Why haircare is becoming a science, and what this means for e-commerce

The haircare category no longer looks anything like it did a few years ago. It has become one of the most dynamic and complex territories in the beauty industry. At Matcha, we wanted to unpack what is reshaping this market, and what it means for brands and retailers who need to guide their shoppers through this growing complexity.

In 2025, supermarkets and hypermarkets still dominated haircare product distribution in France, with a 60.34% market share. But online sales are the fastest-growing channel, with a forecast CAGR of 5.03% between 2026 and 2031 (Mordor Intelligence), as consumer buying habits continue to evolve.

What are the pillars shaping expectations in the hair care aisle today? That is what this analysis sets out to unpack, across four major trends:

• Skinification & premiumisation

• Efficacy, a response to real concerns

• Textured hair, a key segment

• Transparency & clean beauty

Skinification & premiumisation: the haircare routine catches up with skincare

Skinification, n. (from the English skin): the phenomenon whereby a haircare routine becomes as elaborate as a skincare routine. By extension, shampoo and conditioner are no longer enough. Now you need a serum, a leave-in treatment, a scrub... and more.

This parallel with skincare is no coincidence: skincare has already gone a long way down this path, both in routine structure and in growing product expertise, territory we know well at Matcha, and haircare is now following the same trajectory.

This shift plays out very concretely on shelves. Brands are following suit and typically adding a product to their range. Ranges that used to consist of a shampoo and a mask are giving way to fuller, more technical, more segmented, and often more premium routines.

For brands and retailers, this move upmarket is an opportunity. But it comes with a new challenge: explaining more clearly, at every step of the routine, what each product does and why it complements the others. Without this educational effort, an expanded range risks losing shoppers rather than winning them over.

One thing worth bearing in mind: haircare remains a supply-driven market. Unlike other categories where demand precedes innovation, here it is often the product that has to create desire and excitement in the shopper, even before they have identified the need.

Efficacy: responding to very real concerns

Part of what is driving haircare's expansion is that it responds to genuinely contemporary concerns. Pollution, stress, dietary imbalances and ageing all make hair problems worse. Hair loss, particularly among men, is becoming a major worry, affecting increasingly younger men.

These concrete concerns give brands fertile ground to offer increasingly technical, targeted products, in keeping with the premiumisation dynamic described above.

A key segment: textured hair

Curly, wavy and coily hair is no longer a niche market. According to a Mintel study, 53% of French women describe their hair as wavy, curly or coily. A segment that carries real weight in the market, but one that has long been poorly served by the available offer.

That is changing. The curls segment recorded 6% value growth (Circana, MAT end 2024), bucking the trend in an otherwise declining haircare market. Innovation is multiplying, with formulas and routines designed specifically for these textures.

This specialisation adds a further layer of complexity for shoppers though: each texture comes with its own routine, its own products, its own codes. Finding your way through this ever-richer offer becomes a real navigation challenge, particularly online.

© Dr Heather MD, illustration of the hair texture classification system created by Andre Walker in 1980

Transparency & clean beauty: a demand for proof, not just promises

The quest for clean beauty is no longer just an aesthetic preference for green packaging. It comes with a growing demand for concrete proof: short formulas, no controversial ingredients, genuinely effective alternatives rather than marketing claims.

This demand goes well beyond haircare alone. According to a survey carried out by Verian among 1,000 French people in 2025, covering cosmetics and food supplements, 64% of French people say they would be willing to switch brands based on their socio-environmental impact. A figure that confirms ethical consistency is no longer a point of differentiation, but a baseline expectation.

For haircare brands, this means one thing: clean claims can no longer just be made, they have to be demonstrated.

In conclusion

These four trends, skinification, a response to real concerns, textured hair specialisation and the demand for transparency, share one thing in common: they make the hair care aisle richer, but also harder for shoppers to make sense of. More products, more segments, more criteria to weigh up before making a choice.

For brands and retailers, the question is no longer whether these expectations matter. They do, and they are already reshaping shelves, in store and online. The real question becomes: how do you support an increasingly demanding shopper in an increasingly expert category?

Frequently asked questions

What is hair skinification?

Hair skinification refers to applying skincare codes to hair: prior diagnosis, targeted actives, a multi-step routine rather than a simple shampoo.

Is the haircare market growing in France?

The overall haircare market is declining slightly in value, but certain segments, such as online sales or textured hair, are growing strongly. It is not a uniform decline: it is a market being redistributed.

How can you tell if a haircare product is genuinely clean?

Beyond the packaging, a few concrete criteria: a short, readable ingredient list, the absence of identified controversial substances, and alternatives (to sulphates, to silicones) whose effectiveness is demonstrated rather than simply claimed.