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The world of beauty is constantly evolving, and recently it’s become clear that Gen Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) – the next generation of consumers coming of age – is making its mark on the industry. Of course, since this entire generation is yet to turn 18, their parents likely hold the purse strings. And since purchases are rarely, if ever, made in a silo, Gen A’s interest in all things skincare and makeup asks the question: how are moms adapting to this shopping trend?
For moms of Gen Alpha kids, is the craze bringing them back to the beauty aisle for themselves, or turning them off entirely? Fresh CivicScience consumer intelligence paints a clear picture of just how beauty buying is changing, and where moms fit in.
Makeup Use Drops Overall
As the data show, the percentage of women who wear makeup daily has dropped in recent years, regardless of maternal status. Current daily makeup use stands at 41% for moms and 31% among child-free women. While these are still significant shares, moms saw an eight percentage point drop in daily makeup use since 2022, and adult women without children saw a 10 percentage point drop in the same timeframe.
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Despite differences in who wears makeup on a daily basis, moms and adult women without children have similar approaches to cutting back on beauty due to inflation. Currently, there is just one percentage point of difference between moms and women without kids who say they are cutting back on beauty (28% vs. 29%). To be sure, nearly 3 in 10 is no small percentage and is likely a contributor to the falling daily makeup use seen above. That said, moms and non-moms are far more likely to cut back in other areas (notably fast food and fast casual dining), echoing recent data that found consumers are less likely to cut back on beauty than on most other items amid tariff impacts.
However, noteworthy differences appear when it comes to luxury beauty products, with moms being six percentage points more likely than women without kids to say that they are buying luxury beauty products (72% vs. 66%), perhaps an indication of where they might scale back or adjust their beauty purchases accordingly.
Social Media and Amazon Have Beauty Buyers’ Attention
With so many women continuing to purchase makeup and beauty products, it’s worth understanding the key differences between moms and non-moms when it comes to advertisements that pack the most punch. Social media is, in fact, the top response for women regardless of parental status. However, while just three percentage points separate moms’ top beauty advertisement mediums, social media is a much stronger pull compared to other mediums among women 18+ without children.
Both of these groups typically begin their beauty product searches on Amazon. However, non-moms are notably more likely than moms to start on Amazon. Meanwhile, an equal percentage of moms (37%) say they start their research on Amazon or Google. This suggests that while moms do have preferences, their online beauty buying could be more divided than that of non-moms.
Are Gen Alpha Kids Influencing Their Moms?
Advertisements and their own personal research are far from the only avenues for reaching potential beauty shoppers. Often, word of mouth – especially from a trusted friend or family member – can go a long way towards influencing a purchase. Given the way that Gen Alpha has burst onto the beauty scene, it’s worth considering how moms of this demographic are being influenced.
Currently, moms of Gen Alpha kids are most likely to have purchased haircare and skincare for themselves, followed closely by makeup. Among moms 18+ who don’t have Gen Alpha children, haircare is also in their top purchased spot; however, skincare trails by 10 percentage points, and makeup comes in a distant third.
It’s worth noting that moms without Gen Alpha children are two percentage points more likely to have purchased a beauty product for themselves than moms of Gen Alpha kids–possibly due to the fact that these moms are purchasing products for their children who are already passionate about skincare.
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In the world of beauty, moms are in a league of their own. Although attitudes towards cutting back on beauty spending remain on par with non-moms, this demographic is still more invested in wearing makeup on a daily basis–perhaps prioritizing a moment of self-care amidst a life that constantly demands their attention. Among moms, the story gets more nuanced, with the impact of Gen Alpha kids and their interest in skincare potentially trickling upstream to slightly decrease their moms’ beauty purchases overall.
