Sales of facial masks up 22.8% in the UK

Sales of facial masks continue to rise, partly driven by the 2015 trend for “multi-masking,” according to new data from global market analyst the NPD Group. UK sales of facials masks rose by 22.8% between October 2014 and October 2015, the market analyst revealed.

And, while sales of masks still represent a relatively limited 1.6% of the women’s skincare market as a whole, its value has increased significantly in the past three years.

The value of the mask market grew from £3,890,385 in October 2012, to £5,977,414 in October 2015. This year has seen a social media craze for “multi-masking,” seeing beauty bloggers and others uploading pictures of applying several different masks at a time.

This, NPD said, have helped drive sales of facials masks. June Jensen, director of UK beauty for The NPD Group, said: “Masks have been growing in popularity over the last three years, but it was the Instagram craze for multi-masking that stimulated huge growth in the market.

“Customers began experimenting with two or three masks at one time and this trend really took hold in the UK. Emerging early in 2015, it has become the ‘must-try’ skincare trend of the year."  

New launches have also helped drive sales, with unit sales of facial masks up 22.3%, reaching 187,000. The most popular products in the market includes Clarins’ Masque Baume Repulpant Multi-Intensif and Estée Lauder's Revitalising Supreme Global Anti-Aging Mask Boost.

Jensen said: “The recent growth in the mask market demonstrates the role that beauty bloggers and Instagram influencers have on the sales of beauty products. Beauty consumers are increasingly turning to their peers for advice on products and take the lead of their online idols.”