For the British, beauty is not a luxury. It helps them feel better and fosters social connections. This is demonstrated by the study “The Impact of Beauty”, carried out by Oxford Economics on behalf of the British Beauty Council (an organisation representing the British beauty industry, ed.), with the support of L’Oréal Group.
This study, published in September 2026, is based on a YouGov survey of 2,116 adults and a mapping of beauty businesses across the country.
In 2025, the beauty industry contributed 28.3 billion pounds to the UK’s GDP and generated 595,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to a previous study by Oxford Economics.
An essential expense
Only 7% of Britons consider their beauty product purchases to be purely for pleasure. For the majority, it is a necessity, regardless of age, gender, or social class. They spend an average of 13 minutes a day and 27 pounds a month on it. They prioritize this expense over gym memberships, streaming subscriptions, or dining out. In fact, more than half of adults use a skincare product every day.
A place to open up
Hair salons, barbershops, and beauty salons are also places for conversation. The study focuses here on people who regularly visit these establishments—72% of those surveyed. Among them, 44% have had a real conversation with their hairstylist or esthetician in the last six months. 42% of them discussed personal topics during these visits. For some, these appointments are even one of the few moments of interaction with …
