GLP-1s Driving Multi-Industry Shifts
The rapid rise in popularity of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are reshaping the health, wellness, and fitness space. Appetite and craving suppression experienced while using these medications has noticeably impacted food purchasing behaviors, with demand decreasing for fast food and snack foods while increasing the demand for healthier options. This shift has expanded beyond the food industry and these medications are quietly reshaping the cosmetics and personal care industry. As of 2025, 12% of adults in the United States are using these breakthrough medications and as more data emerges about the side effects of these medications, consumers are changing what they demand from beauty products. Formulators should be aware of changing trends regarding product benefits, ingredients to use, and even product formats across skincare and haircare.
Redefining Skincare for Structural Changes
The impact of GLP-1 medications goes far beyond weight loss and bodily changes. The term Ozempic face has emerged to describe the loss in facial volume, skin firmness, and lifted appearance associated with rapid fat reduction. As the face loses volume, wrinkles become deeper, skin loosens, the face can appear gaunt and prematurely aged. Traditional anti-aging products are designed to help with fine lines, gradual collagen loss, and photodamage accrued over years and years of gradual aging. The aging associated with rapid fat loss represents more than surface-level changes and represents structural changes. While replacing fat through topicals alone is impossible, formulators can prioritize ingredients like peptides and hyaluronic acid that support deep hydration, plumping, collagen production, and skin elasticity to return the skin back to its glowing and youthful appearance.
As fat deposits in the face shrink, there can be changes to the plumpness of the lips. Additionally, xerostomia (dry mouth) is a side effect of these medications and the lips can become chapped, cracked, and thin. When formulating lip products, this should be kept in mind and ingredients that hydrate and increase volume over time can mitigate the unwanted side effects. Lip treatments containing peptides and hyaluronic acid offer a gentle and long-term approach to restoring the appearance of the lips.
Supporting Hair and Scalp Health
Telogen Effluvium is a common form of hair loss triggered by physiological stress such as rapid weight loss and is commonly experienced by GLP-1 users. The hair shedding is temporary and regrowth typically occurs once the weight stabilizes, but the experience can be distressing. Formulators can respond by creating hair and scalp serums containing ingredients like stem cells and exosomes to stimulate hair regrowth, reduce shedding, and optimize the function of hair follicles during the initial hair loss caused by the medication.
Additionally, dermastamping and microneedling are used at home to combat hair loss by boosting blood flow and facilitating the absorption of active ingredients. This creates an opportunity for formulators to design products that are compatible with these devices or are sold alongside microneedling tools.
Beyond temporary reduced density, GLP-1s can change the hair and scalp in other ways. The scalp can become dry, the hair strands weaker, and the texture of the hair may become frizzier and less smooth. Consumers experiencing these side effects will lean towards gentle, non-stripping shampoos and deep conditioners to keep their locks healthy. Formulators can also create products positioned as preventative care to be used before and during GLP-1 treatments to maintain current hair and skin condition.
Gourmand Beauty and Treat Culture in Cosmetics
GLP-1 medications are changing consumer habits, and active users of the medication show an increased consumption of skincare, lip products, and fragrance. GLP-1 users aren’t craving and buying as many edible treats such as snacks, fast food, and desserts. The “treat-habit” is still present, but purchasing has shifted towards indulging in non-food items like cosmetics. The extra disposable income from ditching grocery store impulse purchases combined with GLP-1 medications causing undesired changes to the skin, lips, and hair means that formulators can offer products with a dual purpose: address visible concerns and side effects like dry lips and dull skin while also fulfilling the emotional component of an indulgence.
Diet culture doesn’t mean that food stops being a source of comfort but as restricting calories is increasingly normalized, sensory-driven gourmand scents and dessert themed cosmetics can fill the gap left behind by high-calorie treats. Currently, dessert-themed fragrances are up nearly 25%. Scrolling through the Sephora bestselling fragrance section, the names of top perfumes include marshmallow, coconut milk, rock candy, and caramel. Food marketing is present in other products, too. Recent lip balm launches have flavors like vanilla buttercream, cinnamon sugar latte, and caramelized banana.
Formulators should take note of this “controlled indulgence” era by offering mouth-watering flavors and fragrances. New scents aren’t just “strawberry,” but “strawberry glaze” or “chocolate covered strawberry.” Descriptive and unique scent notes catch a consumer’s eye, make a product stand out, and scent is an easy way to create a pleasurable and guilt-free experience. Additionally, intentionally creating products at a price point that makes them an easily justifiable treat, like a mini hand cream or a sheet mask, can deliver some of the same gratification as a pastry or specialty coffee might have before starting weight loss medication.
Implications for Future Cosmetic Formulation Strategy
The affordability and access to GLP-1s are only continuing to climb. Users will experience major changes in their hair and skin, but the downstream effects on consumer behavior will continue to shape the personal care industry. While deeper structural changes to the face and body aren’t going to be addressed by topicals alone, formulators can create products that play a meaningful role in improving hydration, enhancing skin appearance, and supporting hair health. At the same time, this shift in purchasing behaviors can create an opportunity for formulators to combine functional benefits alongside accessible price points and delicious, gourmand scents to fulfill the physiological and emotional needs of this emerging consumer group.
