic industry's chemical safety assessments reveal that common petroleum-based cosmetic ingredients can be contaminated with a cancer-causing impurity called 1,4-dioxane. Studies show that this chemical readily penetrates the skin.

1 in every 24 women are exposed to harmful toxins known to cause problems with reproductive health, fertility issues as well as cause developmental delays to the fetus. (EWG et al. 2002).
"12.2 million adults – one of every 13 women and one of every 23 men – are exposed to ingredients that are known probable human carcinogens every day through their use of personal care products."
"Since 2009, 595 cosmetics manufacturers have reported using 88 chemicals, in more than 73,000 products, that have been linked to cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm."
The toxic ingredient TPHP (Triphenyl Phosphate) was found in 50% of nail polishes between the years 2012-2015.
- Thyroid and reproductive health shown to be negatively impacted by the toxin TPHP. (Environmental Science and Technology)
Out of 10,500 personal care products, 89% have not been evaluated by the CIR or FDA for safety. (EWG).
In 2016, the U.S. imported 2.9 cosmetic brands into the country from 181 countries.
Between 2011-2016, there was a 79% increase in imports from China.
In 2013, researchers from the University of California of Berkley found aluminum and titanium in 32 lipstick brands they tested and 75% of the lipstick products contained lead.
- aluminum is linked to problems with neurological function and titanium negatively impacts the nervous system and is linked to learning disabilities.
"Methylene glycol is one ingredient that releases formaldehyde vapors into the air when heated and can cause serious health issues, says Rhonda Davis, a cosmetic chemist at the Alquemie Product Development Group in Mobile, Alabama. Traces of this toxin may currently be lurking in products such as nail polish, nail polish remover, hair styling agents, and baby hygiene products sold at retailers, she adds."
Nail polish with the greatest amount of aluminum was found in nail polish with the ingredient mica. Some mica can contain aluminum.
Phthalates are linked to problems with hormone production, the brain, the reproduction system, immune health, low sperm and testosterone levels in males, cancer, cardiovascular health, and obesity in children as reported by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Natural and Organic beauty Industry Statistics and Facts:

It is projected that the natural cosmetic and personal care industry will increase from 35 billions dollars to around 59 billion dollars from the year 2021 to 2031.

According to the consumer market outlook from Statista, the organic and natural market on cosmetics is estimated to value $18.07 billion dollars by the year 2027.
Proceeds from the organic and natural cosmetics industry was valued at 11.92 billion in 2021.
The natural cosmetic industry averaged 1.75 billion(n) in revenue in 2023.
A recent 2021 survey conducted in the United States found that 46% of the Generation Z U.S. population showed interest in clean, non-toxic beauty and personal care products and 45% of millennials showed this same interest.

The natural cosmetic market is expected to grow with a CARG of 7.06% between 2023-2027.
The most searched for ingredient worldwide in skincare products in 2022 was coconut oil.
Vitamin E was the second most sought after ingredient in skincare products during 2022 making up 31,000 searches globally.