Report

Global hair color market is projected to witness a CAGR of 7.23% during the forecast period 2024-2031, growing from USD 20.23 billion in 2023 to USD 35.35 billion in 2031. Factors such as changing fashion trends driven by the influence of social media, consumers' desire to express themselves and bring out their personality, the rise in aging population and greying of hair, improved hair color formulations and the development of ammonia-free, chemical-free, safe, and delicate hair color providing a lasting effect on the hair are driving the growth of the market and increasing the demand for hair colors.
Technological advancements have been made by the manufacturers in the formulation and hair coloring techniques to provide a lasting color with minimum damage to the hair, such as ME+ dye technology which minimizes the risk of developing an allergy to the hair while coloring.
Among various distribution channels, D2C is emerging as a preferred channel of sales as consumers rely on these channels. They feel confident while buying through the brand's direct websites, and enjoy offers, discounts, and subscription benefits. E-commerce platforms are significantly expanding access to customers to a vast range of products on one platform.
Wella International Operations Switzerland S.a.r.l., announced the launch of its latest three new shades in November 2023 which is a part of their Koleston Perfect Permanent Color line. The product is formulated with an ultra-precision hair coloring technology, ME+ dye technology which provides balanced and pure colors, results in natural depth of the color and shine and offers up to complete 100 percent grey hair coverage. The hair color is formulated with a metal purifier which promotes the prevention of hair damage which is caused by metals present in the hair colors. The hair color keeps the hair healthy after coloring without the usage of any pre-treatment for neutralizing the metals while coloring with the Koleston Perfect Hair Colors.
Leave-in Sprays Acting as a Catalyst
The leave-in sprays are gaining popularity in the market for several reasons providing instant hair coloring solutions to consumers, delivering temporary hair coloring facilities to consumers who do not want to color their hair permanently, minimizing the need to get a professional treatment frequently, and having ability to experiment, and change the color of the hair frequently, enabling the consumers to try different colors for different occasions.
Additionally, leave-in hair color sprays are versatile and a quick and convenient option available to the consumers as they need to be sprayed without providing any prior treatment such as bleaching to the hair.
Matrix introduced an all-in-one hair color leave-in spray in the USA in June 2022 at both online and offline channels, SalonCentric.com and Salon Centric. The product was launched in two colors Brass Off and So Silver to neutralize the hair color with the brand's unmatchable leave-in formulation. These colors provide quick and instant results, saving consumers trips to salons and time of getting a hair touch-up. These color sprays can be put on the cuticle of the hair to provide a temporary toning effect, offering hydration and smoothening to the hair.
Celebrity Endorsements to Drive the Market
The dominance of social media and celebrity endorsements is driving the growth of the market. Consumers tend to follow their favorite celebrities and replicate their appearances which helps in increasing the demand for hair colors. Most celebrities are internationally recognized which allows the brands to capture consumers around the world and expand their global presence. Moreover, celebrity endorsements give a competitive edge to the brands as the products that are promoted by the celebrities become popular over others and have a higher chance to be picked from the shelves by the consumers.
For instance, in March 2024, Schwarzkopf, a renowned brand of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA announced its recent campaign, "What Story Will You Tell", in collaboration with a celebrity hairstylist to serve as the brand's latest global color ambassador. The aim behind the campaign was to launch their latest blonde hair color. As a part of the campaign, Chris Appleton in association with Schwarzkopf will work with his elite clientele which covers celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and Dua Lipa to encourage consumers to narrate their own unique hair stories to others.
At-Home Hair Coloring Becoming a New Normal
At-home hair coloring is gaining popularity due to reasons such as cost-effectiveness as consumers need to purchase the hair coloring kit and do not need to pay for the services of the professional for coloring their hair. Moreover, at-home hair coloring is convenient for consumers who do not need to make frequent trips to the salon or make appointments at the salon. Additionally, at-home hair coloring gives the consumers control over the hair coloring process, enabling them to choose the color and adjust its intensity, allowing them to experiment with different shades and techniques without any additional involvement of cost.
In January 2022, L'Oreal announced the launch of two new-age technologies which feature in-home hair coloring solutions, developed to address hair coloring problems. The technologies were Colorsonic and Coloright which provide easy color application. Colorsonic technology is aimed at replacing salon coloring by fixing the problems faced by consumers while coloring at home. Coloright technology is an AI-enabled hair coloring system that works around providing correct and consistent color, offering on-demand and customized hair color to the consumers.
Innovation to Remain as Global Hair Color Market Trend
Consumers are encouraged to experiment with their hair, coloring it in different shades ranging from subtle to bold. Moreover, they are trying different techniques and formulations for coloring their hair like highlighting, global coloring, bleaching, permanent coloring, and temporary coloring. Additionally, there has been a rise in consumers' preference for innovative formulations like organic colors, hair color with glossy finish, etc., which provides a healthier looking appearance to consumers' hair, driving the demand of the product.
Schwarzkopf Professional, in collaboration with THE UNSEEN, launched their latest innovation, Color Alchemy, a prismatic color range, in August 2022. The product is developed technologically with an innovative formulation, offering five holographic color changing hair dyes. The formulation is very different from the static pigmented colors and every shade spreads the light in a range of kaleidoscopic colors that transform and change with temperature.
Manufacturers are bringing in innovative hair coloring technologies and formulations, which do not require bleaching or pre-lightening treatment, enabling the products to pick the pigment instantly on the darkest hair color base.
Future Market Scenario (2024 - 2031F)
- Products offering easy and advanced hair coloring technology such as nanotechnology, HD dye technology, ME+ dye technology, and other latest innovations will surface on the market.
- Advances are anticipated in terms of hair color formulations, providing sustainable, organic, and chemical free coloring solutions. Hair color formulations without chemicals, containing natural ingredients like antioxidants, natural oils, vitamins, and other plant-based ingredients will be used to promote healthy hair and reduce damage, nourishing the hair, and protecting them from breakage and dryness.
- Diversification of color palette is expected to offer more bold, vibrant, and distinct colors, which will be trending in the future.
Key Players Landscape and Outlook
Key players in the market are helping in the growth of the market by focusing on continuous product innovation, retail expansions, and strategic marketing. The manufacturers are actively expanding their product portfolio, increasing the base of the customers and catering to their evolving needs.
Clairol, a Coty Inc. brand announced the launch of three latest products which provide at-home salon quality hair coloring in January 2023. The launches included Root Touch Up Color + Volume 2-in-1 Spray, Natural Instincts Bold and Blonde It Up Crystal Glow Toners. These products are designed to suit almost all hair types and textures. The Root Touch Up Color + Volume 2-in-1 Spray is a temporary root touch up solution which instantly covers gray hair using a color fill technology. Natural Instincts Bold is an at-home permanent coloring solution catering to consumers who want to achieve dark and bold colors in their looks while being gentle on hair. The formulation lasts up to 8 weeks and is ammonia free consisting Argan Oil, Guarana extract, and Acai. The VitaBoost Color amplifier is an advanced color system that guarantees precise placement of bold pigments deep inside the hair fiber, delivers bold color results that last weeks with more resistance to fading after wash. Lastly, Blonde It Up Crystal Glow Toners provides luster to the colored hair.