2025 Teen Beauty Trends Are In — And They’re Not What Anyone Expected

During my tween and teen years in the ’90s, my only “beauty regimen” consisted of Noxema and, a couple of times a week, exfoliating my face nearly raw with St. Ives Apricot Scrub (IYKYK!). So it blows me away to think teens today spend a record $374 annually on skincare, cosmetics, and fragrance — a number that’s up 10 percent year over year. It’s just one of the new findings in the Spring 2025 edition of Piper Sandler’s “Taking Stock With Teens” survey, a semiannual report that gathers data from over 6,000 teens.

While the report details all facets of teen spending — you can find a cool infographic breaking it all down here — I was most interested in a trend I spotted in the personal care category. We’ve talked about this before here at SheKnows; over the summer, we dove into the topics of skincare and luxury cologne trends with some members of our own Teen Council. But while we heard stories of “Sephora tweens” and kids spending entire summer-job paychecks on a single bottle of designer cologne (my own 15-year-old included!), a significant shift was happening — one that defies the assumptions brands may have held about this generation. Because according to Piper Sandler’s newest data, teenagers are increasingly favoring affordable, accessible brands like e.l.f. and CeraVe over luxury labels.

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e.l.f. Cosmetics remains the top cosmetics brand among female teens, with 35 percent of respondents naming it their top pick — a holdover from the Fall 2024 report, though down slightly from its 38 percent peak. Skincare tells a similar story, with CeraVe continuing its reign as the most preferred brand in that category. Bath and Body Works, while it wasn’t even in the top 10 in the Fall 2024 report, skyrocketed to the top three in the most recent report; due at least in part, I suspect, to its new designer scent dupes, which allow buyers to smell expensive without actually having to fork over the premium price.

It’s a fascinating contradiction: Teens are shopping cheaper, but they’re spending more.

Why Are Teens Spending More If They Prefer Cheaper Brands?

Well, the short answer is this: Teens are trying to get more bang for their buck — but they’re also buying more products overall. Here’s how that trend plays out.

More Products Per Routine

Today’s teen skincare regimen includes multiple steps: cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, SPF — and maybe even a mask or two. (Psst … we’ve got skincare regimen recs for teens by celeb esthetician Shani Darden here.) Makeup routines, even the minimalist “clean girl” look, still require primer, concealer, blush, highlighter, brow gel, and more. Affordable brands make it possible to build a complete routine without dropping $200 on a single shopping trip — but all those $10 and $12 products add up. If I skip the $50 product, I can buy five $10 products instead.

Beauty as Identity

Thanks to TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, beauty is more than function — it’s performance, aesthetic, and community. Teens aren’t just buying to use; they’re buying to display (hello, shelfies) and to align themselves with certain vibes or values, like “clean beauty,” “coquette,” or “vanilla girl.”

More Categories = More Spending

Fragrance, body care, haircare, and niche accessories — like facial rollers or mini fridges for skincare — are all part of the teen beauty economy now. What used to be a cleanser-and-mascara kind of routine now spans categories and styles.

Access and Impulse Buys

Beauty shopping is easier than ever — Sephora is now in Kohl’s, Ulta is in Target, and most viral products are available online 24/7. Teens are more likely to grab a buzzy new serum or lip gloss during a Target run or click “Buy Now” after a TikTok recommendation, making frequent small purchases more common.

The Hype Cycle Never Stops

Social media drives urgency and FOMO. A product goes viral on Monday, sells out by Friday, and by next week, something new is trending. Even inexpensive items start to feel like limited-edition “must-haves,” which can nudge teens toward buying more stuff, more often.

The Spring 2025 “Taking Stock With Teens” report makes one thing clear: beauty spending isn’t about luxury anymore — it’s about accessibility, variety, and identity. Teens are redefining what it means to splurge, and increasingly, it’s not about buying the most expensive serum on the shelf. It’s about building an entire routine that reflects who they are … one budget-friendly product at a time.