Long gone are the days of owning a single body cream: we’re now in the era of lotions, oils, mists, and toners. And, against the backdrop of looksmaxxing and the after effects of GLP-1s, the bodycare opportunity is only growing.

Earlier this month, prestige bodycare brand Uni named model and actor Kaia Gerber as its first creative partner, working across its content, product innovation, marketing initiatives, and creative direction. The appointment reflects a broader shift in beauty: bodycare is increasingly being treated as a luxury, skincare-led category rather than a low-margin commodity. It also suggests Uni sees enough long-term growth potential in the category to invest in building a cultural bodycare brand that leans into strategic celebrity endorsement, rather than simply selling a hero product.

Historically, consumers were willing to spend £100+ on facial skincare, but much less on body products. That is gradually changing. “Consumers have become a lot more informed and intentional about their daily wellness routines,” says Nima Jalali, founder of Los Angeles-based natural bodycare specialist Salt & Stone, who has scaled the brand from solely deodorants to body wash, oils, mists, and hand creams. “It started with skincare, but people wanted to extend those selfcare moments into the rest of their routine.”

As a result, the luxury bodycare category is on track to grow 7.1% to $27.8 billion by 2030, according to Euromonitor. The mass bodycare market is expected to grow 5.3% to $24.2 billion in the same period. Investors are taking note. In April, L’Oréal’s venture capital fund Bold invested an undisclosed sum in bodycare brand Hanni. And in March, private equity firm Advent International acquired Salt & Stone, which recorded revenues of $165 million in 2025.

British department store John Lewis says searches for luxury bodycare have skyrocketed, with a year-on-year growth of 400% for Diptyque’s body lotion, 300% for Creed’s body wash, and 125% for Byredo’s body wash. “We’re seeing brands expand their product offerings to extend their bestselling fragrance and skincare into bodycare lines. Fenty Beauty has recently launched a line of body mists, bubble baths, and body washes in complementary scents to offer a full body range,” says John Lewis beauty director Helen Spencer. “Byredo and Diptyque always have their new scents available in luxury body lotions, and Elemis recently launched their pro-collagen body cream following the ongoing success of their pro-collagen skincare line.”

The shift is happening on the big screen, too. In Luca Guadagnino’s 2024 film Challengers, Zendaya is seen slathering her legs with Augustinus Bader’s body cream, which starts at £92 for 100ml.

However, there are still barriers for brands looking to break into the category. “The most significant challenge is perception. because bodycare was initially positioned as a functional purchase, something practical, not something to invest in,” says Rebecca Cullen-Smith, education director at Dermalogica UK, whose bodycare offer includes a clarifying spray and a hydrating cream. “Shifting that mindset requires sustained education and credible expertise, not just compelling products.”

Borrowing from the skincare playbook

To reach consumers, brands are taking skincare’s lead: investing in research and development, focusing on efficacy and ingredients, and at the same time adding a touch of quiet luxury to the branding and partnering with wholesalers that translate its high-end messaging.

Bobbi Brown’s cosmetic brand Jones Road broke into bodycare in January with a lotion, cream, oil, scrub, and shower gel. The products use ingredients that target the same concerns consumers have for their faces. The body lotion contains sodium hyaluronate to minimize fine lines and wrinkles; squalane for boosting hydration and conditioning the skin; and safflower oil to protect the skin from environmental stress such as UV rays, air pollution, and drastic temperature shifts that break the skin’s protective barrier.

“Bodycare lives at two extremes: either very basic and purely functional, or overly indulgent in a way that feels disconnected from real life. I saw a real gap for products that feel luxurious and sensorial, but are still grounded in performance and fit easily into an everyday routine,” says Brown. “I wanted to create bodycare that truly nourishes the skin, supports the barrier, and delivers real comfort.” She adds that a fresh fruity scent, such as the citrus in her range, plays an important part in the luxury experience.

Last year, beauty retailer Lookfantastic combined its skincare and bodycare categories after recognizing the opportunity to apply the same level of education, expertise, and consumer engagement that has long driven success within the skincare segment.

“Following the growth and education-led approach Lookfantastic has built around key skincare trends such as SPF, skin concerns, and ingredient-led solutions, we are now bringing this same skinification approach into the bodycare category,” says senior buying manager Lauren Starkey. “This shift is already showing positive momentum, with bodycare growing 7% year-on-year and demonstrating increased consumer appetite for more elevated, effective, and routine-driven bodycare.”

111Skin, which received a minority investment from beauty giant Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) in April, has also been applying its skincare science-first approach to bodycare. The brand currently stocks a neck mask, body oil and body cream, and its bodycare products are available at 140 spas worldwide. Founder Dr. Yannis Alexandrides says he is taking a measured approach to ensure any expansion aligns with its clinical expertise and delivers genuine value, rather than simply broadening its product range. “We’ve already started going down that direction, but for us, it’s important for the pace of this advancement to be sustainable and to be meaningful,” he explains.

Changing behaviors

Perhaps, the biggest dilemma facing brands that want to get into the bodycare game is pricing. While La Prairie and La Mer’s customers may be used to paying around £250 for a body cream, most people — especially younger consumers — are not.

“Customers need to pay significantly more than they have been for higher-quality products, and that’s why consumer education is the most persistent challenge,” says Uni founder Alexandra Keating. “We’re educating customers to use higher-quality products for their everyday needs and change their purchase behavior.”

Italian brand Seed to Skin’s bodycare products typically sit in the £112 to £165 range. “One of the biggest challenges in the luxury bodycare category is balancing exceptional quality with accessibility,” says co-founder Jeanette Thottrup. “Body products are typically used in larger quantities and more frequently than facial skincare, which means formulation costs can increase significantly when you choose to work with high concentrations of premium ingredients.”

However, she believes that consumers are becoming more educated and discerning, with many now willing to invest in higher-quality bodycare when they understand the provenance of the ingredients, the craftsmanship behind the formulation, and the results it delivers.

Lookfantastic has seen success with entry-price trial kits and sampling opportunities, allowing consumers to experience products and understand the benefits before committing to a full-size purchase. Keating notes that keen pricing is particularly important for a brand like Uni, which is targeting Gen Z.

That’s partly why the brand tapped 24-year-old Gerber. “She is a perfect example of how this bodycare boom is being driven,” Keating says. “She invests in her body routine with intention, using more products on her body than her face. This is a whole new wave of consumer usage and we are here for it.”

What will drive future growth?

As consumers become more body and health-conscious than ever — tracking their health data and engaging in looksmaxxing — experts predict a rise in science-backed bodycare options, fueled by technological advances.

“With more science available to understand the skin on the body in greater depth, expectations will rise for more targeted solutions that address specific skin concerns and how the skin ages from the neck down,” predicts Irene Forte, founder of her namesake luxury skincare label, which has expanded to offer body oils that claim to be anti-aging. She adds that another significant opportunity is bodycare that’s designed to complement longevity-driven lifestyles.

Just as boutique hotels once differentiated themselves through mattresses and mini bars, today, wellness spaces are increasingly setting themselves apart through beauty and bodycare partnerships. Luxury London gym Third Space has Cowshed’s body cream stationed at every corner of its changing rooms, while in March, Equinox announced that it had swapped out botanical skincare brand Grown Alchemist for Le Labo, the fragrance brand known for its candles and bodycare, as its global amenities partner for hair, body, and face products. Uni, which has partnered with SoulCycle and luxury restaurants such as Mr Chow in the US, also has plans to enter luxury hotels and spas in the near future.

Forte’s brand was born out of a spa — she began her career in 2009 at her family’s Verdura Resort in Sicily, where she was experimenting with beauty and wellness. “Our spa experience taught us the importance of the sensory side of bodycare early on and what makes a formula luxurious — and the customer coming back — is down to both efficacy and experience in equal measure,” she says.

At the same time, Uni’s Keating predicts that, with the popularity of GLP-1 medications, “bodycare will go quite clinical very quickly”. The weight-loss medication has been recorded to prevent the body’s skin to lose its structural fat support, with brands looking for ways to incorporate Vitamin C and topical peptides into their bodycare products as a result. On the market right now, there’s Iraye’s shaping body cream with lymphactive (an ingredient that reduces swelling and excess water) and Paula’s Choice retinol body treatment, which boosts collagen production, among others.

As these opportunities continue to emerge, brands are building beauty “wardrobes” that complement consumers’ skincare and wellness rituals with high-performing formulas, sophisticated design, and quick results. “Luxury in bodycare is multifactorial and the brands that do it now will win on several fronts at once,” says Forte. “Consumers are extending their skincare education into bodycare and are investing in science to better the quality of their bodies.”