Beauty brands turn to personalised skincare and hybrid products

The global beauty industry is moving towards products designed around individual skin characteristics rather than a single formula intended for everyone, according to reporting by mk.co.kr. Shin Yoo-jung, chief executive of ABLC, identified highly personalised skincare and hybrid beauty as two important developments in the international market during an article published through Forbes in the UK.

The shift reflects a basic challenge for global cosmetics companies: consumers with the same stated concern may not need the same treatment. Skin condition can differ according to race, skin type and age, meaning that a product developed for one group may not produce the same experience for another. Brands are therefore being pushed to consider the differences between consumers more closely when creating products and deciding how to position them.

Forbes also identified longevity beauty and personalisation as rising forces in skincare. The emphasis is not only on addressing an immediate concern, but on responding to the longer-term condition and experience of the user. That places greater importance on the way products are formulated, presented and adapted to different markets.

Consumers show willingness to pay for tailored products

The growing interest in personalisation is reflected in consumer research. A 2025 Mintel report cited by Forbes found that 62% of beauty and personal-care buyers in the United States were interested in ultra-personalised products. Another 28% said they would pay more for products created around their individual needs.

Those figures suggest that personalisation is moving beyond a branding device. It can influence what shoppers choose and whether they are prepared to spend more. For companies, this makes the ability to identify and respond to different skin characteristics commercially important, rather than simply an optional way to distinguish one product from another.

Shin said international expansion should therefore involve more than adding countries to a sales map or extending distribution networks. Companies also need to understand the skin characteristics and consumer experiences found in each market. That information can then be reflected in product development and broader brand strategy.

The approach represents a change from treating overseas markets as groups that can all be served with the same product. It instead places greater weight on the detailed needs of consumers in each market. The article presents this knowledge of local and individual conditions as a potential source of competitive strength for global beauty brands.

Skincare and makeup increasingly overlap

The second trend highlighted by Shin is hybrid beauty, which describes products that combine functions once associated with separate categories. The distinction between skincare and makeup is becoming less definite as consumers seek products that perform several roles at once.

A BB cream provides one example. Misha BB cream combines base makeup coverage with skincare and ultraviolet protection. The brand has also expanded its range of shades to take account of the skin tones of consumers in different parts of the world.

Its M Perfect Cover Serum BB Cream now comes in 10 shades, with the range designed around a wider variety of global skin tones. The product illustrates how hybrid beauty can involve both multifunctionality and greater attention to differences among consumers. A single item can offer coverage while also providing skincare and sun-protection functions, but its colour range must still reflect the people expected to use it.

Shin connected this direction with innovation in K-beauty. Korean beauty companies have developed products that bring together skin management and makeup, while adding features such as moisturising, UV protection and improved skin appearance. The result is an approach in which consumers do not necessarily have to choose between a treatment product and a cosmetic product for a particular part of their routine.

Personalisation becomes a broader strategy

The trends described by Shin are linked by their focus on adapting beauty products to consumers rather than expecting consumers to adapt to standardised products. Personalisation addresses differences in skin condition and need, while hybrid products address the desire for several benefits in one item. Longevity beauty adds a focus on maintaining skin condition over time.

Together, they point to a market in which understanding the user is becoming as important as expanding distribution. Brands will need to reflect consumer differences in products and services if they want to compete across international markets. As mk.co.kr reported, Shin described these developments as connected by a common aim: responding more precisely to each consumer’s condition and needs.