Beauty has spent years chasing youth, but some of the category’s strongest spending is coming from consumers the industry has too often treated as secondary.
Of course, there’s no denying that Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) remains highly visible in beauty culture, driving product discovery, social conversation and trend visibility. But Gen X, which spans those born between 1965 and 1980, is carrying a far larger share of beauty’s commercial weight. BeautyMatter reported that Gen X alone spends US$279 billion annually on beauty, with that figure projected to reach more than US$430 billion over the next decade.
Other industry data points in the same direction. US-based market research firm Circana reports that households with at least one Gen X member accounted for 44 percent of total beauty spending over the past year, while NielsenIQ projects Gen X spending power to top US$20 trillion globally through 2033.
Beauty’s public conversation may still skew young, but the money is increasingly forcing a broader view of the market. Major retailers are already responding, with Sephora and Ulta reported to be adjusting their product mixes and brand focus toward older, higher-spending consumers.
‘I think 50 is the new 30 and 60 is the new 40s,’ Ulta CEO Kecia Steelman told Yahoo Finance. ‘So those of us that are ageing, we want to age gracefully, so if we can find products that are actually helping the longevity of the look, we’re leaning into that.’
As Gen X moves through peri-menopause, menopause and midlife ageing, beauty concerns are becoming more specific: dryness, sensitivity, collagen loss, pigmentation, skin laxity, hair thinning and changes in texture. These are not trend-led concerns, but ongoing changes that often drive consumers toward products and advice positioned around efficacy, skin quality and longevity.
A rethink of beauty’s youth-first lens
Beauty has long treated younger consumers as the natural centre of relevance. In the TikTok era, that focus has only intensified. Youth culture moves quickly, produces visible trends and offers a constant stream of new language, formats and product moments.
But attention is not the same as spend.
At BeautyMatter’s FUTURE50 Summit, the panel ‘Beauty’s Lost Generation: The Gen X Opportunity’ argued that women over 45 have been overlooked despite their spending power, experience and loyalty. The discussion framed this consumer not as someone trying to recapture youth, but as someone looking for products, education and representation that reflect her life now.
AlixPartners has described Gen X as the generation with the biggest spending power in beauty, health and wellness, yet one that remains under-served. The firm reported that Gen X shoppers spent an average of US$2,276 on beauty, health and wellness products, excluding services, over the previous 12 months – 16 percent more than other consumers.
Spending is also growing. Based on data cited by AlixPartners, the younger half of Gen X, aged 45-54, has increased spending on personal care by 47 percent since 2020. The older half, aged 55-63, has increased spending by 63 percent. Further, NielsenIQ estimates that between 2021 and 2033, the cohort will spend $15.2 trillion a year, expected to rise to $23 trillion by 2035.
‘We’re not ignoring people as they get older in the beauty industry as much anymore,’ Anna Mayo, a NielsenIQ beauty thought leader, told cnbc.com. ‘For the first time, we’re seeing brands launched and they’re talking about menopause… I think that really helps keep people engaged. They feel like they’re not buying something that was made for a college student.’
Results with a side of relevance
The clearest message from the Gen X research is that this consumer wants substance. AlixPartners found that Gen X places high value on product quality, efficacy, clean ingredients, detailed ingredient information, curation and knowledgeable advice. The same analysis suggested this cohort is less motivated than younger groups by constant novelty, subscription models, personalisation and social commerce.
As the BeautyMatter’s FUTURE50 panel argued, older consumers want products that work, communication that does not patronise them and guidance that reflects real life. They are still interested in beauty as expression and enjoyment, but they are less likely to be persuaded by vague claims or generic youth-focused imagery.
Gen Z remains central to the way beauty is discovered and discussed. Its influence can make products visible quickly and force claims into public scrutiny. But Gen X is increasingly central to where beauty spending sits now, particularly in categories linked to skin quality, hair, longevity, menopause, visible results and product trust.
For a category that has spent decades equating youth with relevance, the data is a useful corrective. Beauty’s most visible consumer is not always its highest-value consumer, and the people most willing to invest in how they look, feel and age are not always the ones dominating the feed.
