Benchmarking Insights into Emerging Haircare Trends

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Benchmarking Insights into Emerging Haircare
Trends
The haircare industry is evolving, driven by
consumer demands for sustainability, natural
ingredients, and digital innovations. The
AI-driven research uncovered emerging trends
across Australia, the UK, and the US, with key
differences in product preferences, ethical
concerns, and digital tools. This article
explored these benchmarking trends and offered
actionable insights for our clients haircare
brands to stay competitive and innovative. Methodo
logy and Scope The study used AI to analyze
conversations related to haircare and compare
results across Australia, the UK, and the US,
focusing on female consumers. A significant
sample size was taken from each country
(Australia 2,109, UK 2,999, US 4,641), and
consumer conversations were monitored over a
six-month period. The AI identified approximately
140 themes, which were clustered and further
refined to around 100 relevant themes through
human assessment. Data collected included the
number of people mentioning specific topics, as
well as shifts in positive or negative
sentiment. Trends with high growth rates based on
positive sentiment were considered emerging. The
benchmarking analysis covered seven key areas
unmet needs, ingredients (both positive and
negative), popular products, packaging, digital
utilities, and hairstyles.
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• Key Emerging Benchmarking Trends by Country
• Here are the key benchmarking trends that emerged
  via the analysis by country.
• United States
• In the US, the focus has shifted toward hair
  revitalization, digital styling tools, and
  products addressing diverse hair types. Key
  trends include
• Roe Extract for Hair Growth (15 growth) Roe
  extract, known for stimulating hair follicles
  and promoting growth, has become a favored
  ingredient for consumers seeking solutions for
  hair thinning.
• AR/VR Look Modifiers (13 growth) Augmented and
  virtual reality tools that helped consumers
  visualize different hairstyles and colors,
  emerged as influential in product choices.
• Refillable Products and Recycled Packaging (13
  growth) Like in other markets, US consumers
  were prioritizing eco-friendly packaging
  solutions, including refillable containers and
  recycled materials.
• Diverse Haircare Products Products that cater to
  non-mainstream hair types, including frizzy,
  curly, and afro-textured hair, gained momentum.
  Brands like Z were celebrated for their
  offerings in this niche.
• Popular products in the US include x, which
  balances moisture and quality for normal hair,
  and y for taming frizzy hair.
• United Kingdom
• In the UK, trends focused on deep scalp care,
  ethical products, and convenient solutions for
  home care. Key trends include
• Probiotics for Scalp Health (12 growth)
  Probiotics became popular for their potential to
  improve scalp health, with a focus on products
  that enhance the microbiome balance of the
  scalp.
• Sustainable and Ethical Labels (12 growth) UK
  consumers were highly conscious of the ethical
  implications of their purchases, seeking products
  that were sustainably sourced and labeled
  accordingly.
• Home Haircare Solutions (15 growth) The demand
  for salon-quality haircare products that could
  be easily used at home had risen, driven by the
  COVID-19 pandemics impact on professional salon
  access.
• Strong/Blunt Bob and Tight Crop (14-15 growth)
  These hairstyle trends, along with an increased
  interest in hair accessories, defined the UK
  haircare market.
• Products like B C for hydration and silkiness
  made a mark in the UK, reflecting consumer
  interest in both high-performance and ethically
  sourced products.
• Australia
• Australian consumers showed a strong preference
  for ethical and eco-friendly products, as well
  as innovations in digital utilities. Key emerging
  trends include
• Face-to-Style Recommender Apps (92 growth)
  Digital apps that allowed users to experiment
  with hairstyles in virtual or augmented reality
  were gaining traction.

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• These apps offered personalized recommendations,
  enhancing consumer engagement.
• Oat Straw for Scalp Health and Dandruff (82
  growth) Oat straw was gaining popularity as a
  natural remedy for scalp health, particularly in
  combating dandruff.
• Short Unisex Styles (81 growth) Gender-neutral
  hairstyles were increasingly popular, reflecting
  broader trends toward inclusivity and simplicity.
• Gooseberry/Amla for Scalp Health (68 growth)
  Products containing gooseberry or amla, known
  for their scalp-soothing properties, were
  trending, with some brands leading the way.
• Recyclable/Refillable Packaging (66 growth)
  Environmental concerns were pushing consumers
  toward products with sustainable packaging,
  including recyclable and refillable options.
• Brands like A, known for products such as X Y,
  were recognized for delivering volume and shine,
  aligning with the consumer focus on both efficacy
  and sustainability.
• Key Benchmarking Recommendations for Our Client
• To capitalize on these emerging and benchmarking
  trends, our client could focus on three primary
  areas commercial innovation, product innovation,
  and competitive defense.
• 1. Commercial Innovation
• Ingredient Transparency Consumers were
  increasingly aware of harmful ingredients in
  haircare products, such as DMDM Hydantoin,
  hydroquinone, and silicones. Our client could
  emphasize the absence of these ingredients in
  their products while promoting healthier,
  scalp-friendly alternatives like gooseberry,
  amla, and oat straw.
• Messaging for Popular Hairstyles Leveraging
  hairstyle trends like short unisex cuts,
  mop/muppet styles, and frizz control could
  enhance brand relevance, particularly in digital
  campaigns.
• 2. Product Innovation
• Ethical and Sustainable Products Our client
  should continue to invest in ethical sourcing
  and environmentally friendly packaging solutions,
  such as refillable packs and clear, reusable
  containers. These trends were seeing growth
  across all three countries.
• Targeting Diverse Hair Types Developing products
  that cater to rougher or non- mainstream hair
  types, especially in markets like the US, could
  enhance brand appeal to a broader audience.
• 3. Competitive Defense
• o Partnerships with Digital Styling Tools
  Collaborating with popular digital utilities
  such as AR/VR apps and face-to-style recommender
  tools could position our client as a leader in
  innovative haircare solutions. Early adoption of
  these technologies would give them a competitive
  edge.

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o Monitoring Their Competitor Our client could
closely observe the success of their
competitors, like Xs volume-enhancing shampoos
and Zs products for frizzy and afro-textured
hair, to inform future product developments. Getti
ng Ahead with GrapheneAIs Benchmarking By
staying attuned to these trends and innovating in
both product development and digital
integration, our client could not only meet
current consumer demands but also set the stage
for future growth. The study also uncovered
additional benchmarking insights specific to the
client brand and its product offerings these
are to be withheld in the interest of
confidentiality.  Contact us at GrapheneAI to
stay ahead of trends via competitive benchmarking
insights.