The Beauty Issue : What beauty is really saying about our time
Beauty is often sold as a moment of pleasure and self-love… but it’s also a space shaped by norms, social pressure, and sometimes clashing expectations. So are we taking care of ourselves - or complying ?
To explore that question, BETC is leading a new Prosumer study (2025 edition of the Prosumer Reports) : a survey conducted in Q1 2025 with 14,500 people aged 18+ across 30 countries, in partnership with Market Probe International - including 18% “Prosumers”, those ahead-of-the-curve consumers who help shape what comes next.
Prosumers : the people who test the future before everyone else
Prosumers aren’t just early adopters - they’re cultural and consumption drivers. What they do today, the broader public tends to do 6 to 18 months later. In other words: they’re where you look when you want to understand what’s coming.
What THE BEAUTY ISSUE 2025 reveals
This edition highlights a major shift: beauty is no longer only about appearance. It has become a question of mental health, status, access, and social capital.
Some key signals from the study:
• “Taking care of your beauty” is now seen as essential: 77% of Prosumers say so (vs. 55% of the mainstream).
• Beauty as therapy: 75% of Prosumers believe their beauty/skincare routines support their mental wellbeing.
• “Pretty privilege” is acknowledged: 62% of Prosumers think beauty is crucial to social and professional success.
• And platforms keep fueling pressure: 43% of Prosumers link their physical insecurities to influencers and social media.
The study also identifies three major forces reshaping the category: the “healthification” of beauty (beauty = health), the pursuit of “pretty privilege,” and the evolving - often paradoxical - nature of beauty standards.
Why BETC publishes these studies (and why it matters)
At BETC, Prosumer Studies are designed with one purpose: to give brands actionable cultural insights. Not “trends for trend’s sake,” but real, quantified tensions that help brands make sharper choices - in positioning, tone of voice, and proof points.
📩 To learn more or speak with the team behind the study : Sébastien Houdusse (Global Strategy Director) - contact details are provided in the report.
